Forces 2

 
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An interactive whiteboard activity where students drag and drop force arrows onto various images, The force arrows can be rotated by dragging on the arrow head and resized by dragging on the arrow tip.

 

This version allows you to choose your own selection of up to 5 pictures. You can also create a settings file to set the five scenes up by choosing the size, position and rotation of the force arrows.

 

Instructions

  1. Download the zip file here and unzip it onto your hard drive. The folder contains a more detailed instruction sheet in Word format.
  2. Check that it contains the following files:
    • forces.swf (the flash animation)
    • force1.jpg through to force5.jpg (some pictures)
    • forces.xml (a data file containing the settings needed to position the arrows
  3. Run the flash file. It will load the forces.xml settings and then load in the pictures as you click on the next button.
  4. Remember that the files must all be in the same folder for the animation to run properly. You can call the folder anything you like but the files inside must have their original names.
  5. If you want to save the position of the arrows on any scene, click on the save button. Unfortunately this doesn't save the settings to your hard drive (flash can't do this) but it will store the settings for later.
  6. When you want to create a new settings file, click on the output button to display the settings.
  7. Use the mouse or keyboard to copy the text.
  8. Create a new text file (e.g. forces.txt using notepad).
  9. Paste the settings data into it - be careful not to leave bits out or alter them in any way.
  10. Save the text file and then rename it as forces.xml
  11. If you replace the original forces.xml with your new file, the animation will position the arrows as you intended.
  12. If you want to alter any of the pictures, just copy your own into the folder, replacing the five that are already there by using the same filenames.

Suggestions

 

You could create a number of forces folders, each with different arrow positions and or pictures for different groups. If you call the folders different things, the files inside will work independently. Remember that the flash animation looks for forces.xml and force1.jpg etc. automatically.

 

Try a "What happens next" starter by seting the forces so that the object will sink or slow down or speed up.

 

Place arrows that are in the wrong position and ask "Spot the mistake".

 

Replace one of the pictures with a photograph taken in a class investigation to start the next lesson.

 

Copy the same picture to each picture file and position the forces so that something different is happening to the object each time.