Mission US

Take your students on a mission. Mission US is a multimedia project that immerses players in U.S. history content through free interactive games. This site has 3 missions.

Mission 1: “For Crown or Colony?” puts players in the shoes of Nat Wheeler, a printer’s apprentice in 1770 Boston. They encounter both Patriots and Loyalists, and when rising tensions result in the Boston Massacre, they must choose where their loyalties lie. 

In Mission 2: “Flight to Freedom,” players take on the role of Lucy, a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky.  As they navigate her escape and journey  to Ohio, they discover that life in the “free” North is dangerous and difficult. In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act brings disaster. Will Lucy ever truly be free?

In Mission 3: “A Cheyenne Odyssey,” players become Little Fox, a Northern Cheyenne boy whose life is changed by the encroachment of white settlers, railroads, and U.S. military expeditions.  As buffalo diminish and the U.S. expands westward, players experience the Cheyenne's persistence through conflict and national transformation.

Students could work as collaborative groups or individuals.  Educator Guides are included for each mission. he OVERVIEW contains in-depth information about gameplay, classroom implementation, essential questions and goals, and alignment with learning standards. The BACKGROUND tab contains information about the characters, situations, events, and historical period presented in the game. The ACTIVITIES tab contains classroom activities to use with your students before, during, and after their playing of the mission. The RESOURCES tab contains additional information to enhance and extend students' learning about the time period.
http://www.mission-us.org/

Hot off the Press.  Use your iPad and the coLAR software for 3D images! This app from Putuko in New Zealand uses special coloring pages and creates a 3D effect.  See how it was used for International Dot Day on Fablevision's site.  International Dot Day  Find out more about this fantastic app on coLar website.  They even give you instructions on how to project this app on your IWB.

Visit: http://colarapp.com

TweenTribune

Need to have lessons that reflect the Common Core Standards? What to save time by integrating academic subjects.  Try out TweenTribune.  I used this site with my students last year.  The site is free and has articles and activities separated by grade level groups, K-4, 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. The site also has a Spanish version broken down by grade level.  Teachers are able to monitor their students by setting up a class account. Students are able to take online quizzes. All quiz scores are delivered automatically to teachers. I used this site to help me assess students' writing skills. Students were able to write comments or answer a writing prompt online. Teachers are able to moderate students' comments before they are published. Students are able to edit their work.  Learn more about this great resource at http://tweentribune.com.

Teaching Levers and Pulleys?

Are your students trying to use a spring scale to measure force? Try this tutorial, Virtual Spring Scale,  to develop their abilities.  Simulating an actual spring scale, the Virtual Spring Scale allows students to measure the force in Newtons of a set of items. They can hang objects from the spring scale and use the spring scale to drag objects across a flat surface or up an inclined plane at various degrees. I used this interactive before we began our first experiment in the Foss kit, Levers and Pulleys.  It made a world of difference during the experiment.

Check this site out!

Try this photo effects and editing site called tuxpi.com. It has 58 different editing tools with numerous picture frames.  I uploaded a photo of a student and put her on a postage stamp frame. It was quick and easy. I think I will have students choose someone they think is important and have them create a postage stamp for them.  They will have to explain why this person deserves to be on a stamp.  If you have used Tuxpi.com please let me know how you have used the site in your classroom.

What to "wire" up your math lessons? Then visit MathWire. This website contains standards-based math activities. I just checked out the activities for the month of December. The site has a variety of themed math activities.  I particularly liked the whole Snowman unit. CHECK IT OUT!

Science of Everyday Life

Why do we need to learn this is a question often heard in my elementary class. This website definitely answers this question!

The Science of Everyday Life web site is a free interactive platform that features free science lesson plans, video, and interactives. The videos and interactives will help students discover the real-world science around them and make connections to what they are learning in school. There is something for everyone!