poetic DESIGN PROBLEM:

The Grade 9 teachers have noticed that

the students are unmotivated by tradi-
tional textbook word problems. They

EXPRESSION
are seeking interesting and innovative
ways to challenge their students in
their understanding of algebra. You, as
a Grade 8 algebra student, have a won-

in math
derful opportunity to inspire the 9th
graders by creating an algebraic word
problem in poetic verse.

Grade 8 MYP Math - Technology Integrated

Design Cycle
AOI: COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

Guiding Question
How can a print publication be used creatively to convey an algebraic word problem in
poetic form?
 2 INSPIRED BY LILAVATI II
A SELECTION OF MATH POEMS
BY GRADE 8 STUDENTS

GUIDING QUESTION
How can a print publication be used creatively to convey an algebraic word problem in
poetic form?

The PROBLEM
T he Grade 9 teachers have noticed that the students are unmotivated by traditional text-
BACKGROUND IMAGE from http://www.opt.math.tu-graz.ac.at/~gassner/images/Math05_2.jpg

book word problems. They are seeking interesting and innovative ways to challenge their
students in their understanding of algebra. You, as a Grade 8 algebra student, have a wonder-
ful opportunity to inspire the 9th graders by creating an algebraic word problem in poetic
verse.

The CHALLENGE
T hrough the design of a single sided A4 print document, your challenge is to compose
an algebraic problem in poetic verse. Your poem must be pleasing to the ear, beautifully
illustrated and solvable. Grade 9 students will be reading your problem and will be selecting
the best poems from each class to be included in “Inspired by Lilavati II, a Selection of Math
poems by Grade 8 students”

L O P A V IS U A L D E S IG N BASED
DEVE
E P O E T IC M O T IF S W ITHIN YOUR
ON TH
POEM...
d se le ct a m in im um of THREE page styles which
Search for an s. Provide a short descrip-
de sig n m oc k- up
inspire your page es in sp irational. Remember
fin d th e im ag
tion as to why you design.
to th e EL EM EN TS AN D PRINCIPLES of print
to relate
 GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
THE AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

DESIGN CYCLE
INVESTIGATE.................................5
DUE DATES
PLAN..............................................8 :
INVESTIGAT
CREATE..........................................10 WEDNESDA E/DESIGN
Y MARCH 9
EVALUATE......................................11 th

TUESDAY M PLAN
ARCH 15th

WEDNESDA CREATE
Y MARCH 2
3rd
EVALUATE/
ATTITUDES
FRIDAY APR
IL 1st

3
4 POETRY IN MATH

IMAGE from http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/b443/drewryan/bee.png

W hat? Poetry in Math, you say? Yes indeed! Before we had algebra,
math problems were written in verse, or poetry, form. One of the
most famous texts of this sort was the Lilavati, written by Bhaskara, a
famous Indian astronomer, mathematician, and astrologer. An example of
the problems found in this text is:

A fifth part of a swarm of bees came to rest

on the flower of Kadamba,
a third on the flower of Silinda.
Three times the difference between these two numbers
flew over a flower of Krutaja,
and one bee alone remained in the air,
attracted by the perfume of a jasmine in bloom.
Tell me, beautiful girl, how many bees were in the swarm?

Can you solve the poem?

REMEMBER...
If you see words like... Use...
increased by, more than, combined, together, total Addition
of, sum, added to, plus, add, larger, greater than

decreased by, minus, less, difference, fewer, subtract, Subtraction

negative, reduce, diminish

times, multiplied by, product of, of Multiplication

per, out of, goes into, share equally, average, divided, Division
a certain number of parts

is/are/were, gives, yields, results in, equal to, Equal

makes…
 GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

The INVESTIGATION
THE SPECS:
The purpose of your design
spec write-up is to show
that you understand the
importance of the problem
you are trying to solve. Re-
MATH SPECS: flect and then write about
the specific needs of the

Y our poem must be based on an ALGEBRAIC PROBLEM remember in

algebra, we use unknowns, or variables.
client (people requesting
the product) as well as the
needs of the audience (peo-
POETIC Your poem must be pleasing to the ear. You can rhyme, use ple using your poem).
fancy words, whatever you wish, just use your imagination!!
You MUST state your evalu-
ation method. The evalua-
BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED Your poem must be neat, colourful and tion is the final stage of the
creative consisting of ORIGINAL artwork. Design Cycle and the five
assessment criterion. How
A TRANSLATION TABLE consisting of a line-by-line translation from Eng- is your solution addressing
lish words to Algebra. the problem, and how will
you know if it is successful
in meeting the needs of the
DESIGN TECH SPECS: client?
LAYOUT THE BRIEF:
- Single sided A4 design using ADOBE INDESIGN The purpose of your design
- Using TWO design elements of your choice and the principle of brief is for you to explain
EMPHASIS how you intend to solve
the problem and what you
- Page margins of 1.5 CM
intend to design. This is your
response to the challenge.
TYPOGRAPHY
- The use of TWO FONTS which support your selected design What motifs did you iden-
theme tify within your poem and
how will you visualise these
IMAGES AND COLOUR motifs?
- An ORIGINAL image or drawing that demonstrates TWO of
How will your poem capture
the following skills (colour correction, opacity, crop, lasso) the attention of your target
- If scanning images, TIFF format at 300 DPI work best audience?
- Images linked to InDesign in PSD format
- The use of an appropriate COLOUR SWATCH based on your How will you evaluate the
theme success of your poem?

5
SAMPLE DESIGN
PROBLEM AND B
http://www.techn RIEF
ologystudent.com
brief1.pdf /PDF4/
 6 DESIGN
ELEMENTS & PRINCIPLES
DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP)

T he ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES of design are the essential building

blocks of visual design. As part of the DESIGN SPECS you are required
to use TWO ELEMENTS of your choice, and the principle of EMPHASIS.
ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:

LINE K-W-L (Do in Mahara INVESTIGATE view)

SHAPE - What do I know about the ELEMENTS and PRINCIPLES of design?
DIRECTION - What do I need to know about the principle of EMPHASIS?
SIZE - What do I need to know about ELEMENTS of design?
TEXTURE - What have I learned? (Find at least THREE examples of designs with
COLOUR/HUE
EMPHASIS and different elements. WHAT inspires you and WHY?)
VALUE
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN: RESOURCES
1. http://www.johnlovett.com/test.htm
BALANCE
GRADATION
2. http://www.n4hccs.org/projects/kidspace/E-P.htm
REPETITION 3. http://www.wiu.edu/art/courses/design/elements.htm
CONTRAST
HARMONY
DOMINANCE
A LL ER Y CO CO A ’S CR OSS MATRIX OF THE
G
UNITY
CIPLES OF DESIGN
ELEMENTS AND PRIN
a.com/colour/elements/
http://www.gallerycoco

COLOURS G
o to http://kuler.adobe.com and signup for an ADOBE account.
Search for and download ONE appropriate colour swatch. Remember
that your colour swatch must reflect the theme of your poem. JUSTIFY
YOUR SELECTION of the swatch you used.

The GUAVA TREES and POETIC JUS-

TICE swatches were used in the de-
sign of this document, as they match
the colour scheme of the Lilavati.

FONTS G o to http://dafont.com or a similar free font sites and download TWO

fonts for use in your poem. Remember that your choice of fonts must
reflect the theme of your poem. JUSTIFY YOUR SELECTION of the fonts
you used. The following fonts were used in this document:

SAMARKAN | MYRIAD PRO | CHARCOAL CY | CLEANVERTISING

Great TYPOGRAPHY resource http://thinkingwithtype.com/

 GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

The INVESTIGATION CREATIVE INSPIRATION

designersfood.com
CONTINUED
smashingmagazine.com

EXAMPLES OF EMPHASIS

Y ou will be using ADOBE INDESIGN and ADOBE PHOTOSHOP to cre-

ate your poem. There are a variety of ways you can learn these tools.
As part of the Investigate stage of this project, you are required to learn
Colour
Shape, Colour
Line
the fundamentals of Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. You are pro- Colour
vided with some recommended resources to get you started. Value
Line, Colour, Shape
1. ADOBE TV video tutorials Line, Shape
2. After school LTT INFOBYTES
3. IN CLASS instruction
4. iTunes PODCAST “The InDesigner”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
1. Getting Started: What is InDesign CS5
2. Understanding the InDesign Application Window
3. Understanding Text Frames in InDesign
4. Importing Graphics into InDesign
5. Getting Started: What is Photoshop CS5
6. Using the Marquee and Lasso Tools in PhotoShop
7. Introduction to Photoshop Adjustment Layers

RECORD YOUR LEARNING

Topic Source New Knowledge Date
Typography smashingmagazine.com massive fonts 15/03/2011
work sometimes

Typography, tv.adobe.com serif vs. sans serif 20/03/2011

Layout and fonts
Design

Colour ideas kuler.adobe.com creating harmoni- 21/03/2011

ous colour rela-

7
tionships
Page layout and issuu.com found some inspi- 25/03/2011
design rational designs
with good use of
design elements
and principles
 8 The PLAN
TWO TASKS TO PLAN
DESIGN FOLDER - Plan the DESIGN the of the print document
- Plan the PRODUCTION of the print document
The Design Folder is a com-

pulsory component of this
assignment. As you progress
through the different stages
of the Design Cycle, you
are constantly experiment-
ing with ideas, researching
topics, compiling sources,
brainstorming, sketching
H
aving completed your Investigation of the ELEMENTS AND PRIN-
CIPLES OF DESIGN, how to use INDESIGN, PHOTOSHOP and the
DESIGN STYLES representing the motifs within your poem, you will now
generate TWO feasible layout designs, select fonts and colours incorpo-
rating ONE DESIGN ELEMENT (EMPHASIS) and TWO DESIGN PRINCI-
PLES.

Y
possible solutions, making our ideas MUST meet the design specifications. You will EVALUATE
changes, rejecting propos-
the designs against the design specs and select the one that provides
als and critically evaluating
their work, all of which are the best solution to the problem.
contributing to the evolu-
tion of your final product.
All relevant activities and
outcomes should be re-
C onstruct an effective plan (including effective due dates of the De-
sign Cycle stages, AdobeTV viewing schedule and all other elements
necessary for the successful completion of your print document) with a
corded and dated within the series of logical steps to create the print document. You should use Goog-
Design Folder.
le Calendar or FirstClass calendar to create a PRODUCTION PLAN, which
The Design Folder is a com-
you MUST include (embed or screenshot) in your Mahara Design Folder.
pilation of evidence that ac- Evaluate the plan and justify any modifications to the design.
companies the final poem.
In your Design Folder, you
will record the results of
your research, various plans
B e sure to continue documenting your learning in the record of learn-
ing chart.

and designs, and an evalua-

tion of your poem.
WHAT DESIGN ELEME
NTS WILL
Your Design Folder will be
YOU USE IN YOUR FIN
completed in MAHARA.
Each stage of the Design
AL DESIGN?
Cycle has a deadline for sub-
mission which you can find
on PAGE 3. Once each stage
has been submitted, it is
locked from further editing,
until your teacher grades it
and releases it back to you.
 GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

The PLAN
CONTINUED

ITEMS THAT MUST BE PART OF YOUR DESIGN FOLDER

- Designs that inspired you.
- TWO layout design mock-ups.
- All font options, final choices and why.
- All colour options, final choices and why.
- At least THREE downloaded page styles, graphics ideas or images.
- Use of TWO design elements.
- Use of the design principal - EMPHASIS.
Your layout planning sheet
- A production timeline with deadlines. may look like the one pre-
- An AdobeTV viewing schedule. sented below.
IMAGE http://www.myintervals.com/blog/2010/01/05/
designing-web-sites-using-pencil-and-paper/

IMAGE http://www.kiwisc
raps.com/TMS/
page7.jpg

Make notes on your layout ideas that

9
correct, clarify, cross out, highlight what
you like about your designs.
10 The CREATION

C arefully follow your plan, ensuring that you are following the elements and principles of
design as you communicate your message.

R efer to your production plan and calendar regularly, following your planned schedule.
While working on creating your poem, you MUST keep a process journal.

E ssential to your work is the process journal. Your process journal will be helpful when writ-
ing the product evaluation (final stage of the Design Cycle). Write down all the changes that
you have had to make to your plan as you design your poem.

K eep track of the tools and techniques used in the design of your poem. Describe how you
used the tools in your design.

A ny changes made to the final design must be justified in your process journal and reflected
upon in your final evaluation. Evidence such as screenshots, photos etc. should be pro-
vided.

THE PROCESS JOURNAL

T he process journal is a working document in which you explain or justify the decisions you
have made through the use of screenshots with descriptive summaries. You should in-
clude between SIX and EIGHT screenshots within your process journal.

Your process journal should include the following:

- Page setup
- Use of layers
- Your pages as they evolve
- Tools or techniques you discovered which helped you with your design

A major part of your learning is to communicate the quality of your think-

ing processes and understanding. Through the process of completing your process journal,
you will:

- Provide evidence of your understanding of the elements and principles of design

- Provide evidence of innovation
- Provide evidence of how you solved complicated or awkward layout problems
- Demonstrate how you are reflecting on your ideas
- Provide evidence of how you had to correct your plan
 GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

The EVALUATION

EVALUATE YOUR FIN

AL DESIGN
BASED ON THE DESIG
N SPECS

R emember, this is not your teachers evaluation of your final design solu-
tion - this is YOUR evaluation of your final design solution. You have a
great opportunity to reflect on the process as a whole.

A sk yourself questions like, what went well, what didn’t go to well, what
would you change about your final design, was your product effective,
why?, and if it wasn’t, why not? What would you do differently if you were
to approach the project with a fresh perspective? Did you meet deadlines?,
and if not, why not? Evaluate your method, and to what extent it meets the
design specifications.

ATTITUDES
W hat was your level of engagement in this project? Do you think that
you put forth your best effort in your work in the various stages of the
design cycle? Throughout the project, did you work safely, cooperate with
others, and show respect for others? Were you able to work independently,
or did you require assistance from others?

O verall, did you enjoy this project? What was the most important thing
that you learned while working on this project?

11
12 LESSON A
Introduce technology unit.

Group reads the problem and challenge from both a Math and Technol-
ogy perspective.

Clarify design specifications.

Discuss importance and structure of design folder.

- Record of learning
- Process journal for Create stage

Review due dates. Explain Mahara submission of each design cycle stage.
Give a demo of the process.

Students to request group membership.

Show Cocoa’s elements and principles of design cross matrix.

Introduce to the elements and principles of design. Focus on EMPHASIS

and show examples of how emphasis is used in design publications.

1. Tree Poem
2. Beauty Supplement Article 1
3. Beauty Supplement Article 2
4. Wealth
5. Wedding Poem
6. Halloween

K-W-L Activity (tools, problem, principal of emphasis and design ele-

ments).
- Complete K
- Complete W
- L for homework

TOOLS
- Open InDesign
- Character Control Tools (change typeface and colour)
- Paragraph Control Tools (drop cap)
- Type on a path
 GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

LESSON B

13
14 LESSON C
Create a folder structure which
contains all the project re-
sources. Compare the differ-
ence between the way appli-
cations such as Pages embed
resources, and how InDesign
embeds resources.
GRADE 8 MATH DESIGN CYCLE
AREA OF INTERACTION
COMMUNITY AND SERVICE

15