I created the following layered graphic using Sumopaint.  Each layer shows progression in completing a Punnett square.

• I started with a question and an empty square.
• Next, I wrote in the alleles that the male and female were contributing followed by the genotypes of the offspring in each square.
• Finally I showed the probability of two heterozygous parents having offspring that are tongue rollers, or non tongue rollers.

It took me a fair amount of time and a critical youtube video to figure out how to layer using sumopaint.  I struggled mostly with the colors, if you notice in my last image, the word “tongue” is black and the other words are red.  I originally made a spelling mistake and when I went back to fix the mistake I couldn’t get the color to go back to red.  I’m sure there is a way, but I’ll admit that I just gave up after spending too much time trying to figure it out.

I could use something like this for my grade 9 science class, I could have them complete one step at a time on on paper and have this layered graphic on my smartboard to help guide them through the question.

For my graphics activity I used a website called Canva.  It seems like a good site (the only one I have ever used),  it’s relatively user friendly and has a lot of free pictures available.  The only problem I had with the site was not being able to save the work in my own files and then transfer it to the blog.  I was forced to take  multiple screen shots of my work and then insert them individually onto the blog.  I will need to get more experience on the site to get the bugs worked out.  I hope your eyesight is good.

I am in the middle of planning a 4 day, 3 night camping trip to the Kootenay Plains, which is in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Nordegg, Alberta. The idea behind my pictorial itinerary is that I want my campers to take some ownership in remembering the daily activities.  Anyone who’s ever taken a group of students on a trip with multiple daily activities, knows the question you hear 100 times a day, “What are we doing next?”  I thought posting the daily itinerary at some central location at our campsite would ensure all students see the activity pictures paired with the text.  I might even provide the students with these graphics prior to leaving and have them try and memorize the daily activities.   The students brains can remember visual images much easier and better than words alone.

I used  shapes (arrows) to show the students when they were in their separate groups and when they were together.  I also used the technique of alignment to give my graphics an easy to follow order.  I have utilized a few of the “Types of Graphics for Learning” principles. My graphics fall into the Organizational category as they convey a structure of daily activities and times.  I would also categorize my graphics as Representative because I’m using words, shapes and pictures to transmit information to my students.

I picked a wildlife picture with some zebras and a wildebeest. I cropped out the wildebeest and four zebras because I liked the way the solitary zebra looked standing in front of the tree.

The resource I have chosen are Gizmos, which are interactive math and science simulations.  https://www.explorelearning.com

 

• simulations
• sounds
• graphics
• text

Educational context

The simulations used in Gizmos can be used from grades 3-12. They meet many of the outcomes required by Alberta Education.  Gizmos use an inquiry based approach to learning which can be helpful with building understanding of new concepts and reinforce concepts.  I use them at times in my grade 9 Science class to give the students a different type of learning experience and also to create a lab experience for investigations that we don’t have the required supplies or technology.

Limits to the Context

• Students can, at times, just start pushing buttons and mixing things together without knowing what they are doing.
• background knowledge is required.
• Scientific concepts can be complicated, no explanations given.

What makes it pedagogically sound 

• Covers required outcomes
• Offers enrichment
•  Relatively simple to use.
• Includes graphing tools to compare results from experiments.
• Keeps students engaged for an appropriate length of time.
• Next best thing to doing an actual experiment
• Uses inquiry based learning.

Software, hardware and skills required.

• I’m not sure about the software, hardware or how someone would make a simulation such as Gizmos.  They would be made by a computer programer and require skills that most teachers likely do not possess.  These simulations are meant to be used by students, but not created by teachers.  Teachers could be used by the programers to ensure simulations are pedagogically sound.

Assignment: week 2 Activity 1

I have taken this math question out of our grade 9 math text in a chapter on Linear Relations and Equations.

8. A submarine starts at sea level and descends 50 m every 5 min.

a) Make a table of values of the submarine’s depth, using intervals

of 5 min, up to 30 min.

b) Graph the submarine’s depth using the table of values.

c) What patterns do you see in the table and the graph?

d) Suppose the submarine had started to descend from a depth of

219 m. What relation would model the submarine’s location

over time?

e) Write an equation to show how long the submarine would take

to go from sea level to a depth of 428 m.

f) Solve this equation using your graph.

g) How does the equation connect to the graph?

SUBMARINE

A submarine starts at sea level and descends 50 m every 5 min

A) TABLE OF VALUES

B) GRAPH

C) PATTERN

D) RELATION

E) WRITE EQUATION

F) SOLVE EQUATION

G) CONNECT

Hi, my name is Steve Deighton and I’m excited to be taking my first University class in 23 years.  I work at Mountain Park Middle school where I teach grade 9 Math and Science.  I happen to work with Marku, who is also in this class.  I decided that I need to become more proficient with technology in the classroom, so here I am.  After about an hour struggle I have managed to get my picture on this blog.  I live in Calgary, Alberta with my family of a wife and three daughters.  I have been teaching for 23 year with experience at at three schools in Calgary, one on the Tsuu T’ina Reserve and one in Renmark, South Australia.  I enjoy being in the outdoors, spending a good part of my summer in the Rocky Mountains backpacking and trail running.