Tag: flipchart

Apr 07 2014 April 7, 2014 June 28, 2014 NoComment by David

4th Grade Probability Spinners

Posted in 4th Grade, Math

probabilityMs. Thomas’s 4th graders at Varina Elementary have been learning about probability and predicting the outcome of events (SOL4.13) so today we created digital spinners to test our predictions. A gave them a Promethean flipchart that you can download by clicking here. It has a pre-made spinner, a coin toss, and a random number generator. I showed the students how they could use the paint tools to make the spinner have different sections of different colors. If they made the sections different sizes, we discussed how that would affect their predictions of the spinner’s outcomes. Next we opened a Numbers template (found in the same download link above) so they could record the results of their spins. The spreadsheet automatically generates a graph based on the data, but you could delete that if you want your students to create the graph themselves. Your students could also add a text box telling about their predictions and whether they were right or wrong. If you’d like to see a student example, click the image to see it larger (Breonna’s original files are also included in the download).


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Mar 27 2014 March 27, 2014 June 28, 2014 NoComment by David

4th Grade Fractions Flipchart

Posted in 4th Grade, Math

ScreenshotFourth graders at Davis Elementary have been preparing for the upcoming SOL tests. Some of the questions are what is called TEI, or Technology Enhanced Items. They have been practicing these types of questions using pre-made Promethean flipcharts. Today I wanted to show students in Ms. White’s class how they could make their own TEI samples for each other to solve. I only had 30 minutes, so it was a quick lesson. Our goal was to create a fraction question where the user would have to click on some shapes to change their color so that picture represented a fraction. We opened a blank flipchart and then added a shape of their choice. I showed them how to change the color and outline of the shape. We also gave it a name in the Properties Browser (like “circle1”). Next they made as many copies of the shape as they wanted (less than 10 though). Now it was time to put identical shapes of a different color on top. So we made another copy of the shape, changed its color, duplicated it, and placed the duplicates on top of the first shapes. Adding the interactive part was a little trickier. The students had to go to the Actions browser and find the “Hidden” action. They added this action to each of the top shapes, making the Target the shape itself so that when it was clicked it would become “hidden” revealing the shape below. Finally, they added a text box and typed a question to solve, such as “Click the shapes to show 2/5 orange and 3/5 yellow.” You can download a sample flipchart by clicking here.


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Feb 18 2014 February 18, 2014 March 26, 2014 NoComment by David

4th Grade Technology Enhanced Items (TEI)

Posted in 4th Grade, Language Arts, Social Studies

Screen shot 2014-03-26 at 11.22.32 AMFourth graders in Ms. Tonello’s class at Holladay Elementary are preparing for the upcoming SOL tests with Technology Enhanced Items (TEI). There are several pre-made flipcharts that the teachers have been using with their students for practice, but Ms. Tonello wanted her students to learn how to create their own so they’d have a variety of items to share with each other. Today I showed them how to make a typical reading passage question using ActivInspire. Since they’ve been learning about the westward migration of Virginia’s settlers (SOLVS.6c), I asked them to write a story about that for their reading passage. We wrote it in Pixie so we could use the clip art and paint if we needed to. They drew a line down the middle of their Pixie page and wrote half of their story on each side. Then they took a screenshot of each half. Next we opened a blank ActivInspire flipchart. They dragged their two screenshots to the page and placed them on top of each other so only one was showing. I told them to create a shape for a button that could be clicked to switch from one screenshot to the next as their story was read. The trick to making TEI items is the Actions panel (it looks like a red and blue top in the Browser window). We clicked the button shape and added an action that made the top screenshot “Hidden”. In order to test the button you have to be in the Blue Design Mode (small square button in the top right). In order to edit the button you have to be in the Red Design Mode. Once we got it working, it was time to create a good sequence question. The students made a question about events that happened BEFORE or AFTER other events in their story. We wanted the correct answers to be highlighted like the TEI so I instructed them to make two shapes, one white and one a highlight color of their choice. We put the white shape on top of the highlighted shape and put the answer text boxes on top of both. Then we clicked the answer text and the white shape and added a “Hidden” action to them so that they would hide the white shape when clicked, making the highlighted shape underneath show up. It’s probably easier to understand when you see it in action. So download a couple of student examples and take a look: Chahad, Ndi, and a sample I created.


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Feb 15 2012 February 15, 2012 September 5, 2012 NoComment by David

4th Grade Fractions Flipcharts

Posted in 4th Grade, Math

Many classrooms in Henrico County have Promethean Boards now, and teachers have been busy creating their own flipcharts as well as downloading some from Promethean Planet. But did you know your students can create their own flipcharts for each other to use? Once they learn how to do it, there’s no stopping them! The software for creating them, ActivInspire, can be found in the Applications folder on all student laptops. Today in fourth grade at Laburnum Elementary we created Fractions Flipcharts. I showed them how to make a container so that users could drag fractions out of a box and then decide whether to add or subtract them. I also showed them how to add tools to the flipchart so that users could click on the arrow or the drawing tool as they needed them. Finally, we recorded the answer so that when users click the audio button they would hear the correct answer. You can download a sample student flipchart by clicking here.


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