How can we enhance a storyline with the physical appearance of the creature we create?

Students will learn about visual design languages, and how Pixar and other animators use shape and color to convey particular character traits. They will design physical representations of their creatures using a variety of media, and articulate how their design decisions relate to the choices they have made throughout the project about the biome, role in the food chain and persona of their creature.

What are the bio-mechanics of making our animated creature's movements realistic?

Our OT and PT sessions will integrate curricula on the musculoskelatal system to teach students the biomechanics of how animals move. They will use this information to make sure the creatures they create are anatomically correct, while also making connections to their own motor coordination, postural support and joint protection goals. Curriculum from Pixar in a Box will be integrated to actually animate their creatures, and students will critique each other’s work for how realistically the creature’s movements are for the joint structures they have created. They will then revise their work accordingly. Students will make connections between this engineering curriculum and their own physio goals and objectives.

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