Seasonal Halloween activities frequently brings with them the talk of bats 🦇. As a former history teacher, I’m always on the lookout for engaging primary sources that spark classroom creativity based on holidays and cultural heritage.
One of my favorite Bat images is a stunning Japanese print in the Library of Congress titled Two Bats Flying by Hokusai Katsushika, 1760-1849. Using copyright-free images, teachers can design interactive lessons that combine art and science with Apple's digital tools. Animating in Keynote, exploring echolocation in a science activity, and creating sound effects in GarageBand are creative ways to blend history, science, technology, and imagination - no matter the season!
Resources:
ART -Two bats flying - Library of Congress. See more of Hokusai Katsushika beautiful artwork in the Library of Congress
SOUND - USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) Call
"Bats produce a variety of vocalizations that are used for navigation, feeding, and social communication. Most vocalizations are pitched well above the range of human hearing and are referred to as ultrasonic. These calls are often known as echolocation calls since bats use the echoes produced when a sound bounces off a bug or a building to determine what is in the area."
KEYNOTE -
Download bat image from the Library of Congress to Photos. Adjust brightness and color and duplicate it. On one version, use the Markup erasure tool to remove the bats.
Add photo to Keynote, add a Dynamic Background to the slide. On a second slide add the photo that includes the bats and isolate the bats using Remove Background. Copy the bats and Paste them onto slide with the Dynamic Background. Animate bats with Add Action, Motion Path plus Build In/Out for extra motion.
Create bat sounds in GarageBand, export as a song, and add to Keynote slide or use the already downloadable sound from USGS.
The result - a creative, sound-filled animation of a historical image that soars right off the screen!
November 03, 2025 .
English
This is such a creative idea! 🦇 I love how you’ve connected art, science, and technology through such an unexpected lens. You’ve inspired me to think about other ways to blend primary sources with digital tools such as migration through maps and motion paths or inventors through interactive blueprints. The blueprint Everyone Can Create project might come in handy here! Love the idea of showing movement and sound over time. Thank you for your post!
This action is unavailable while under moderation.
This action is unavailable while under moderation.