MyPaths

PURPOSE OF ACTIVITY: Students can work together (cooperative learning), or by themselves to create directions that describe the process they took to create a balloon racer. Students create prototypes and write down their steps using a graphic organizer, so that they can revise their instructions with changes that they make during their thinking. Once they feel they have a good balloon racer, students then trade their graphic organizer with another group to see if the other group can replicate

TEACHER INFORMATION PURPOSE: This activity combines the mystery and intrigue of an amazing illusion and students ability to synthesize new information. Students have a hard time understanding the process of synthesis. This very engaging activity will have students go through the process of synthesis by combining information presented in different media (media and text) to develop a better understanding of the topic, and draw evidence from informational text to support analysis, reflection, an