About this UNit

Students utilise the Design Cycle to explore animation as a powerful medium for expressing personal viewpoints on global issues and advocating for positive social change. Engaging with the global context of Personal and Cultural Expression, they investigate how animation communicates cultural identity, diverse perspectives, and emotional responses to global challenges. Working through cycles of research, ideation, creation and evaluation, students develop both their technical skills and their capacity for visual storytelling with purpose and intention.

Investigate

• Research a range of global issues such as environmental sustainability, cultural preservation, social justice, or human rights, considering their cultural and social implications.
• Analyse animations and animated public service announcements (PSAs) to understand how visual and narrative devices influence audience perception and convey complex ideas.
• Explore the role of animation as a form of personal and cultural expression used to inspire empathy, celebrate identity, or promote awareness.

Develop Ideas

• Formulate inquiry questions that guide their creative direction, such as “How can animation influence public awareness of a global issue?” or “In what ways can character design reflect cultural identity?”
• Generate storyboards and concept sketches that visually interpret their chosen global issue with sensitivity and authenticity.
• Plan the structure, pacing and messaging of their animation to ensure emotional impact and cultural relevance.

Create the Solution

• Apply animation techniques and digital tools to bring their storyboards to life through movement, visual symbolism and narrative sequencing.
• Develop characters and environments that reflect diverse cultural perspectives in respectful, meaningful ways.
• Experiment with timing, transitions, and sound to strengthen storytelling and audience engagement.

Evaluate

• Present their animations to a wider audience, articulating how their design choices communicate specific global issues and cultural themes.
• Analyse audience response and reflect on how effectively their animation raises awareness or inspires empathy.
• Evaluate their creative process and technical outcomes, identifying strengths, challenges, and next steps for developing their skills as global communicators.