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**__CHAPTER 9 PAGES 179-186 __**  ***Organizing and Brainstorming Software* ** This section of the chapter talks about different tools students can use for brainstorming and organizing information. Two tools that offer many options for organization and brainstorming are Kidspiration and Inspiration.

*Kidspiration (for grades preK–5). One of the options that the book recommends to use is the venn diagram template.(pg. 179) The venn diagram template allows the students to compare two or more items. The book used an example with an elementary teacher who used a venn diagram to compare what people eat in the US and England. *Inspiration (Inspiration for intermediate and older students). One of the options the book recommends to use with students is Book Comparison (pg. 180) This tool allows students to track and visualize information about literary works and lets them break down similarities and differences and other story elements in the book. The book used an example template that a high school teacher used to compare a book and a poem.

Kidspiration and Inspiration include hundreds of graphics and symbols for students to use. Kidspiration also allows students to use their voices to record similarities and differences as well. There is also a writing feature that can be used for activities with students. Kidspiration also offers Comparison templates. Page 181 and 182 show three different examples of comparison templates that are easier to use and more advanced depending on your grade level. The book showed three templates. Two involving animal comparisons and one more advanced activity where students were asked to put a word list into different categories based on the meanings of the words.    ***Data Collection Tools* ** This part of the chapter talks about some of the tools teachers can use to help their students compare and classify data and then use that data to make similarities and differences. It focuses on three different experiments by three different teachers. This section of the chapter first talks about a hands on science experiment with a group of fifth graders in collecting data. The teacher decided to lead her students through a set of three density experiments by comparing volume, mass, and density. To measure mass the students use a digital scale rather than a traditional balance. The objects students need to measure all have small masses, but the accuracy of the digital scale allows them to see significant differences within the different objects being measured. The students are also able to connect the scale to a computer by USB cable to take more measurements. The computer then allows the students to see quick computations so the students can understand the density concepts. The second experiment involved students to collect data through observation. A fourth grade teacher gives his students a collection of bug specimens encased in plastic and has them use a ProScope to look at similarities and differences and then categorize them. An example of this categorization is on page 185. The last experiment is about a teacher who has the students collect data on their movements by using data probeware program known as Vernier Logger Pro, which can quickly create all sorts of graphical template representations for comparison. An example of this is on page 186.