Standards Met:

1. Creativity and Innovation:

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:

c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues

4.                Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making                    

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:

a.                identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

6.                Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a.                understand and use technology systems.

c.                 troubleshoot systems and applications.

Enduring Understanding:

Students will understand that empowerment lies in making the right decisions

Essential Questions:

How can technology teach us about empowerment?

GRASPS Task:

Goal: Students will create real world storylines that challenge the reader to make difficult decisions and demonstrate the outcomes for those decisions

Role: Students will teach others about making sensible life choices through an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure style animation

Audience: Other students of the same general age level

Situation: Students will discuss possible scenarios together as a class then each will create their own, unique storylines/animations

Product: Students will create a ‘Choose-your-own-adventure’ style animation using Flash to help illustrate the importance of making the right decision

Some useful resources:

Animating a Bouncing Ball Video Tutorial

Animating a Buzzing Bee Video Tutorial

Six Facets of Understanding:

Explain: How do decisions made in the present affect decisions made in the future?

Interpret — students will understand how making sensible decisions affects future decision making scenarios and will be able to express this through an interactive animation to share with peers

Apply: students will build on Flash skills learned in previous years and during lessons leading into this unit

Have perspective: students will be able to identify how making wrong decisions can lead to future difficulties while making right decisions can help to empower them in future decision making situations

Empathize — students will share their animations with their peers to help expose each other to various difficult decision making situations

Have self-knowledge: students will be better prepared for making difficult choices as well as the ability to create interactive Flash animations