iLearn Technology

What it is: I found WICKED Science interactive through a tweet from my friend @kathleen_morris.  WICKED Science interactives help students understand the earth- what it looks like, what it is made of, and how it works.  Students can explore the earth’s surface, examine features of the earth’s crust, explore the rock cycle, discover what the earth is made of in a lab, learn about heat and pressure, and look at different descriptions of the earth.

How to integrate the WICKED Science Interactives into the classroom: I like that these interactives invite students to explore and question.  They don’t offer all of the answers and lead students mindlessly through a predetermined solution, but instead give students just enough information to ask more questions.  Students observe and interact with the activities and have opportunities to think and problem solve their way to learning.  For this reason, WICKED interactives would make a great introductory learning activity.  Students can begin inquiring about the earth during the interactive and follow-up by digging into the concepts deeper elsewhere.  These interactives would be great for whole class use on a projector-connected computer or interactive whiteboard or for small-group/partner use on classroom computers.  Each interactive gives students more information about the earth and invites further investigation.

Tips: WICKED Science Interactives requires the Shockwave plugin to view the interactives.  The plugin can be downloaded from the site if needed.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using the WICKED Science Interactives in your classroom!