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Procedures for Teachers is divided
into two sections:
Prep -- Preparing for the Lesson.
Steps -- Conducting the Lesson.
Student Prerequisites:
It would be helpful for students to have basic
working knowledge of either ClarisWorks, Photoshop, or Illustrator.
Materials: - Reference materials/library
resources pertaining to cellular biology (preferably with pictures).
-
Flip books that show basic principles of frame-by-frame animation.
Computer Resources:
Each student (or pair of students, if animations are to be completed jointly)
will need at least one computer with Internet access to complete this lesson.
While many configurations will work, we recommend:
-- Modem: 28.8 Kbps
or faster.
-- Browser: Netscape Navigator 3.0 or above or Internet Explorer
3.0 or above.
-- Macintosh computer: System 7.0 or above and at least 16 MB
of RAM.
-- IBM-compatible computer: 386 or higher processor with at least 16
MB of RAM, running Windows 3.1. Or, a 486/66 or Pentium with at least 16 MB of
RAM, running Windows 95.
Additional Hardware: A scanner that will allow
students to create electronic images of hand-drawn art work (optional).
Additional Software: ClarisWorks is an example of a simple graphics
program for this lesson. The lesson also requires the use of GifConverter (Mac)
or Paint Shop Pro, version 3.11 (PC), to convert the images to the GIF format
before incorporating them into GifBuilder (Mac) or GIF Movie Gear (PC) for the
final animation. (See Bookmarks to
find links to download free versions of both of these programs.)
Adobe
Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator are optional graphics programs that may be more
difficult to use, yet both provide the ability to save images in the GIF format,
thereby saving the extra step of file conversion. Technically advanced students
with an interest and ability may already be familiar with Photoshop, which is the
industry standard for imaging professionals.
For more information,
visit What You Need to Get Connected in
wNetSchool's Internet Primer.
Bookmarks:
The following sites should
be bookmarked:
 Download.com
http://www.download.com
This site lists
Web pages with links for downloading both GifBuilder and GifConverter.
Shareware.com
http://www.shareware.com
This site
lists Web pages with links for downloading GifBuilder, GifConverter, GIF Movie
Gear, and Paint Shop Pro. Note: Paint Shop Pro version 3.11 can be downloaded
for free; later versions must be purchased.
Simplified Science
Animations
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5297/index.html
A high-school science teacher's animations of cellular functions.
Cells
Alive
http://www.cellsalive.com
A gallery of sites that can be
used for scientific education. All the images are for sale and cannot be
reproduced without permission.
Dictionary of
Cell Biology
http://www.mblab.gla.ac.uk/~julian/Dict.html
An
online dictionary of cellular biology. This site will help students explore and
choose a cellular process.
A Three-Dimensional Interactive Cell
http://www.cs.brown.edu/stc/outrea/greenhouse/ nursery/biology/home.html
3-D animations of model cells.
Biology
Tutorial Modules
http://ernie.bgsu.edu/~midden/MITBCT/7001main.html
This site contains
online visual tutorials in organic chemistry, biomolecules, cell biology, cell
membranes, and enzyme biochemistry.
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There are three lessons in Cell
Biology:
Lesson I: Introducing the Project (2-4
class periods).
Lesson II: Learning to Create
an Animation (2-3 class periods).
Lesson
III: Producing the Final Product (5 class periods). |
Lesson I: Introducing the Project
(2-4 class periods). |
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Introduce the
project and give students a quick overview of the use of animation and
visualization in scientific research. Animations can be used in science to
illustrate phenomena undetectable to the human eye, such as black holes or cell
division; to illustrate something difficult to describe accurately with words,
such as a lunar eclipse; or to synthesize cumbersome data into easily accessible
visual aids.
If you have a computer with a projector and Internet access,
or are hooked up to a large monitor, show the class several of the bookmarked
animations. Students can also be required to visit the computer lab or library to
explore the sites themselves. Distribute the Student Pathway, in Organizers for Students, when students view
the animations. Show students some flip-books to introduce the idea that
persistence of vision makes animation possible. Ask students to bring in books or
other visuals that pertain to animation in general. Discuss with students how
frame-by-frame animation works. Any resources (film, video, print) available to
quickly relate to students how successive, sequential movement of frames creates
the illusion of continuous movement would be helpful.
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Give students an
overview of cellular biology and cellular processes. Include the following
topics in your overview:
- Cell Division:
- Mitosis
- Meiosis
- Fertilization of an egg by
sperm
- Movement of molecules across a membrane:
- Simple diffusion of
water (osmosis)
- Simple diffusion of ions
- Passive transport via carrier
protein
- Active transport via protein pumps
- Endocytosis
- Exocytosis
- Engulfment (amoeba)
- Secretion
-
Protein Synthesis
- Enzymatic Activity:
- Lock and Key Model
- Induced Fit Model
- Motility:
- Cilia (paramecium)
- Flagella (euglena)
- Amoeboid
movement (amoeba)
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Explain that
each student (or pair of students, depending on student-to-computer ratio, time,
and other logistical constraints) is to complete an animation illustrating a
cellular process. Students will use graphics software to create animations that
can be viewed on any computer with a Web browser. The animations may even be
posted on the school Web site (optional).
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Distribute the
Assignment Sheet and the Storyboard Design Sheet, in Organizers for
Students. Students should view bookmarked sites to see examples of cellular
processes. They should then decide which process they want to animate.
Homework: Students should sketch the key frames of their animation,
using the Storyboard Design Sheet. They
should use the lines next to the storyboard boxes to explain their sketches.
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Lesson II: Learning
to Create an Animation (2-3 class periods). |
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Give your
students an overview of the draw or paint features of the graphics software you
have chosen for this project. Steps 2 and 3 highlight important frame-creating
principles and procedures that are common to most graphics software. |
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Explain that by
scanning hand-drawn images or creating electronic images using a graphics
program, students will create the first or last image in the animation. They will
need to save this frame as a file and name it. Hint: As later frames are created,
students will have to use the "Save As" command to rename each individual frame.
Frames should be named in the same sequential order that the animation will
follow (e.g., Cellbio1, Cellbio2, Cellbio3).
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Explain that after the first frame is
created and saved, small incremental alterations of the original image can
produce subsequent frames easily.
Using ClarisWorks in the drawing mode
(or any vector-based graphics software, such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw)
allows you to easily select an element of an image and use the arrow keys to
precisely change or move it. Using ClarisWorks in the painting mode (or any
raster-based graphics software, such as Adobe Photoshop) allows you to easily
paint over elements of an image.
Tell students that they will have to
name the second frame using the "Save As" command to give it a new filename
(remember to number the images so proper sequence is maintained). This step is
essential to the success of the project.
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Students can create the images for the
frames without using a paint program. If a scanner is available, they can create
the first image using traditional art supplies and scan it into the computer.
Students should then trace the key elements of the image and alter them slightly
to create successive frames. Remember, each frame should be saved as a separate
file.
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Explain that
when students finish making and saving all of their frames, they will need to
convert their files to the Gif format. Using GifConverter or Paint Shop Pro, each
file is opened and converted one frame at a time. Using GifBuilder or GIF Movie
Gear, the students then assemble the frames into their proper sequence.
If you will be using the Mac-based GifBuilder, tell your students that
it is important to remember that the files
(frames) can be sequenced in any order. Frames can even be used more than once
in the final sequence. Students will simply need to copy the specified frame or
frames and paste them into the appropriate part of the animation sequence. Also,
tell students that they should try playing around with the static and dynamic
transition filters in the "Effects" menu.
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Lesson III:
Producing the Product (5 class periods). |
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After you have
approved each student's Storyboard Design
Sheet, students can start to create individual frames on the computer,
following the instructions outlined above. It is best to keep the images small (2
to 4 square inches).
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If your school has access to a server, your students' work
can be displayed on the school's Web site. If a color printer is available,
students can print the separate frames and assemble them into a flip-book. To add
to the number of frames, print each frame at least twice and repeat each frame in
the flip-book. This will make the flip-book more effective.
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Submit
a Comment: We invite your comments and suggestions based on how you used the
lesson in your classroom.
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