Cultivating Community Gardens Lesson Plan
Learning Objective
Students will learn about the concept of community gardens and their benefits, while developing their digital animation skills using Brush Ninja.
Materials
- Computers or tablets with internet access
- Brush Ninja animated gif maker
Procedure
- Begin by discussing the idea of community gardens and why they are important.
- Engage students in a discussion about the benefits of community gardens, such as promoting healthy eating, fostering social connections, and beautifying neighborhoods.
- Divide students into small groups and assign each group a specific aspect of community gardens to research.
- Encourage students to use reliable online resources or books to gather information about their assigned topic.
- Have each group create a simple plan for an animated gif that illustrates their assigned aspect of community gardens.
- Instruct students on how to access Brush Ninja on their computers or tablets.
- Provide a brief demonstration on the basic features and tools available in Brush Ninja.
- Guide students through the process of creating an animated gif that represents their researched aspect of community gardens.
- Allow each group to present their animated gifs to the class, explaining how it relates to their assigned aspect of community gardens.
- Facilitate a class discussion where students share what they learned from each other’s presentations.
Assessment
- Observe student engagement during the research phase and provide guidance as needed.
- Assess student understanding through their ability to create an animated gif that effectively represents their assigned aspect of community gardens.
- Evaluate student participation during the sharing and discussion session based on active listening and thoughtful contributions.
Extension
For further exploration:
- Have students create additional animated gifs highlighting different aspects of community gardening, such as composting, insect pollination, or the life cycle of plants.
- Encourage students to share their animated gifs with other classes or even display them on the school’s website or social media platforms to promote community gardening within the larger community.
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How to animate with Brush Ninja
This video teaches the basics of using Brush Ninja
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Examples of Brush Ninja in Education
“This day just keeps getting better and better!” ~3rd grade student Students in Mrs.Quintero’s class @NISDFranklinES used brush ninja to create a Gif with a holiday message for their parents! #NISDInnovate
Tweeted by Rosío Martínez-ApolinarGrade 3 Ginn @WilliamKingElem embraced animating the invisible forces they are learning in science through Brush Ninja @BinaryMoon this morning! I think they understood the concepts!!🎉
Tweeted by Chris CocekLife Cycle of a Fish Comes to Life! My first graders used Brush Ninja to create a GiF about the life cycle of a fish 😍
Tweeted by Nancy Holguin2nd grade @GaeScubs developed models of plant, insect, & mammal life cycles using #BrushNinja. This friend included lots of details! GIFs were downloaded & shared in a class slideshow. Lots of connections to #HLP attributes & #DLI standards!
Tweeted by Mandolyn LoftisSo much fun with @TechCoachRobles this morning as we challenged these ALPHA students to learn about an environmental justice hero and create a representative gif using Brush Ninja. They were fabulous!
Tweeted by Rachel Friedrich