physics – Page 2 – iLearn Technology

Game for Science

April 23, 2010Kelly Tenkely4 Comments4101 views

What it is: Game for Science has to be one of the coolest virtual worlds for kids. This virtual world is dedicated to getting kids excited about science and technology. Students can explore various virtual islands where they will learn about health, aeronautics, genomics, environment, engineering and more. Students can learn more about science careers, what scientists do, play games, learn interesting facts, and explore science photos and videos. Students can play the Game for Science as a tourist without registering, or they can register for an account (this requires an email address with confirmation). This is an outstanding way for kids to get excited about science and technology. As students travel through the virtual world, they can collect neurons (smart stars) by answering questions and playing games. The neurons can be used to purchase items for their avatar.

How to integrate Game for Science into the classroom: Game for Science is a great way to introduce new science topics or areas of science. The virtual world will capture interest and keep students wanting to learn more about each topic. If you teach younger students (without email addresses), visit the virtual world as a class on the interactive whiteboard or the projector. Give each student a turn to direct the journey through Game for Science. The rest of the class can jot down observations in a science notebook that can be used in later learning and experiments. Students who can read independently can visit the site individually on classroom computers as a science center or in a computer lab setting. Older students can register for an account and earn neuron points for their characters. This is a fun site for students just to explore and interact with; however, for use in the classroom, you can direct students to specific islands to study. For example, as you begin a unit on the environment, students can visit the corresponding island. Game for Science makes for a great jumping off point that will grab students attention and interest in the subject they will be learning about.

Tips: There is a chat feature on the registered version of Game for Science, this allows students to interact as they discover new islands and talk science.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Game for Science in your classroom.

NBC Olympics: Science of the Olympics

February 11, 2010Kelly Tenkely14 Comments3149 views

What it is: The winter Olympics start tomorrow and students around the world will be watching and rooting on their favorite Olympian, sport, or country. The Olympics offers some fun new learning opportunities to the classroom. Olympic Science is one such opportunity. NBC has several Olympic science videos in which students can learn about physics, motion, energy, biology, chemistry and math. Videos include Slapshot Physics, Aerial Physics, Figure Skating, Snowboarding, Alpine Skiing, Skates, Mathletes, Bobsled, Motion Inside the Body, Short Track, Modern Skis, Suit Up, Curling, Ski Jumping, Safety Gear, and The Internal Athlete. These videos walk students through the actual science that is taking place in the winter games.

How to integrate NBC Olympics- Olympic Science into the classroom: My students are always shocked to learn that there is a lot of math and science in athletics. These videos show students exactly how closely science and math are entwined in everyday life. Olympic Science videos are for students who are forever asking the question “how am I going to use this?” (and shouldn’t they all be asking this!). In the bottom right hand corner of the Olympic Science site you will find more science data. These are quick facts about the science in the sport. I really enjoy using video in the classroom, students can watch, rewind, pause, and re-think the concepts they are seeing. Combine the Olympic Science site with a Wallwisher where students describe the science in the sport, or create a Wordle with new science vocabulary that students learned.

Tips: The Science of the Olympic Games was produced by NBCLearn, part of NBC News that brings news, events, and issues into the classroom. There is a great video collection that includes Word Roots (an animated series that explores the roots of English words), Common Errors in English Usage (animated videos that uncover common errors in English grammar and usage), and Mini Documentaries (hundreds of 2-6 minute documentaries on American history, economics, culture, and political cartoons).

Please leave a comment and share how you are using NBC Olympics-Olympic Science in your classroom.

HippoCampus

October 22, 2009Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2050 views

What it is: HippoCampus is a website with incredible vision. The goal is to provide high-quality multimedia content on general subjects to high school and college students free of charge. Subjects on HippoCampus include algebra, American government, biology, calculus, environmental science, physics, psychology, religions, statistics, and US history. Each of the subject has a large library of multimedia content from students to learn from. HippoCampus was designed as part of the Open Education Resources, a worldwide effort to make education available equitably to everyone. Each lesson includes multimedia lessons, the text of the lesson, and related resources. I believe the HippoCampus model will be the textbook of the future. Students are able to learn at their own pace, pausing, reviewing, and receiving instruction on demand.

How to integrate Hippo Campus into the classroom: HippoCampus has an incredible library of content for teaching and learning. Use the multimedia lessons in place of traditional textbooks or as a supplement to your current curriculum. Teachers can build their own HippoCampus homepage where students can access specific lessons targeted for them. You can even create custom announcements to be displayed to students. Although HippoCampus was designed with high school and college students in mind, many of the multimedia presentations could be used to teach middle school students as well.

Tips: HippoCampus uses Adobe Flash and QuickTime. Make sure that you have each on your computers before using HippoCampus.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using HippoCampus in your classroom.

Physics Games

March 17, 2009March 17, 2009Kelly Tenkely2 Comments2605 views

What it is: Physics Games is a collection of fun online physics based games. There are 57 physics inspired games in the collection that can be played on the website or embedded on a classroom website, blog, or wiki. These games are great for any age, younger students will learn through exploration, trial, and error while older students will be able to understand the physics concepts behind the games.

How to integrate Physics Games into the classroom: Physics Games is a great interactive site to use in the science classroom. It encourages students to start exploring concepts such as energy, force, velocity, gravity, etc. Younger students can interact with the games successfully even without the background knowledge. Each of the games encourages trial and error learning. Older students can play games and write about the physics concepts that the game introduces and explore the ‘accuracy’ of the game to display the physics concept. If you have a class website, blog, or wiki, these games would be fun to embed in your site for easy access.

Tips: I learned about Physics Games from a Tweet and blog post by Mr. Byrne who writes Free Technology for Teachers.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Physics Games in your classroom.

Science Museum: Launch Ball

January 16, 2009Kelly Tenkely1 Comment3786 views

What it is: Here is another one I found thanks to @kjarrett. Science Museum features a game called Launch ball. Students are given a series of challenges to get a ball from one point to another through an obstacle course. The trick is they have to build the obstacle course so that the ball naturally flows to the goal after dropping into the play zone.

How to integrate Science Museum Launch Ball into the classroom: This is a great puzzle/game site to use with your students to get them to approach problems creatively and work through solutions with trial and error. The game is addicting and will have your students solving problems and thinking logically about how different objects interact with one another. I love using these mind benders with students, they are elated when they solve a puzzle! Each time students complete a level, they will learn fun science facts. After your students have all of the levels down, they can create their own obstacle courses for other students to solve.

Tips: This is a great game to introduce in science class. I also love using this site with students on indoor recess days!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Launch Ball in your classroom.

Kids’ Science Challenge

December 8, 2008Kelly Tenkely1 Comment2720 views

What it is: Kids’ Science Challenge is a nationwide competition for 3rd- 6th graders to submit experiment ideas and problems for real scientists and engineers to solve. Teachers or after school science programs can enter their classes for this contest that will inspire students to find the fun in science. The deadline for entry is January 31st, 2009 so get this one in before the holiday break! The grand prize winner will win a visit with the scientist or engineer to work with them to solve the question or problem proposed, along with possible appearances in Kids’ Science Challenge videos and Pulse of the Planet radio programs. Other prizes include: a tour of the flavor lab, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream party, science kits, Kids’ Science Encyclopedia and Science books, visit to the SETI institute, telescope, personal planetariums, celestial seeker, a visit to a skateboard engineering workshop, a visit to your school from a pro-skater, a week at camp Woodyard, a skateboard, a physics workshop, a research cruise, kayak, handheld digital microscope, and more! If that isn’t incentive to give it a try, I don’t know what is! The first 1000 entrants get a free science activity kit. The Kids’ Science Challenge website is a great place to explore even if you won’t be able to participate in the challenge. Students are introduced to real scientists through video, can play science games, and find additional activities including downloadable science projects.

How to integrate Kids’ Science Challenge into the classroom: Invite your students to explore the Kids’ Science Challenge website and then journal some original questions, problems, or experiment ideas that are related to one of the four fields of science including flavor science, water quality, skateboard engineering, and the search for life in outer space. This is a great opportunity to use technology creatively to present the questions and problems that students have and want solved. Think blogs, websites, video, or podcast.

Tips: Be sure to check out the great lesson plans for the k-12 classroom to use for each of the scientific fields explored on this site. The lesson plans are aligned to National Science Education Standards.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Kids’ Science Challenge in your classroom.

Fantastic Contraption

October 14, 2008Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2131 views

What it is: I love Twitter, not just for the ability to keep up with what everyone is doing at any given time during the day, but also because I learn about cool technology like Fantastic Contraption from my PLN (personal learning network). Fantastic Contraption is a fun online game/puzzle, that teaches kids some physics basics. Essentially students are trying to get a ball from one box to another using different tools to do so. The puzzles get increasingly difficult with obstacles between the boxes. This is an addicting puzzle and logic game!

How to integrate Fantastic Contraption into the classroom: Even if you are not teaching your students physics, Fantastic Contraption should definitely make an appearance in your classroom. Even students who have never had a physics class can play this game (3rd-12th grade) because knowledge of physics is not necessary to work out the puzzles. Students can figure out the puzzle through trial and error. What I love about the game is the way that it teaches students how it works through step by step directions on the first two logic puzzles. This is a great exercise to get your students thinking outside the box and using critical thinking and logic skills. Use Fantastic Contraption as a year long go to game for free time, snow days, and brain warm up before math or science. Your students will love this one!

Tips: If you aren’t currently using Twitter, join today and find some other educators to follow…you will get all kinds of great ideas for your classroom! Follow me at twitter.com/ktenkely.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Fantastic Contraption in your classroom.

Phun

May 8, 2008Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2118 views

What it is: As promised today I am reviewing the Mac version of Crayon Physics…it isn’t exactly the same, but has very similar principles and applications. Phun is a ‘playground’ where students can be creative while learning about physics principles such as resistance, friction, energy, gravity, force, etc. Phun isn’t a game with a goal like Crayon Physics, instead it is an area where students can create their own shapes and rules and see how they interact when different principles such as gravity and force are applied. Phun is a free program and available for both Mac and PC.

How to integrate Phun into the classroom: Like Crayon Physics, students can use Phun to learn about principles of gravity, energy, force, velocity, etc. Students will enjoy having an environment to test out physics concepts and conceptualize experiments. Phun may have even more application for the physics classroom because it isn’t a puzzle to figure out, but a creative environment to explore and test.

Tips: Because Phun is a free download, students can use this software at school and at home. Cool!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Phun in your classroom.

Crayon Physics

May 7, 2008Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment2544 views

What it is: Crayon Physics is a freeware puzzle game. The object of the game is to guide a ball to a star. Students do not have direct control of the ball, but interact with it by drawing shapes with the mouse to get the ball to roll from one platform to another. Any object that students draw reacts as it would if it were subject to gravity. There are some great physics lessons to be taught with this game! Crayon Physics is a Windows only download right now…(I know, bummer for those of us who are Mac users! Not to worry, I have found a Mac version that I will be posting tomorrow.)

How to integrate Crayon Physics into the classroom: Allow students to interact with Crayon Physics to learn about principles of gravity, energy, force, velocity, etc. The game is very entertaining and even mildly addictive. Your students will love learning physics with Crayon Physics. It will bring your class and all those formulas to life for your students.

Tips: Take a look at the video above for a good look at Crayon Physics in action.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Crayon Physics in your classroom.