This animation was produced by pupils in P4N in St John’s Primary School in Ayr and looks at the octopus: its habitat, eating habitats and ability to camouflage itself. The children worked together to produce the script and developed the animation in a group of 4 in a one-day workshop with Radio Lingua Schools.

Over the next few weeks the children of P4 and P5 in St John’s Primary in Ayr will be taking part in a number of animation activities, leading to the development of the St John’s Animated Encyclopaedia, supported by Radio Lingua Schools. Currently P4 are working on animal habitats, and P5 are learning about parts of the body. Three animation days will lead to the development of individual ‘entries’ in this animated encyclopaedia and it is hoped that over time the children in the school will develop learning resources for their peers covering a range of subjects and topics.

In the first of three animation sessions, Mark worked with P4N to support the development of four entries in the encyclopaedia. The children had developed scripts about animal habitats, and during the workshop they created animations on these topics. To view the animations, click on the links below:

• Worms
• Arachnids
• Beetles
• Octopuses

In the second workshop, P4M created four new entries in the encyclopaedia:

• Ladybirds
• Scorpions
• Dragonflies
• Spiders and wasps