Templates - first set

These templates have been used extensively in the classroom for the following year groups and are available for purchase

This is an introduction to Flash but works very well as an introduction to using a computer and mouse for the first time! The symbols : circle, square and names are altered.

It is very important that the students are limited to the use of the arrow, the paint fill bucket and the text tool and nothing else. They also learn the importance of the save shortcut as well as that for undo as a way of correcting mistakes.

There is ample scope for brighter pupils in creating interesting fill colours using multicoloured gradients and transparent colours.

If students are allowed to add other items to the designs, a chaotic set of designs are created as the program tries to cope which have no artistic merit and slow down the player considerably.

The most frequent problem arises from the inadvertent use of the 'magnifier' which can quickly take the zoom control up to 2000% with cries of "I've lost my work".

This project continues well from the above as it starts with work on the symbol 'shapes' which can refresh the student's familiarity with Flash after a long break away from it (often a year).

They add the title and authors of their story into the symbol 'title'.

The students (usually working in pairs) then design their own two figures by changing the symbols 'head, body, arm and leg'.

They insert digital images of their own drawing into the 'picture' symbol. They then add the text of their story into the appropriate frames (labelled 'text here') taking care to use the text tool to regulate the pasting of the text.

They then have the opportunity to control in a limited way the interaction of their two characters.

Finally they can add further features to their landscape by designing a foreground.

In the process of this project they are taught to use most of the tools in the toolbar and the importance of the position of layers.

Here, a great deal of organisation is required in labelling and storing the various sound and picture files.

The design of the two 'heads' uses skills learned in the Story project.

The transfer of the text from a Word document to the correct place in the Flash file also uses skills already learnt in the same project.

Having been careful to record all the sentences of the dialogue as separate sound files, students learn to import these into the Flash file where they can be transferred from the library to the appropriate frame.

A problem can be created if sound files are accidentally deposited in the wrong frame. These can only be removed by using 'Clear Keyframe' and then adding an empty key frame to replace it.

Lots of scope is provided for the addition of pictures to illustrate the dialogue appropriately. These cab be collected from the Internet Using Google Image Search or can be created by scanning or taking photographs with a digital camera.

It is important to allow time to review the resulting presentation so that is factually correct, grammatical and easily legible. The sound files should also be readily understood. (We provide a demonstration of pitfalls to be avoided when using a microphone).

The figure file is used when more complex movements are required than can be achieved with the 'story' figures. The project is usually to create something funny but this file can also be used to design animations to introduce other projects such as talking heads and info/questions.

This file provides the opportunity to provide a more serious presentation on a subject followed by a multiple choice quiz to test the information that has been given.

A lot of learning is induced in coming up with wrong answers to be offered in the quiz.

Five pages are available in the 'info' scene to place text and pictures with information obtained from books or the Internet.

In the second scene the first question is posed in frame 'Q1' together with the right answer and two wrong answers. The information for the correct answer must have been offered in the 'info' section of this file.

The buttons labelled 'R' (right), '1W' (first wrong) and '2W' (second wrong) are moved so that they cover over the appropriate answers.

An explanation why the two wrong answers are incorrect is provided on frames labelled 'Q1 1^st wrong' and 'Q1 2^nd wrong'. A congratulatory message is also placed on the frame labelled 'Q1 right"

Exactly the same procedure as above is repeated for questions 2 and 3.

The file is then tested using "Control / Test Movie".

Only if the file is behaving correctly are the buttons labelled 'R' (right), '1W' (first wrong) and '2W' (second wrong) on the answers made invisible by going to the invisible buttons in the symbols. Here highlight the keyframe in the Up mode and delete for each of the three invisible buttons. The buttons will now show as light blue in the fla file and invisible in the test movie mode.