Mechanics in Motion: Iterative GIF Creation
At a Glance
Discipline
- STEM
- Physics
Instructional Level
- College & CEGEP
Course
- Mechanics
Tasks in Workflow
Social Plane(s)
- Group
Type of Tasks
- Collecting & seeking information
Technical Details
Useful Technologies
- Netboard.me (or any other sharing platform)
- Ezgif (or any other platform to create gifs)
- Optional: ChatGPT
Class size
- Small (20-49)
Time
- Semester long
Inclusivity & Accessibility
- Diversity of engagement
Instructional Purpose
- Application & knowledge building
- Consolidation & metacognition
Overview
In this three-part activity, students will work in teams to explore and understand mechanical principles by creating GIFs. These GIFs will illustrate various principles in action in everyday life, making abstract concepts more tangible and relatable.
Each GIF is accompanied by an explanation of the depicted phenomenon, along with a rationale for why the group believes the GIF accurately represents that phenomenon.
The activity is designed to be iterative and progressively challenging:
Students will create up to 6 GIFs to showcase seven different phenomena. This initial stage is designed to introduce the basic principles and acclimate students to the processes of creating and explaining GIFs.
Students will expand their scope to showcase fourteen phenomena with no more than 9 GIFs. This stage involves crafting new GIFs and revising some of their initial submissions based on feedback received. The aim is to refine their understanding and enhance presentation skills, introducing more complex phenomena in the process.
In the final stage, students will cover a total of twenty-one phenomena using no more than 11 GIFs. They will produce additional new GIFs and further refine previous ones, integrating all feedback received throughout the course. This stage challenges students to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding and articulate complex mechanical principles clearly.
By the end of the activity, students will not only have gained a deeper understanding of mechanical principles but also developed their teamwork skills, communication effectiveness, and ability to apply scientific concepts to real-world contexts.
Instructional Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Explain mechanics principles clearly and concisely
- Demonstrate how abstract mechanics principles are evident in everyday scenarios
- Engage creatively and collaboratively in curating motions, and will iteratively refine their work based on feedback received after each submission
Workflow & Materials
Activity Workflow
Contributor's Notes
Benefits
Challenges
Tips
Benefits
- Enhances Understanding: Deepens students’ comprehension of mechanics principles through practical, real-world applications.
- Promotes Collaboration: Encourages teamwork as students collaborate to create, analyze, and explain each GIF, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
- Develops Communication Skills: Improves students’ ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely, enhancing their presentation and explanation skills.
- Encourages Creativity: Inspires creativity in demonstrating and explaining physics principles, fostering innovation and engagement.
- Iterative Learning: The multi-stage structure enables students to refine their understanding and presentations with ongoing feedback and self-improvement.
Challenges
- Intellectual Property: Ensure students understand the importance of creating original content. They should create their own GIFs instead of repurposing online material.
- Privacy and Online Safety: Exercise caution when sharing content publicly. Use platforms like Netboard.me that enable sharing with the teacher or within the class to ensure privacy and online safety.
- Alignment with Educational Objectives: GIFs should be directly linked to the mechanics principles under study. Teachers need to guide students to ensure their work is relevant and insightful, encouraging original thought while preventing direct answers.
- Effective Collaboration and Participation: Monitor and support group dynamics to promote effective collaboration and equal participation. Employing strategies such as group contracts can help clarify responsibilities and encourage accountability.
Tips
- Model the Process: Initiate the activity by demonstrating the creation of two sample phenomena, including a group reflection session. This provides students with a concrete example and sets a standard for their efforts.
- Team Size: To foster effective collaboration and ensure active participation, aim for teams of 3-4 students. This size strikes a balance between providing enough diversity of thought for robust discussions and small enough numbers to ensure everyone has a significant role.
- Dedicate Class Time: Allocate time during class sessions close to submission deadlines to resolve any last-minute technical issues or answer questions, ensuring students can confidently complete their submissions. This is particularly important to ensure that students are able to make use of whatever tool you are using to showcase their work, and to create gifs.
- Maintain Consistency: Regularly review previous submissions and feedback to maintain consistency across the evaluations. This approach helps streamline grading and underscores the importance of building on past performance.
- Increase the Weight of Grades for Each Part: Motivate students to engage deeply with the activity by progressively increasing the weight of each part. Use the initial stages primarily for formative feedback, setting the stage for more substantial summative assessment in the final submission.
- Be Strict but Fair: Stress the importance of clear and effective communication, encouraging students to refine this skill. While maintaining high standards, provide constructive feedback and guidance to foster improvement.
- Foster Reflection: Promote ongoing reflection by having students assess their own and their group’s work with each submission. Encouraging them to articulate their contributions and learnings facilitates self-awareness and personal growth.
Applied Strategies
Related Activities
Published: 18/06/2024
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