Using Colors and Layers In ActivInspire To Reveal Hidden Answers

You can use colors and layers in ActivInspire to reveal hidden answers. This works on the same principle that some people mistakenly use with the text on their PowerPoint slides. Have you ever been to a conference where the presenter has used blue text on a blue background! You hear mummers around the room such as, “can you read that”? Let’s say you have a white background on one half of your ActivInspire page. The other half let’s say is a blue rectangle you draw to represent a blue background on the right side of the page. Now, the purpose of this page for example is dividing numbers in half. Type the number 12 in blue text. Type the number 6 in white text. Place them side by side about an inch or two apart and group them. If you want to have a visual effect going, place a picture of a knife vertically on the dividing line between your white and blue backgrounds. Place your grouped numbers (12 and 6) on the white background. Have the students come up to the board to answer the question, what is half of 12? After they answer the question, they drag the 12 through the knife and onto the blue background to see the answer. The knife by the way should be on a layer above the white and blue backgrounds. The blue and the white numbers should be below the knife so that it disappears behind the knife as the student drags the number through the knife to cut it in half but above the blue rectangle.