Promethean Planet is a very useful tool for any teacher. Promethean Planet has thousands of flipcharts that are already made for just about any subject you can imagine. When I am getting ready to do a lesson I always go there to search and see if there are any flipcharts about the topic I am teaching already made by other educators.
Step 1: When you first open ActivInspire, click on the Promethean Planet link on the left hand side.
Step 2: On the website that comes up, type whatever you're searching for in the search box at the top of site underneath where it says "home" and "community"
Step 3: Browse through what comes up and see if anything works for you!
Remember, you can always change the flipcharts to fit what you want to do so don't dismiss one just because it's not EXACTLY what you're looking for. Also, if you want to click on "Resources" at the top of the page you can be a little more specific in your search. See the picture below
Magic ink is an awesome tool that is easy to use and has tons of applications. My favorite is called picture revealer.
Step 1: Find a picture that would be interesting to students as a hook for a lesson.
Step 2: Create a shape that covers the picture.
Step 3: Go to the object browser and make sure the shape is in the top layer and the picture is in the middle or bottom layer.
Step 4: Go to tools and click on magic ink.
Step 5: Click on time in the center of the shape so that it reveals a little box (window) above a tiny section of the original picture you chose.
You are ready for the hook for your lesson! Call on students one at a time to guess what the picture is and then come up and reveal one more little section of it. They can click anywhere on the picture they want and then the they get a guess. This is an excellent way to bring up topics that students will enjoy.
Have fun!!
Check out the following video to learn more about magic ink.
When creating flipcharts for students you need to remember how important it is for students to actually be able to come to the board and do things themselves.
One of the most important things to understand while trying to achieve this goal is "Layering". ActivInspire flipcharts have 4 layers that can be utilized. You can manipulate which layer pictures, texts, and shapes are on to be able to do whatever you want! My favorite activity that the students love is to have a flipchart where students come up one at a time and pull pictures/information from a "box" and place it where it belongs. If you understand layering this is very easy to do.
Step 1: Create a shape and label it "click here to pull out your item!" Put that box in the lower left corner of the flipchart.
Step 2: Find pictures that go with different categories that students can pull out of the box and place where they belong. As a really simple example, you could find pictures of shapes. Create 3 columns on the flipchart such as: Triangles, Squares, and Circles. When the students drag a shape out of the box, they have to put it in one of the columns.
Step 3: After you find all your shapes, drag them to where your box is in the lower left hand corner.
Step 4: Now the layering comes in. This activity only works if your box covers all the shapes so each one that a student pulls out is a surprise. On the left hand side in the browser window of the ActivInspire software click on the 3rd picture from the left at the top labelled: Object Browser. When you get it open you will see all the different shapes and what layer they were automatically created in. Find the "box" and the text for that box and drag them into the top layer. The box and text should go to the top of all the other shapes.
Step 5: Lock the box and box text by right clicking on it and clicking on "locked".
Now, when you click on the box, the box won't move, but what's underneath will come out when you drag. If you want to have some particular order to what students pull out of the box you can manipulate them in the layering of the Object Browser as well.
Step 6: Create a game! Split the students into two teams (boys vs. girls always works nice!!) and have them come up one at a time and try to get them all right. Feel free to let them ask the audience and phone a friend!
Have fun!!
If you are having trouble, check out this video about layering:
