(C,1,A) demonstrate knowledge and appropriate use of operating systems, software applications, and communication and networking components
(C,1,E) use technology terminology appropriate to the task
(C,1,F) perform basic software application functions including, but not limited to, opening an application program and creating, modifying, printing, and saving documents
(C,1,H) use terminology related to the Internet appropriately including, but not limited to, electronic mail (e-mail), Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), electronic bookmarks, local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), World Wide Web (WWW) page, and HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
(C,3,E) demonstrate knowledge of the relevancy of technology to future careers, life-long learning, and daily living for individuals of all ages
(C,5,A) identify, create, and use files in various formats such as text, bitmapped/vector graphics, image, video, and audio files
(C,5,B) demonstrate the ability to access, operate, and manipulate information from secondary storage and remote devices including CD-ROM/laser discs and on-line catalogs
(C,5,C) use on-line help and other documentation
(C,7,D) demonstrate proficiency in the use of multimedia authoring programs by creating linear or non-linear projects incorporating text, audio, video, and graphics
(C,11,A) publish information in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, printed copy, monitor display, Internet documents, and video
Using Macromedia Flash 4, students will build upon a previous project. They will create buttons for a movie player and test their functionality. Part II will expand on this by adding functionality to the buttons.
Student will be able to:
- create a multi-state button that changes depending on mouse position / mouse buttons pressed
- change an object's properties based on user input
- jump to different parts of the movie based on button pressed
- use ActionScripting to track the state of a system
- list uses of ActionScripting for web design
Students might become addicted to Flash programming and avoid the outside world.
PC's running Macromedia Flash 4, internet access to read lab document and to access URL's of their choice
Lab handout (optional, since it will also be accessible on the intranet), lab files
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Student Does |
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Engage |
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Show the students the Austin Zoo Edutainment website. Let them browse around it for a couple of minutes. Ask them to take note of how they navigate through this Flash site. |
Students will note that buttons are used for navigation. They will notice that the buttons look differently depending on whether they press it or if their mouse pointer is above it. Students will see that each button has a unique function that Flash responds and reacts to. |
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Questions |
Expected Student Responses |
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What did you use to navigate through the site? How did you know to use these objects for navigation? Where did the objects lead you? How did you know that you used the object correctly? What makes a good button? |
Students will say that button-like objects (icons, etc) were used to navigate. The objects - the buttons - led them to different parts of the site depending on how the buttons were labeled. They knew that the buttons would do something when you clicked on them because they changed shape or color when the mouse cursor was placed over them. Also, they just _looked_ like buttons. Good buttons are those that are obvious in appearance and function. |
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Evaluate |
Are all of the students participating? Are they grasping the button concept, especially the 'ideal button' concept, well? |
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Explore |
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Show the students what they will be doing using the projector connected to the PC. Show them exactly what I will be looking for as indicated in the lab. Show a final multi-button object and its different parts. Direct the students to the lab document online. Students should take turns at their PCs, helping eachother along the way. |
The students should have the concept down of what a multi-state button is and a _pretty good_ idea of how to implement it in Flash. The lab will solve remaining questions through first-hand object creation. |
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Questions |
Expected Student Responses |
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What is a Flash symbol? How many layers are required to make a Flash button? How many frames does it take to make a flash multi-state button? |
Students should recall the meaning of Symbol from previous lessons. They will see from the projector demo that only one layer is needed, with 4 frames. |
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Evaluate |
Are the individuals in each group getting along and starting on the lab smoothly? Go around to each group making sure every team is set up and going, then go around again helping those teams that are having trouble. |
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Explain |
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After each student completes the first portion of the lab, he / she should have a good understanding about how multi-state buttons operate. The implementation is straightforward now that they have made their own, so tie up loose ends by asking if anyone has questions, then by elaborating. |
The students might have a few questions as to how the buttons function the way they do, though most will understand completely after the first-hand experience. |
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Questions |
Expected Student Responses |
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Are there more ways to make buttons? How do you animate a button? |
Some students may know how to make even more advanced buttons. Use these students to elaborate on the topic. |
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Evaluate |
Hopefully each member of each team has completed a multi-state button. each student should have gone through the steps individually and also observed their classmates in their group. Ask to see their buttons to both show interest in their work and to make sure they got it down, of course! |
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Extend / Elaborate |
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Show examples of buttons on some web pages via the projector. These buttons should be different from multi-state buttons, but still demonstrate the criteria for being a good button that was discussed earlier. Talk about some other uses for buttons such as turning sound on / off, etc. |
The students will come up with some other ideas for buttons and other ways of implementing them. They will discover that some buttons are creatively disguised in such a way that they never knew it was a button before this lesson! |
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Questions |
Expected Student Responses |
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How are these buttons implemented (the ones on the projector)? What else are buttons good for? How could buttons be used in a game? |
Some students will have different ideas on how the example buttons were created. Multiple answers can be correct. Fine-tune by asking which way of those proposed by the students is the most efficient way to implement the button. There should be a wide range of responses as to how a button can be used. The game question above should trigger some new ideas on uses. |
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Evaluate |
The students should have an expanded scope now of what buttons are and be able to understand the behind-the-scenes workings of them. If the students have come up with good new ideas for buttons and reasonable explanations as to how the example buttons were implemented then they have a good grasp of Flash buttons. |