Although it seems odd, I chose to try Pixton.com to create a comic strip. I’ve never made a comic strip before, because I’m not artistic or funny, but I think it would be fun and useful in a Physics classroom. I was new to Pixton and the comic idea in general and thought it would be a fun thing to try. Comics allow us to think outside the realm of real life- creating our own reality with new universal laws of motion. Think back to “The Matrix” and how exciting it is to see what is possible without gravity and other laws we’ve come to know and love. A comic strip would allow students to create something outside of reality.
I chose to make a comic strip project that my students will actually do this year when we start Newton’s Laws in a few weeks. (My free trial will end in 3.5 weeks from now so I’ll have time.) I am having my students create a comic strip that accurately portrays one of Newton’s Laws. I created my own comic (shown below) as an example.
My students will each create their own comic and then present it to the class to show off their work as well as to explain their reasoning. It was extremely easy to sign up on Pixton and to set it up for my classroom. Creating the project took about 5 minutes total and even provides a “rubric generator” so you can quickly and easily create a grading rubric for your project. Here is the link to my project. To view the project, you will have to log in with the username CTER1 and password of CTER11. You can also see the rubric that I made to fit my project so my students know how I will be grading them. Actually making the comic strip (and my avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower) took some time because there are so many options and the directions are not as simple as the video portrays. I imagine that it took me close to an hour to make my comic. Now that I’ve made one, it will take less time.
I think that my students will benefit from this because they are able to demonstrate their understanding of Newton’s Laws without having to make a PowerPoint or take an exam. This is a nice alternative assessment and I imagine that my creative and artistic thinkers will greatly appreciate the opportunity. I also think that the students will benefit by being able to “free their minds” like Neo in the movie clip by creating something that isn’t possible on Earth. The only resources necessary are computers and the internet (if you’re using the free trial.) I will assess the comics using the rubrics provided to the students.
frostysnowbro. (n.d.). Matrix: The Jump Program. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXv3SSijPFc
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