Make Beautiful Backgrounds Using Science

Do you wish you could design your own backgrounds in ActivInspire? Do you possess some graphic designer qualities yourself? Are you looking for a visually stimulating exercise for your students? Need a brain break idea?

Caution: The Flame Website is absolutely mesmerizing!


We all know how important creativity is but it's difficult to find the time. The Flame Website offers an opportunity for teachers and students to be creative by using their amazing drawing tool to draw vivid images.
There are also animations, pictures, and experiments on this website. I encourage science teachers to check out the experiments as they show some awesome examples of particle behavior like the effect wind has on fire. Even if you don't get into the scientific aspects of this (I'm no chemistry teacher-that's for sure!) the kids will enjoy and learn a lot just by watching or exploring this site.
Click here to go to the Flame Website.
The program may ask you to run an earlier version of Java that's ok. Just click ok.
The first ISTE National Educational Technology Standard for students is: 1. Creativity and Innovation Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance to support individual learning and contribute to learning of others. The first IST/E standard for teachers is very similar: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity .

To create your own backgrounds in ActivInspire: save your masterpiece by clicking the save button on the lower right hand corner. Giver your computer a minute to load. After your image is displayed go to file, then choose "save page as". Select your location i.e. pictures, documents, desktop, etc . . . This will save your masterpiece on your computer as a picture you can import.

In ActivInsipre choose Insert, then Media. Browse for your image-double click. Your masterpiece will then appear on your flipchart page as an object that you can use as a background or image.