Stack the States

Stack the States

Description: Stack the States would be a great app to incorportate into a classroom. Specifically design for the IPad, IPhone, and IPod touch, it has been voted Best Kids App for the IPad, and Best Educational Game App. Stack the States build on students' geographical knowledge, by asking factual questions about specific states. In my classrom, I would have my students interact with this app in small groups of four or five.

How it works: Stack the States ask students specific questions pertaining to the states. It also has a timed acitivity where students have to place the states on a map. In both interfaces, this app gives students immediate feedback. It can be purchased for 1.99 in the itunes store.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stack-the-states/id381342267?mt=8

Presidents Challenge

Presidents Challenge

Presidents Challenge is a fun and diverting way to memorize the names of the presidents of the United States in order. This app can be used in middle school social studies classes. The child can either choose to do time periods/ eras at a time or try to do the entire list. Each president includes a picture and a little background information about them. It shows a blank timeline and the child can drag a picture of the president to the correct time period and if it is correct it will stay in the correct spot.  This app requires iOS 6.0 or later, and the app is free.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/presidents-challenge/id793349839?mt=8

National Geographic Explorer for Schools

National Geographic Explorer for Schools

This app brings National Geographic into the classroom through the use of iPads.  This is a free app that gives students an interactive issue of National Geographic explorer every month of the school year.  The best part of this app is not that it is free, but that it has applications and suggestions as to how to link this text to common core and state social studies and science standards.

How it work:

Students open the app to find this month's issue of National Geographic Explorer.  The text is clickable, and has the functionality to be read aloud to the students.  There are also various activities that allow the child to interact with the pictures and images throughout the issue.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/national-geographic-explorer/id556957976?mt=8

SAS Curriculum Pathways Teacher Edition

SAS Curriculum Pathways Teacher Edition

SAS Curriculum Pathways is a web address with a one stop shop for teachers to find resources for ELA, math, science, social studies and Spanish from elementary to high school.  Once the teacher sets up an account they have access to everything.  The teacher will search by choosing a subject such as ELA.  Then they can break it down even further into categories such as reading skills to media skills.  They can also choose the type such as an interactive tool where the students read and the app records them or web only lessons.  The teacher can also break it down into the level such as ES (elementary), MS (middle) or HS (high).  The teacher can add the different apps they choose to their favorites list.  Once the teacher goes to the app they are asked to set up their class, when they click on set up a class they are asked to acknowledge that they have gave each parent the terms and conditions and that they have signed it and agreed to them.  You also have to keep the terms and conditions on file in case SAS ever needs them for anything.

One of the apps on there is called SAS Reading Records.  This app is suited for all students from students that are below, on, and above their levels and also for ELL.  Once the teacher has added students they are able to give the students their assignments.  The teacher can create their own reading or they can choose from the library.  The library has reading material listed by the Lexile Measure level.  This is the students reading level based on their ability not their grade level.  The lower the number the easier the reading level the higher the number the more difficult the reading level.  The teacher can also choose either English or Spanish for the reading material.  Each reading assignment has quiz options and also the type of reading it is.  Once the student selects the title the material to be read appears on the screen for the student to read out loud to be recorded.  The students then complete the multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions (if there are any) and they also do the retell.        

This would be a really great website for teachers since they are able to reach all subject areas and grade levels. 

https://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/portal/

Brain Pop

Brain Pop creates animated, educational movies for the classroom. Teachers can purchase one of multiple subscription types or just use the “free stuff.” Like anything, you get more options as a subscriber, but even the free videos are great. The best part about this app is that you can download a different version depending on what age group you teach: Brain Pop Jr. (K-3), Brain Pop, Brain Pop Español, and Brain Pop ESL are all available. As a future K-8 teacher, I know these videos will be great transition activities or “brain breaks.”

Here’s how it works:

A variety of subjects are available: arts and music, science, social studies, engineering and technology, English, math, and health. Each subject is then divided into more specific categories; for example, if I were to click on “science” I would then be able to choose from topics such as earth systems, matter and chemistry, energy, ecology and behavior, etc. After each video there are activities: some of the free ones include order of events, short essay questions, graphic organizers, and a vocabulary list with space for definitions. These activities could be used while the student watched the video, a “ticket out the door,” etc. There is also a Q&A tab that could be used as a prompt for classroom discussions or submitted to the teacher as a formative assessment. Subscribers gain access to quizzes. By using the Mixer tool, instructors can adjust the quiz difficulty to students' ability levels and use the results as a formative or summative assessment.

Brain Pop can be downloaded as an app on all major platforms or through www.brainpop.com.