Animated Video

Go! Animate is a mostly free animation program. You (and the kids) do have to be careful NOT to choose any of the choices that cost money, but given that it's rather cool! You can upload your own voice over and background music, and there are many 'community' backgrounds, images, sound, etc. It's fairly easy to learn and soon you too will be creating your own animated cartoons.

GoAnimate.com: Virtual Classroom by PJMSLAB

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Create 3-D with Blender

Blender is the free open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems.

While it does have a bit of a learning curve, Blender is suitable for students in Middle School and High School who are interested and willing to put in the work.

Check out the image gallery to see some professional work. Get started with the User manual and Videos.

Make Animated Movies

Xtranormal can be used at all grade levels for anything from learning to write a script and stage a play to creating re-enactments of historical events in conjunction with a history or civics class.

Choose from several show packs for characters and setting. Each pack offers several costumed characters and background scenes. Position the camera for closeups or panoramas. Characters can move, dance, change expression, and more. Script is typed in and character 'speaks' it with the chosen computer voice.

Best of all accounts are FREE. You do need to register with an email address. Movies can later be published on YouTube. For younger students, teachers can create an account with a simple username and password (which is all the students need for login).

Some characters and scenes require download of their program STATE, but that too is free.