Visualising and Explaining Meiosis in IB Biology

I was recently invited into one of our Grade 12 classes to see a nice example of using StopMotion in Biology to explain the steps of Meiosis. The students had finished learning about the process of Miosis, which is a special form of cell division, essential to sexual reproduction. The aim of the lesson was for the students to understand the process and to identify the changes that occur at each stage.

The students each used a free program called FramebyFrame to collect a series of images which then collated them as a small animation. Some of the groups went a further step and used iMovie to record audio over the videos. FramebyFrame is just one option to collect a series of pictures. In this instance it was the easiest way to collate and then combine the images into a movie. These were then shared in a StudyWiz Gallery for the students to view and comment. Some of the students used the video as the basis for an iMovie with a narration of the process. This is a nice example of how students can explain the process and deepen their learning.

In the future we could go a step further and use the iTouch devices and any StopMotion app such as StopMotion Recorder to capture the images. The iTouches can be mounted on a stand with a clamp making the collection of photos a bit easier. StopMotion Recorder can also collect a huge number of pictures if the student wished to show movement within the process instead of the unique stages. Other apps such as iTimeLapse could be used overtime to show growth of a sunflower or something similar.