Q4 The Science Mythbusters!
Briefing
Now that you have had an opportunity to learn about image sizes, image editing, citations, and Creative Commons licensing, it's time to get creative and become a producer. You will now gather, evaluate, and use digital images and information to produce an innovative product (a digital slideshow). You will combine text and images to produce a multimedia project that will help "bust" a science myth or confirm a science "truth". Let's get started!
Now that you have had an opportunity to learn about image sizes, image editing, citations, and Creative Commons licensing, it's time to get creative and become a producer. You will now gather, evaluate, and use digital images and information to produce an innovative product (a digital slideshow). You will combine text and images to produce a multimedia project that will help "bust" a science myth or confirm a science "truth". Let's get started!
Key Vocabulary:
myth: a story that was told in an ancient culture to explain a practice, belief, or natural occurrence
infographic: a visual image such as a chart or diagram used to represent information or data
validate: demonstrate or support the truth or value of
Steps:
1. To become a science "Myth Buster", you will first need to find a science "myth" (or a science "truth") to either bust or validate (prove that it's "true"). Begin your search by looking at the list of sites below. Examples might include things such as, "A battery contains electricity", "Mars is a red planet", or "Seasons are caused by the rotation of the earth around the sun".
Fact or fiction? Or some combination of both?!
Find a "myth", a science misconception, or a topic that people do not understand well that appeals to you based on your inner science geek!
Science Myths
http://amasci.com/miscon/opphys.html
Misconception podcasts
http://scienceinquirer.wikispaces.com/misconception
Myths in science textbooks
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/miscon/miscon.html
Science Fun Facts
http://kids.yahoo.com/science
How Stuff Works
http://howstuffworks.com
Science websites
http://dir.yahoo.com/science
2. Research information about your topic that includes reliable statistics to help bust or validate your myth. If your teacher is asking you to do the "Information, Please" quest, you will need some science statistics to back up your work that can be displayed in an infographic . Here's another example .
(HINT: you can use something you have studied or are currently studying in a science class to make your research time shorter).
Review the information in Search Strategies to be certain your information sources are reliable and accurate. Consider using websites with .org, .edu, or .gov (or from nationally recognized organizations such as National Geographic, NASA, etc.). Your goal will be to select five or more images that relate to your science topic/myth as well as five or more facts that help support or "bust" your myth.
REMINDER: When you are choosing your images, you will need to cite your sources on your last slide. You can create your citations as you go using this link and paste them into this template so that they will be ready for you when you are finishing the project. This template will also provide you with a spot for your notes.
Download and save your images.
3. Place your science "facts" that support or bust your myth on slides. To do this, open up a presentation software such as Power Point or Google Presentation, and put your information on a slide. Use these tips to turn these presentation slides into images:You will need to create your information slides in either Power Point, Google Docs, Keynote, or some other presentation program. You can either do a screenshot of your slide (which will turn it into an image) or you can save Power Point slides as jpegs (which are image slides). Your title slides and your citations can also be created as information slides and turned into images this way.
Download and save your text slides. An alternative to using a presentation software would be to capture a screenshot of your text.
4. Modify your images by adding titles or captions, illustrative touches such as arrows or shapes to highlight important ideas, crop if needed, or add special effects that will enhance your images. Use Fotoflexer to work on your images.
5. Visit PhotoPeach to turn your work into a digital slideshow. Directions to use PhotoPeach can be found here. You will have a minimum of 13 slides in your presentation: at least five images, five "explanatory" slides that contain short amounts of information to validate or bust your myth, a title slide, a citation slide, and a slide with your Creative Commons license that you will create for this project.
NOTE: if your teacher wants you to create an infographic for this project in Quest 4, you will need a slide for that as well. Remember the tip in #3 above to help you turn Power Point or Google Presentation slides into image slides if you need to do this.
A. Your informational slides should contain several short bullet points about the idea. For example, if I am busting the "myth" that the north star is the brightest star in the sky, I might have a slide with a chart showing the magnitude (brightness) of three stars including Polaris and one or two others that are brighter. Your images should be copyright free and modified in Fotoflexer or other editing software as your teacher directs to add captions and effects.
B. You will put these all together in Photopeach. Follow your teacher's directions for creating or accessing an account. Check with your teacher to see if you need to complete Quest 4 , "Information Please," before graduation from this Mission.
C. Use this rubric to determine if you have all the elements needed for the project before submitting it.
NETS
1. Creativity and Innovation
A. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
B. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
3. Research and Information Fluency
A. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
B. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
C. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
D. Process data and report results
5. Digital Citizenship
A. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
A. Understand and use technology systems
B. Select and use applications effectively and productively
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
1. Creativity and Innovation
A. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
B. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
3. Research and Information Fluency
A. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
B. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
C. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
D. Process data and report results
5. Digital Citizenship
A. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
A. Understand and use technology systems
B. Select and use applications effectively and productively
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.