Tag Archives: science

General, School Media Specialist

AASL Recommended App: STEM: Earth Primer

earth_primerIn June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.

The app Earth Primer is a great tool to reinforce concepts from an earth science class. The app functions as an interactive textbook, and allows students to manipulate a variety of concepts that make up our planet. Students can make volcanoes, move tectonic plates, manipulate weather systems, and more. These activities help foster an understanding of how all these concepts come together to affect our planet.

To learn more about Earth Primer, this article from TechGenMag explains how the app can be used in the classroom as a fun way to bring learned science concepts to life. It also allows students to work at their own pace. This post from EdShelf includes a video and also some reviews of the app.

Cost: $9.99
Level: Elementary and Middle School
Platforms: iOS

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AASL Recommended App: Books: Professor Astro Cat's Solar System

prof_astro_cat solar systemIn June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.

Learn about stars, planets, and and outer space with Professor Astro Cat’s Solar System app. Users are able to earn medals and parts to build a rocket for completing tasks and correctly answering questions. There’s even a “jetpack challenge” quiz for students to play. The app is a good tool to reinforce concepts learned in science class.

Get more information about the app from this review, or this article from Fundamentally Children which features feedback from kids that have used the app, and also lists other related apps to try in the classroom!

Cost: $2.99
Level: Elementary
Platforms: iOS and Android

Watch the trailer here:

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AASL Recommended App: STEM: Map of Life

map_of_life_0In June 2016, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced their 25 Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. The apps encourage qualities such as innovation and active participation, and are user-friendly.

The app Map of Life allows users to discover, identify, and record biodiversity from all over the world. Students are able to contribute to the map by recording sightings. The app features many different categories of species, including trees, mammals, birds, fish, and more. Users can learn about characteristics and habitats, with the goal to help worldwide conservation efforts. This app would be a good addition to a science field trip, in order to record and identify plants and animals.

Cost: Free
Level: Middle and High School
Platforms: iOS and Android

Read about this teacher’s experience using the app in her classroom, then watch this short video from the Florida Museum of Natural History  that describes how to use and learn from the app:

General, School Media Specialist

New 'Madden' game uses football to teach Math and Science Concepts

MaddenMove over Minecraft, you may have a competitor in the world of school based learning with gaming. Edweek reported that a new Madden game was in development that would use football to teach math and science. That game is now a reality!

Recently a partnership with “EA SPORTS, Madden NFL, the NFL Players Association, and Discovery Education announced EA SPORTS Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers, as an engaging middle school educational program designed to harness students’ love for football to engage them in key math and science concepts.” With a teacher guide to help, the site claims “your students will… apply math and science concepts as they design strategies, solve problems, and make decisions for their players.”

Read the Edweek article or check out the Madden NFL: Football by the Numbers website to learn more.

General, School Media Specialist

AASL Recommended App: iBiome: Wetland

ibiomeThe American Association of School Librarians (AASL) came out earlier this year with their 25 Best Apps for Teaching & Learning. The apps were chosen because they foster innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. 

This week we highlight iBiome: Wetland. “This app allows students to explore 3 different wetland habitats (mangrove swamp, saltwater marsh, freshwater marsh) by building bio domes. Within each bio dome students learn about food webs and the interaction between plants and over 50 species of animals. The goal is to build the optimum environment for the survival of both plants and animals.” AASL tells us that students using the app will immediately see how adding species to bio domes will affect an ecosystem.

The app is recommended for upper Elementary (3-6) students. It is available on IOS for $2.99. Check out the cool trailer for the app: