FV #33 - Now I Feel Insignificant, Thanks.

A couple of years ago Cary Huang and his brother created this interesting "interactive" visualization of the scale of the the universe.  He recently updated and improved it with his Scale of the Universe 2 visual.  Learn about the scale of things by zooming in and zooming out.  It's certainly an improvement over the earlier version and worth looking at.  I especially like the interesting assortment of universe objects that the creators selected (and the fact that you can click on them to learn more).  

Clearly science teachers can use this when discussing space and molecules.  I think that math teachers can take advantage of the scientific notation, too.

Depending on your internet connection it can take a second or two to load.  Be patient.

If you like this one, you might like this video I shared a few months back too.

Let me know if you've come across any similar visuals.

FV #20 Visuals for Understanding

I think that being able to read and consume complex visuals is a critical literacy skill for the information age.  However, don't stop there.  Teachers and students should also be creating visuals.  Along these lines, I'm currently working with one of our 7th grade science teachers (Ms. Johnson) to have students use the computer to create a visual model that helps them understand diffusion* (a concept with which they have struggled in the past).

Once students have done a hands on experiment (using the objects that show up in the visual) and once they have acted out the diffusion process (we'll take pictures, don't worry), they will head to the computer lab to create their visual model. I figured that PowerPoint would be a good tool to use here since it is easy to use and could be used to animate parts of the model (enhancing their understanding).  I made the sample below to get an idea on how to introduce this activity to the kids and to have a working model available to share with the students.

diffusion - a visual model

I used text boxes to explain concepts but I'm thinking about having some students voice annotate the diffusion process.

I'm really excited about this activity.  I think that if students can build this model and explain what is happening in it, they will be able to understand and remember diffusion for a long, long time.  Naturally, I'll be thrilled that they will also get a chance to be creative (not to mention learning some Powerpoint skills).

I'll let you know how this project reinforces their learning... but I feel pretty confident that it will in remarkable ways.  I think this project would be really easy to replicate with other science projects but I bet that if you think about it a bit you will be able to integrate this into just about any subject.  

I'll make sure to share some of the student created visuals once they are finished.

*I knew little about the diffusion process before I started this project and I think I can successfully explain and diagram it now... all because I BUILT a visual model.

FV #18 - Copernican v Tychonian View of Space

I love a good space visual... and this one shared by Dynamic Diagrams is fantastic.  The interface is pretty simple, select your astronomer (Copernicus or Tycho) and see what the orbit of the planets looked like according to each of their theories.  There are other buttons and sliders that let you trace orbital paths, speed things up or down and set your own date.  Simple, fun and educational. Even the soundtrack is pretty cool (if a bit repetitive).  I wish you could zoom in and out on this one (to see inner solar system a bit more closely), it is still really neat!

Ideas For Teachers & Students

Clearly, this would be a great visual to use when discussing space and astronomy with students.  

FV#16 - Two Videos to Share

Ok, I won't lie.  I'm tired today.  Too tired to write anything.  So, I'm sharing two videos :-)

#1 "I Love Charts" - From PBS kids... a song about visualizations?  Sweet.  "...a chart lets you visualize".  Not much to say about this one... would be nice to use with students before kicking off a discussion about how visuals help you understand things that are sometimes complex... then, hopefully, begin having students CREATE their own visuals to help them describe and understand the things they see around them.

#2 "7 Billion" by National Geographic.  This is really an amazing way to understand how many people are on the planet.  There are tons of math and science activities (not to mention social studies implications) in this video.  I think that you could do a whole week's worth of warm-up activities from this video alone.

The 7 Billion video has a lot of amazing statistics and things to think about.  One factoid that jumped out at me and still has me thinking is this one:

Wow!  That's it.  Man, the Earth is big.