The A,B,Cs of 3D: Autodesk Animation Academy teaches students about 3D, within the context of other subjects and topics, including environmental awareness.(Knowledge & Career)

Autodesk Animation Academy is a program designed to teach secondary school students about the company's Maya, 3ds Max, Mudbox, and MotionBuilder software products in the classroom. But this doesn't mean that the curriculum has to focus solely on rote tasks. Instead, the Animation Academy expands education horizons, introducing students to 3D animation and visual effects technology while immersing them in core academic subjects such as science, math, language, and art.

To further pique the interest of this demographic, Autodesk Animation Academy has included a Pollution module as part of the program, whereby students can create their own mini-games focused on environmental concerns.

But the program is not just fun and games. The Animation Academy curriculum adheres to numerous academic standards, including those of the International Technology Education Association and the US STEM standards for science, technology, math, and engineering. The program is the Autodesk Media & Entertainment division's primary offering for K-12 students. With a focus on the high school level, it introduces students to 3D technology via core course subjects.

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Curriculum modules that will be released with the 2009 version of Autodesk Animation Academy include reconstructing the Parthenon, learning the digestive system, studying weather systems with a focus on tornadoes, and experiencing astronomy and phases of the moon. Also new is the Pollution module, a supplement intended as an introduction to the program.

Previous versions of Animation Academy were available for purchase as separate programs with 10 seats of either Maya or 3ds Max software. However, for the first time with the 2009 release, the six animation curriculum modules included with Animation Academy will come with 10 seats each of 3ds Max, Maya, MotionBuilder, and Mudbox. The curriculum is directly tied to the Autodesk products, and is designed so that instructors who aren't necessarily well versed in 3D can still easily get their students up and running via the step-by-step instructions.

"Animation Academy is exciting because it gives students a chance to further engage with science and technology subjects while also exposing them to 3D technology at a young age. They're learning about topics like pollution and the digestive system by building their own 3D models--exposing them to these subjects in a way that would be impossible in the traditional classroom setting," says Alice Palmer, Autodesk's Education marketing manager. "Furthermore, fields where 3D technology is being applied are exploding, so whether these ...