Digital Animation
The Water Cycle in Action
For this project, I created a short animation in Adobe Animate that visually explains the stages of the water cycle. The goal was to design a clear and engaging scientific explanation that combines text, motion, and visuals to illustrate the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. To accomplish this, I began by developing the main background scene, which included the sun, clouds, ocean, and sky. I adjusted the background layers to ensure they filled the entire frame and used high-resolution vector images to maintain clarity throughout the animation. Once the base design was complete, I animated the key elements to show movement within the cycle. I created motion tweens for the raindrops, so they would rise from the ocean and fall from the clouds, symbolizing the process of evaporation and precipitation. It was a little difficult at first to animate the raindrops because I had never used a program like this before, and initially, the raindrops in the animation would jump from top to bottom instead of falling. The droplets were animated with smooth motion paths to make their descent and ascent appear natural. I also adjusted the timing and frame rate to slow down the animation and ensure all movements flowed evenly.
To enhance the transitions between each phase of the water cycle, I used alpha keyframes to create fade effects between scenes. For example, the rain fades out as the droplets begin to evaporate, and the clouds fade in again during condensation. I then decided to add rays to the sun and animate them, so they appeared to be radiating (to heat up the ocean water), representing the energy driving the cycle. I also added vocabulary related to the water cycle and had it appear when that part of the cycle was being represented. The ending of my animation seemed to end abruptly with the water descending back into the ocean, so I decided to extend the background layers and then duplicate my other layers, allowing me to move the elements to the end to initiate the water cycle again, thereby representing its continuous cycle. Finally, I exported the animation as an MP4 file to import into Clipchamp, where I added a 13-second narration explaining each stage of the cycle. The completed animation effectively demonstrates the interconnected processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, utilizing meaningful visuals, color, and motion to support understanding. I am eager to share this animation with my students to help them prepare for their culminating activity on the water unit, where they will scientifically narrate the life of a water droplet.