Welcome to SymfUnivers:

SymfUnivers is a research project that combines animation, music, learning and pedagogy in an engaging animation task. Registered 3rd and 4th graders receive our teaching material, from which they learn about the planets in our solar system and listen to the symphony “The Planets”.

The material is built around 3 things; the book “Anja C. Andersen tells about BIG BANG, space missions and life on Mars”, a planet game that can be played in several ways, and Gustav Holst’s symphony, “The Planets”. The students receive facts and sensory impressions, which must be translated into animated films. The task is set up step by step with accompanying workshop videos, so it gives the students an overview of the process.

The purpose is for them to produce a stop motion film, where they convey their knowledge about the planets and the sensory impression the music has made in them through storytelling. Finally, the films must be uploaded to the SymfUnivers project, from which the research team takes over.

Would you like to delve deeper into the music and the composition of the orchestra? Visit Levende Musik i Skolen and download their teaching materials. You can also download the music here.

SymfUnivers: A new dimension in learning

SymfUnivers is an interdisciplinary project that offers a range of interactive and visual learning materials designed to support educators in engaging students in new and exciting ways. The project is a collaboration between Animated Learning Lab, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and Levende Musik i Skolen. Our goal is to create a dynamic learning experience that promotes creativity and dissemination.

Musical content with a focus on animation

Our teaching materials are designed to integrate animation as a tool for learning. Through SymfUnivers, we offer resources that support different learning styles and help students convey their knowledge about planets through visual storytelling and interactive elements.

Available resources

Above you can find and download our teaching materials, as well as “Planets for printing”, which are available in PDF format. These resources are designed to be easily accessible and user-friendly for both teachers and students. In addition, we also link to the teaching materials from Levende Musik i Skolen, where students work with the music and gain an understanding of the composition and variation of a large orchestra.

Is SymfUnivers something for you and your class?

We are happy to take on more classes for our research, so please feel free to write to Laura if this interests you or if you have any questions regarding the project.

The team behind the educational material – please contact us if you have any questions:

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Research leader at SymfUnivers

mail: LASI@via.dk

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Anne-Marie Sølling Kristensen

Video production, teaching material and coordinator.

Mail: ANMS@via.dk

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Hanne Pedersen

Planet game and teaching material.

mail: HAP@via.dk

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Alice Bonde Nissen

Lector in danish and retoric, Teacher’s Education in VIA, Programme worker in VIA Learning and IT

Mail: ABOD@via.dk

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Ane Tyrrestrup

Lector, school teacher, cand. pæd. i general

pedagogic, master in professional coaching

Mail: ANTY@via.dk