Using Smart Ideas: Instructions and Tips
Check out my Smart Ideas sample, posted to the Phase 1 section of the project webpage.
o Use this sample as a template for your own web.
o NOTE: I had to post my sample as a Word document. You MUST use Smart Ideas, NOT
Word.
You must use Smart Ideas (graphic organizer software) to set up a Web and create an Outline.
Use SHAPE (not colour) to organize your web as you will be printing in black and white.
You will continue to add to this Web (and create new Outlines) as you work through the phases of
the inquiry process.
Sign out a School Library computer.
Log on to your computer account.
Open Smart Ideas.
o click on “Start”
o click on “Programs”
o select the “Productivity” folder
o double click on Smart Ideas 5
Cancel the box in the middle of the screen (offers options – Blank Document or Template)
Now you have a blank, white workspace.
Click on Symbols.
o select a symbol, drag it to the middle of your workspace, and drop it
o click inside this symbol – now you have a text box into which you can type your claim
o click outside the symbol – this will close your text box
o select a new symbol, drag and drop
o do this 6 times (Introduction/Thesis, Background, Support, Refutation, Evaluation,
Consequences/Conclusion)
o you will now have a second “layer” - a ring of symbols around your claim
each symbol should be a different shape
use the same shape for each section of the third ring (e.g. if you use a circle for
Background, then you would use circles for Topic A/Topic B)
change any coloured symbols to black and white
find paint can on toolbar, select “no fill”
find paint brush on toolbar, select black
find letter on toolbar, select black
o create a third ring of symbols
divide Background into Topic A and Topic B (IF this applies to your claim)
divide Evaluation into Debate, Application of Evaluation Reading, and Determination
divide Consequences/Implications into Personal Consequences, Social Consequences,
and Conclusion
When your web is complete, click on the “Outline” button.
o make sure your outline is in the correct order (Introduction/Thesis – hook, thesis, arguments - ,
Background, Support, Refutation, Evaluation – Debate, Reading, Determination,
Consequences / Conclusion – Individual Consequences, Social Consequences, Conclusion)
o you can change the order of the elements of the outline
use your cursor to “grab” the grey square to the left of the elements
drag this grey square to the right place and drop it
Remember to print BOTH your web AND your outline.
o to print web, go to Print Preview
o if your web is larger than one page, you will see a “Fit to Page” button – use it
o now toggle to outline view and print outline (print real size – don’t shrink to one page)
NEED MORE? SEE ILLUSTRATED TUTORIAL, NEXT 3 PAGES.