Good Practice from Roger P. Hangarter, IU Bloomington |
| Title | Creating Time-lapse Movies |
| Course or Project | B373 Mechanics of Plant Development |
| Audience | Experienced undergraduates |
| Active | 2000, still active |
| Background Information | I wanted a way to engage
students in the study of plants. Since plants generally do not appear
to move, most people view them as objects rather than living things.
As a result, it is often difficult to get students to appreciate that
they are alive and that their biology is as interesting as that of animals.
When it became apparent that time-lapse movies of plants growing and
responding to environmental stimuli were an extremely effective means
of engaging students in the study of plants, I set out to create a unique
set of time-lapse movies for teaching various principles of plant biology.
Over the years, I have become interested in taking the material to a
broader audience and have made an open Web site that is available to
the world for nonprofit educational and artistic use.
The Web site was originally intended as a resource for teachers at all levels. However, as the project developed, the site has proven to be useful to everyone, from young children to adults. |
| Teaching Challenge | It is often difficult to get students to appreciate that plants are alive since they move on a time scale that is too slow for easy observation. Thus, plant biologists are challenged with the need to demonstrate that the biology of plants is as interesting as that of animals. Anyone who has seen a time-lapse movie of plants growing and responding to environmental stimuli can't deny that plants are alive. After showing some time-lapse movies from our research in my classroom, it was clear that they are an extremely effective means of engaging students in the study of plants. Thus, I set out to create a unique set of time-lapse movies for teaching various principles of plant biology. |
| Good Practice | The best way to learn about what I did is to visit my "Plants-In-Motion" Web site. In addition to hosting the movies, the site contains an explanation of how to go about making time-lapse movies along with information about the hardware and software needed. |
| Impact | Numerous people from around the world now have a unique resource for teaching various aspects of plant growth and development in the form of novel time-lapse movies. |
| Assessment | Personal feedback from students and other Web site users is extremely positive. I receive numerous requests for use of the movies for teaching, for use in documentary films, and for use by artists. The Web site has been cited in a variety of scientific journals and popular magazines for its valuable content. |
| Keywords | Student readiness, presenting content, encouraging creativity, motivating student participation, interactivity, visualizing concepts |
| Technical Format | HQ video acquisition and editing, digital stills, customized Web site, time-lapse video |
| Relevant URLs | http://sunflower.bio.indiana.edu/~rhangart/plantsinmotion.html http://sunflower.bio.indiana.edu/~rhangart/plantmotion/starthere.html |
Last updated:
4 May, 2007
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