Characteristics of Life-Animated Comic
Background: It is not always an easy thing to tell the difference between living, dead,
and non-living things. Prior to the 1600's many people believed that nonliving things
could spontaneously turn into living things. For example, it was believed that piles of
straw could turn into mice. That is obviously not the case. There are some very
general rules to follow when trying to decide if something is living, dead, or non-living.
These are known as the characteristics of living things.
If something follows one or just a few of the rules listed above, it does not necessarily mean that it is living. To
be considered alive, an object must exhibit all of the characteristics of living things. Sugar crystals growing on the
bottom of a syrup container is a good example of a nonliving object that displays at least one criteria for living organisms
(growth).
Objective: You will be creating an animated comic/video that illustrates all eight characteristics of all living things. You
will receive Thursday and Friday to work on this assignment in class. This assignment is due at 6pm on Sunday 8/17.
Your animated video should include one or more characters. The character(s) may “talk” to other characters or to the
viewing audience. They should tell a story and be creative. Your character CANNOT simply list the eight characteristics
of living things.
Video Animation Website: www.powtoon.com (you will need to create a free account, there is never any reason why
you should need to spend money in order to “upgrade” your account). If there is some other animation
website/software you would rather use, please feel free to use it!
In order to receive full credit for this assignment, your animation must include the following vocabulary:
Organism
Growth
Response
Biotic Factor
Development
Energy
Cell
Reproduction
Unicellular OR Multicellular
Asexual Reproduction OR
Sexual Reproduction
Autotroph OR Heterotroph
OR Decomposer
Organization
Stimulus
Homeostasis
Adaptation
Rubric:
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Description
All vocabulary was included and used accurately in animated video
Animated video includes one or more characters
Character(s) move and interact with the environment or other characters
Video has a plot
Characteristics of life are NOT just listed
Animated video is creative and enjoyable
Points
15
5
5
5
Total:_______________/30
Prior to 6pm on Sunday, you need to fill out and submit the Google form found on the blog.
Powtoon.com Helpful Tools and Hints
Before you start your assignment:
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Check out the website! Watch a couple tutorials on the basics of Powtoons.
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Found at the bottom of the main page. Support Tutorials.
Play around with the characters, animations, props, effects and timing.
While using Powtoons:
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Have a question? Check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
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Found at the bottom of the main page. Support  FAQ.
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Be sure to adjust the timing of your items. Make sure you have characters, speech bubbles and text boxes
entering and exiting at the correct times.
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Make sure your text is on the screen long enough to read. For example, 2 seconds is not enough time to
read three sentences worth of text.
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You can add music to your Powtoon! There are several free songs to choose from OR you can upload your
own music! Be sure to apply your music to the entire presentation, not just one slide.
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Want to flip/change a character or item, but can’t figure out how to do it? Try right click!
Publishing and Submitting your Powtoon:
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Do you have a YouTube Account?
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If Yes, click “publish” and enter your YouTube Account information.
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If No, switch your project mode from Movie to Slideshow and click “publish.”
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Copy your video link and submit it through the Google form.
Copy your video link and submit it through the Google form.
Open the submission form found on the blog.
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Enter the link to your COMPLETED video under question #3 by 6pm on Sunday, August 17.
Please note:
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Do NOT email your final project to Mrs. Koester. This is not the correct form of submission and your
assignment will not be graded. Follow the publishing and submitting directions.
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Late work is NOT accepted in Biology. Any forms submitted past 6pm on Sunday will not be graded.