We challenged our students to consider environmental issues facing Torbay, including litter and plastic pollution. They created some fantastic stop-motion animations, raising awareness about the effect that litter has on our local environment and our planet! Please give them a watch below.

Litter and plastic pollution are significant environmental issues that affect our planet. Every year, around eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean, causing harm to marine life and ecosystems. This is a problem that affects us all, and it is essential that we take action to reduce our use of single-use plastics and dispose of waste responsibly.

By participating in Earth Hour, we can show our support for the planet and raise awareness about the environmental issues that affect us all. Small changes, such as switching off the lights for an hour, can make a big difference and remind us of the importance of taking action to protect the environment.

Earth Hour is an opportunity for us all to come together and make a positive impact on the planet. Whether it’s by switching off the lights, reducing our use of single-use plastics, or making other small changes, we can all play a part in protecting the environment and building a more sustainable future. So, let’s take action and make every hour Earth Hour! Turn off your lights and join Tonic Creatives this evening at the Spanish Barn (Torre Abbey) for light jugglers and artists, drumming (and your chance to have a go), stilt walkers, and their Disco in the Dark.

To begin our module, we began making Thaumatropes, a toy from the Victorian period that, when spun, gave the illusion of movement. We also made some flipbooks to create our own ‘moving picture’ in the classroom.

Our students then watched a few stop-motion animations online as inspiration and were challenged to come up with their own ideas. What, or who would the main character be? What would the set design look like? What materials would they use?

Our students made prototype films to experiment with using the Stop Motion Studio app.

Then our students were tasked with creating their final set piece and characters. Our students made some really creative and fun final films – here is one called The Girl and the Whale!

Using a printed image of a skull, we set to work hammering some nails into wood — the hammering was a really good stress release — although the nails were a little fiddly!

Next, we wove our string around our looms to recreate the features of a skull. This project required a lot of patience and our students did a brilliant job staying on task and creating a unique piece to take home.