I was thinking I'd assign the students a Jigsaw activity in my Web Design class.
My steps:
1-- Find an article that isn't a long read that has some "tips" or clearly stated main points. I'm using this one for my relatively simple jigsaw the third day of school in Web Design-- 5 Killer Web Design Tips that Will Make Your Websites Awesome.
2--Print and cut apart so each group has only THEIR PART and only ONE COPY (so they will have to read aloud or be involved).
3--Assign each student a number; if you have "5 tips" then you need to assign them one through five. I'm thinking I will provide each student with a notecard that they can jot ideas on from the article and I'll ask them to each bring a pencil with them. For my activity, I intend to go outside. :)
4--Do a standard jigsaw; all the "1's" will get together and read "Tip 1" and discuss it. They should decide what is important and make notes on the cards. NOTE: My example is very short. They will get 2 minutes to read and discuss.
5--SIMON SAYS BREAK: We won't do anything fancy here (watch the video below for an idea of the process; I plan to do simple Simon Says with a few fun things thrown in... like "Simon Says if you like Google Chrome better than Internet Explorer, put your hands up."). Just play some Simon Says to get them to relax. No one's out, though. Everyone stays.
6--Then, divide them so you get 1 of each number per group (so 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 will join up). They will "teach" their group about their "tip" and then they can all add additional notes to the notecard. I'm thinking 3 minutes ought to be enough, but maybe more...
7--SIMON SAYS INTEGRATION: Okay, so the fun! Now, we play Simon Says. We'll do a version of the more complicated game but we will include some "topics" from the article so students will be doing some True/False response using Simon Says. Here's my list to go with the article (and I'll probably put this on a notecard to make it easier)--
- This game of Simon Says has officially begun. Simon Says, Smile!
- Simon Says shake out your arms.
- Stop shaking; Simon says stop shaking.
- Listen carefully..."Body text should be 12 pixels at a minimum." Simon Says cover your ears if this is false. (false--16px) It should be 16px, which is actually 12 points.
- "Headlines should be bold and easy to scan on a website." Simon Says touch your nose if this is false. (true) You got it!
- "When picking a font-face, stick with something super easy to read and a little bit whimsical." Simon says hands up for false and down for true. (true) Yeah, it's hands-down true!
- Put your arms out in a T.
- Simon says squat. Simon says stand tall.
- Touch your head.
- Simon says hands on your hips.
- "When picking a color palette for your website, stick to how many colors?" Simon Says clap the number of colors on go... GO! (clap--3 colors)
- Hands back on your hips; Simon Says hands on your hips.
- "Making photos the right size is important. If the image is too small, just resize it." Simon Says right arm up if false. (false) Actually, if it's too small, don't use it!
- "Too much text can be overwhelming. Use these as alternative ways to communicate your point." Simon says... left arm up for images, right arm up for icons. (answer--both!). If you have both arms in the air, you're right!
- Now that your hands are in the air, wave them like you just don't care!
- SIMON SAYS wave your hands in the air like you don't care.
- Simon Says, shake someone's hand and say your name.
- Snap your fingers.
- Simon Says, let's end this game! The game of Simon Says is officially over.
Let's hope they like this "low tech" idea for fun in Web Design!
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