Learning Minerals with Graphics

It’s the time of year again where I try to persuade my students to buy into the importance of learning rocks and minerals.  There is little that we do day to day that does not involve rocks and minerals, so you would think that it would be interesting to learn their uses.  Unfortunately, my students do not feel they need to learn something someone else has already figured out and put to good use.  So, I came up with an idea involving technology with graphics and an authentic problem to hopefully grab their attention.  We’ve learned that when students can relate the things they are studying to how it affects them personally, they are a lot more likely to remember the message.
 

Each student gets to “adopt” a mineral and create an advertisement includes the mineral’s name, chemical formula, and a cartoon slogan that describes one or more of its important uses. They must also include pictures or a cartoon character that relates to the slogan.  After reading chapter 3 of Norton & Sprague book, I knew that I had to teach my students the tools of draw and paint before letting them design on their own.  I was surprised to learn that many did not know the basic tools or how they could use both programs to create the image they were visualizing.

I discovered the importance of teaching students to be image makers and the difference between allowing them to express their ideas in pictures instead of words.  By completing this project, I want my students to have used the computer graphics as a means of creative expression, but also as a learning experience.  In any case, there will be at least one mineral they will never forget and always know its important uses!!