At North Gower Public School, the Makerspace and classrooms are buzzing with activity. Grade 3, 4 and 5 students are editing short films, recording songs, and working together on stop-motion animations. It’s all part of a hands-on initiative led by teachers Leslie Mott, Christopher Rowsome, Derek Lohmann, and Kim Clark, in collaboration with the Canadian Playful Schools Network.
In September, students kicked off their learning by attending the Ottawa International Animation Festival. They were inspired to create their own short videos where they set their goals for the year. The class held a mini film festival and gave each other feedback on editing strategies.
Next, they experimented with stop-motion animation, using action figures to demonstrate workout exercises. They flexed their editing skills, assembling 200 photos for every 15 seconds of footage! The grade 5s mentored their peers in grades 3 and 4 by sharing the animation techniques they’d learned. They combined their projects into a “body break” video, which was shown at an assembly to lead students through a guided stretch.
Now, the young filmmakers are diving into the world of soundtracks, in collaboration with singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff and secondary Co-Op students. They’ve been working on personalized theme songs – writing lyrics, recording their songs, and using the coding-based software SoundTrap to add instrumentals.
Recently, Craig visited the school for an in-person workshop, where he taught the students how to make soundtracks to their films. Students enthusiastically created songs conveying specific emotions and shared some of their creations in a schoolwide assembly. Here’s what they had to say about their experience:
“I felt really proud after making our songs. I was a bit nervous singing on the songs at first then after a while it was not scary anymore. It was scary at first to listen to your own voice, but then it was exciting and I want to do it again!”
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“Thank you for encouraging us to sing. You allowed us to make the songs we liked. You had great enthusiasm which made us excited. Thank you for working one on one. It was really helpful.”
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“Thank you for showing us all the wonders of SoundTrap. Now I know how to change the color of the block and record my voice and play the piano keys. If it weren't for you I would have never known what SoundTrap was. It has been so amazing meeting you. I hope you come and visit our class soon.”
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These student-driven projects enable every child to explore their own interests and share their unique perspectives. At the end of each session, they meet to acknowledge what they learned from each other. Their teamwork has sparked new friendships and built a sense of community.
In the next phase of the project, Ben Bergeron and Mathias Ghezzi from Youth Ottawa have begun delivering filmmaking workshops. The students were immediately engaged in learning how to use different camera angles and techniques to tell their stories, and are already implementing what they have learned in their filmwork.
North Gower Public School was selected as one of 40 Canadian schools to participate in the Canadian Playful Schools Network at the University of Ottawa. The program, which is funded by the Lego Foundation, aims to leverage learning through play and improve student engagement and well-being in junior grades. Through the partnership, staff have the opportunity to connect with schools across the country and share their expertise on play-based learning.