Big Huge Labs has some great online curriculum tools that can be used in any number of ways to focus student attention and activities upon a strategic concept or skill and have fun doing it!

Of special interest, are the following tools:

• Badgemaker
• Motivator
• Magazine Cover
• Movie Poster
• Mosaic Maker
• Trading Card
• CD Cover

But you may think of ways to use other tools also.

The Big Huge Lab (BHL) tech tools use photos to FOCUS attention. Then what can you do?

You can . . . 

• compare and contrast
• freeze and focus
• represent
• remember
• value
• group
• identify
• order or sort
• promote
• analyze

IMPORTANT LINKS

The BigHugeLabs-Flickr Lesson Plan provides a guide for creating lessons based upon these technology tools.

(GLEs)

(Show-Me Standards)

(citation format)

AN EXAMPLE

What follows is an idea (not a lesson plan, just the idea) of how the Trading Card tool could be used in a secondary English class:

• Students would work in groups of four
• Using Joseph Campbell's concept of quest-based stories, each student would make four cards: (1) protagonist or hero card, (2) antagonist or villian card, (3) sidekick card, and (4) one additional role card as outlined by Campbell
• Inspiration for each card would come from their choice of movie, TV, or other celebrity photos found on Google image search
• Note that the requirements to fill in information for each trading card are restricted. They include the Name (title), Role (sub-title), Description of the Charactr, and the image itself. I think this works well as a focused set of tasks that can stimulate much discussion (and we hope, learning).
• Here is an example "Hero" card:

• Each student in a four-member group shares their "Hero" card and discuss the elements of each. Why did you choose that name? Why that line of work? What characteristics do you assign to the hero based upon the characteristics of Adrian Monk? How will that play out in the story, etc.? Rich opportunities for discussion at multiple levels (see below)
• The group must choose one of the cards for the hero
• Then they move on to the villian, etc.

THE PARTS OF A BHL TECH TOOL

Now look at the strategic parts of this trading card:

This one Web 2.0 tool can be used in many different ways. How about the other tools on BigHugeLabs?

This is your opportunity to demonstrate your creativity and your understanding of how students at the grade level you have chosen are motivated and engaged. Have fun!

Here is an example of how one teacher used BHL to create a lesson plan and activity for her students.

And here is an example of using the mosaic tool for a lesson on diversity.

For Your Classroom

The BigHugeLabs tech tools can also be used to enhance your classroom. Create posters for your classroom or the hallway using the Motivator and other tools. For example, below is a school mascot run through the Warholizer