After hearing Dor’s talk last Friday, I have some suggestions for making the green screen color exercise more relevant to children.

Dor mentioned that the hands of the children often subconsciously “learned” the proportion concept before their brains could. Furthermore, children had difficulty explaining the green screen phenomenon using height, length and distance between their hands. I wonder if this is due to the abstract nature of the exercise. Incorporating proportion examples from real life may solve these issues.

We can use the sensors to simulate real-life tasks such as rowing a boat with oars. As the child interacts with the sensors, he’ll learn that the higher he lifts the sensor, the faster the boat travels. He will also notice that the difference in height between the two sensors actually determines the direction of the boat. The concept of speed and angles in relation to proportion can also be demonstrated. One of the tasks can be for children to figure out the proportion needed to reach the island marked with an “X”. To make the exercise more compelling, it can be done in first person view. From this exercise, the child will learn the actual implication and practical application of mathematical proportions.

Some of the Wii games like Wii Sports are already simulating real life activities. Take archery for example, one can demonstrate that the amount of bowstring pulled is proportional to the distance traveled by the arrow. By adding a grid pattern or a number line for visual aid, one can create learning exercises that are based on these game concepts. Children learn concepts much quicker when they can see the relevance in the learning.