World War II Lesson Plan
Learning Objective
Students will understand the key events and significance of World War II by creating animated gifs using Brush Ninja.
Materials
- Computers or tablets with internet access for each student or group
- Brush Ninja website
- Research materials on World War II (books, websites, videos)
- Paper and pencils for note-taking during research
Procedure
Introduction
- Begin by discussing with students what they already know about World War II. Write their responses on the board.
- Introduce the learning objective: to create animated gifs using Brush Ninja to depict key events and aspects of World War II.
- Explain that before creating the gifs, students will need to conduct research on various topics related to World War II.
Research
- Divide students into small groups and provide them with research materials.
- Assign each group a specific topic related to World War II such as major battles, leaders, weapons, or home front experiences.
- Instruct students to take notes on important facts and information about their assigned topic.
Brush Ninja Tutorial
- Gather all students back together and guide them through a tutorial on how to use Brush Ninja.
- Show them how to create frames, draw objects or characters, add movement, adjust timing, and export their animations as gifs.
Gif Creation
- Allow students time to apply their knowledge from the research phase into creating animated gifs using Brush Ninja.
- Encourage creativity in representing key events or aspects of World War II in their animations.
Sharing & Discussion
- Provide an opportunity for each student or group to share their animated gif with the class.
- After each presentation, facilitate a brief discussion about the depicted event or aspect of World War II, allowing students to ask questions and provide feedback.
Assessment
- Observe students’ engagement during the research phase, noting their ability to find relevant information on their assigned topics.
- Assess the quality and accuracy of students’ animated gifs in representing key events or aspects of World War II.
- Evaluate students’ participation in sharing and discussion by considering their ability to articulate the significance of their chosen event or aspect.
Extension
For advanced learners, encourage them to create a longer animated gif that depicts multiple events or aspects of World War II.
Have students write short narratives explaining the story behind their animated gifs, considering historical context and relevance.
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How to animate with Brush Ninja
This video teaches the basics of using Brush Ninja
More World-history Lessons
Examples of Brush Ninja in Education
Full house in the Brush Ninja session at #R4DLC from KHoffman
DES 4th graders in Computer Science learning how to make a Gif (not the peanut butter! 😛) using Brush Ninja. They picked it up pretty quick since it is not too much different from filming in stop-motion which they did last year in 3rd grade.
Thanks @hreitDIS for coming amd doing brush ninja with out kiddos. Kids read an article and created a gif to represent the main idea.
The amazing creativity of 9 year olds never fails to surprise me! Thank you for making me smile during crazy animation week with Brush Ninja and Primary 5 @esmsedinburgh
5th graders began to experiment with #BrushNinja Animation today and wow…
My scholars also wanted to draw and create a GIF today. So, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to introduce them to Brush Ninja. They had to create a GIF about the French and Indian War. It was an instant hit!

