2D and 3D shapes

11:27 AM wynne 0 Comments

1) Castle Shapes
Grades: 1-2
Summary:  This site is separated into 5 sections.

Starter activity part 1 - covers the learning objective and definitions
Starter activity part 2- sorting out 2 and 3D shapes
Main session part 1 - identify the shapes in the floor plan and then use the venn diagram
Main session part 2 - Label the parts of a 3D shape and use a Venn Diagram to sort out shapes with curved faces and vertices.
Plenary - identify properties of 3D shapes

How to integrate: Shared, Independent
Some of the activities and sessions (part 1) would probably be better used as a shared lesson since it's hard to type in words using the IWB, but I still recommend working through the venn diagram on the IWB.  Some of the sections even include worksheets that can be printed.


2) Point of View
Grades: 3-5
Summary: Each shape has a different point of view depending on where you're standing.  This game will show students what objects look like from different sides.

How to integrate:  Shared, Independent
This game is a great way to show students how the shape changes depending on which angle you're looking from.  I find the best way for the students to understand this concept is to show them with real manipulative and then follow up with this game.

3) Dr. Gee's 3D Lab
Grades: 2-3
Summary:  Help Dr. Gee find out what the net shape matches the 3D shape on the side by clicking yes or no.

How to integrate: Modelled
This lesson is easy and quick to do as a warm-up activity or a check for understanding. It's great to use on the Smart Board.


Forces at Work

8:01 AM wynne 0 Comments

1) Edheads Compound Machine - The Odd Machine
Grades: 3-6
Strand: Compound Machine
Summary:  One of my favourite simple machine sites has another great companion site on compound machine and forces.  Students are sent on a journey to find a plunger for the robot.  Along the way, students must learn how compound machines work and which forces are working together to get the job done.  There are twenty questions in all and students have the option to print out their scores at the end of the game.

How to integrate: Shared, Modeled, Independent
Some questions can be a little challenging (the target grades is from 2-6) but since it is multiple choice it is only a matter of time for students to answer all the questions.  The questions also use a lot of terms that grade 3s might not be familiar with, therefore it could be more as a guided activity.

2) Lemelson Center's Learning Through Play - Tinker Ball
Grades: 2-4
Strand: Gravity
Summary: Use your student's engineering skills and simple machine knowledge to get a ball into a cup.  There are a selection of simple machines that students can choose to use.  Use one or two or all, the only objective is to get the ball into the cup.


How to integrate: Shared, Guided, Independent
This is a fun game that will get your students thinking about how simple machines help us do simple tasks.  It is also a great game to start adding challenges to - for instance, challenge your students to create a path using the least number of parts, or the most number of parts, or use time to see if your students are up to the challenge.


3) Roller Coaster Simulation
 Grades: 3-6
Strand: Friction and Gravity 
Summary: In this "what if" simulation, students must decide which factors they want to change in order to make a great roller coaster.  The factors include, hill size, mass of the cart, speed, friction and gravity.  By exploring different combination, student will be able to do identify how each force is important in roller coasters.

How to integrate: Guided, Independent
Give the students a chance to do what they want and make crazy fly-off-the-rails coasters.  Then slowly tell them to change on factor at a time to see what changes happen.   Eventually, students should be able to maximize the forces and make them work together to create a successful roller coaster. 

5 Great Simple Machines Sites

10:30 AM wynne 0 Comments

1) Simple Machines
Grades: 1-3
Summary: This site gives a short summary of each of the six simple machines, the lever, wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, pulley and screw. Each machine includes an example and a video of real students using these simple machines in their daily lives.


How to integrate: Shared, Independent
This site is great as a introduction or a recap to the unit. Students can also use it for review at home as well.


2) Museum of Science+industry Chicago- Simple Machine
Grades: 2-3
Summary: What better way to apply your simple machine knowledge than to help a robot! Twitch is a robot that works in the museum. He needs to find parts around the museum to help fix a broken friend. Students needs to complete 4 stages and find the missing parts, but to get each part they must use a simple machine to help.

How to integrate: Independent
This site is so fun and engaging that students won't even know they are "learning". Unfortunately it won't be too effective on the Smartboard due to the need to use the arrow keys for moving Twitch.

3) Edheads
Grades: 1-3
Summary: Edheads is a great site to show students where we use simple machines in our everyday lives. There are two sections, the house - simple machines, and the tool shed - compound machines. There are four rooms in each section where students must identify the machine and then cite what the machine is.

How to to integrate: Shared, Independent
A classic site that should be used for anyone teaching simple machines. It is also a great site to use on the SmartBoard or any interactive board due to it's "click" feature. Also great for reviewing and checking for understanding.

All about Plants

9:42 PM wynne 0 Comments

1) Factors Affecting Growth
Grades: 1, 3
Summary: In this virtual animation experiment, students test whether water, light and temperature affects whether the seed will grow into healthy plants.  There are four parts of this activity, each testing a different factor.  The fifth part is a quiz.

How to integrate: Shared, Guided
This is a life-saver when the plants you have grown in your classroom isn't working or you are running out of time to test each factor in the time allotted to complete the unit.  This is also a good review for the end of the unit test.

2) Parts of the Plants -  Activities and Lessons
Grades: 1,3
Summary: This site includes a selection of activities designed to help students develop their understanding of plants.  The activities are based and designed to reinforce the understanding of the parts of the plants: stem, petal, leaf, root, stigma, stamen and sepal.

Each of the three activities also include answers.

The activities are divided by four sections:

a) The Starter Activity - Buzzard Game
Summary:  In this interactive game, students learn to identify parts of the plant and the functions by matching the two set of cards.  Each students can stand on the side of the Smart Board and press the button when the cards match to gain the points.

How to integrate: Shared
A fun review game for students to practice their knowledge. Not too challenging but a good warm-up.

b) The Main Session - Rating the Parts of the Plant
Summary:  Students must rate five parts of that plant in order of importance.  They must also include one or two sentences as to why they choose that part.

How to integrate: Independent
This is a great game to get students not only to identify the function of each of the parts of the plant but also synthesizes their knowledge by rating which one is more important and why. 

c) The Plenary - Parts of the plants
Summary:  Here students must think about what would happen if the plant didn't have one of the following parts.  There is a section for students to type in their answers, along with a diagram of a plant.

How to integrate:  Independent
This is another great activity to get students to think about what they are learning and how each part is connected and how they work together.