PLP 22 – Problem Solving Strategies

See How Cells Function in Real Life

December 5, 2012

Meta!Blast is a real-time 3-D action-adventure video game, aimed at high school and undergraduate student audiences. The game is meant to provide an entertaining, engaging experience while simultaneously educating players about cell biology. By playing Meta!Blast, students will be introduced to the concepts of respiration, photosynthesis and the functions of various organelles in a manner complementary to the textbook. Students will also be introduced to how the living cell actually appears through a biologically accurate virtual replica of a cell environment. They will be presented with a series of puzzles and goals, such as having to create oxygen, which will require them to…

December 5, 2012

Foldit is an interactive computer game enabling students to contribute to important scientific research. In the Foldit game, players are presented with puzzles that start with a snaking arrangement of amino acids, identical to the sequence of an actual protein. Players then have to fold that sequence into a complex 3-D structure that fits the laws of chemistry. The closer players get to folding a realistic looking molecule, the higher they score, and the more researchers learn about how proteins loop and scrunch inside living cells. Click Here to Visit Website This information is provided as a courtesy for BISD teachers and inclusion here…

Help Students Become Better Searchers

December 5, 2012

Google has created a series of lessons to help teachers guide their students to use web searches meaningfully in their schoolwork and beyond. Google Search Education provides free Search Literacy Lesson Plans and “A Google a Day” Challenges. The search literacy lessons help teachers meet the new Common Core State Standards and are grouped based on level of search expertise: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. “A Google a Day” Challenges help students put their search skills to the test as they use technology to discover the world around them. The challenges are organized into the following categories: Culture, Geography, History, Science. Click Here to Access Free Search Resources…

Find Creative Ways to Use Science News

March 11, 2011

Science News for Kids is a Web-based interactive site devoted to science news for children aged 9–14. The site features an Article Archive with information that resembles offerings in the Web-based informational reading systems; however, the archive sits alongside a menu of more interactive selections that actively engage students with science content. For example, in the GameZone, students can play various games, such as Slime Volleyball and Traffic Jam. In LabZone, they can follow directions to conduct experiments, such as measuring the effect of temperature on the rate of a chemical reactions (using Alka-Seltzer) or investigating what happens to layers of water with different densities. In SciFairZone, they can…

Encourage Environmental Stewardship

March 11, 2011

Discovery Education and the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s Education and Research Foundation have launched TurfMutt, an online science-based program designed to help educators teach an appreciation of outdoor landscapes. The digital curriculum is led by Lucky, a real-life rescue dog who encourages students to protect the land around them. TurfMutt includes lesson plans for students in grades 3–5, engaging activities, videos and more. Click Here for More Information Plus: Discovery Education’s Landscapes Across America contest challenges students to illustrate the unique ecosystem attributes of their local region. Classrooms are encouraged to submit a slideshow with digital photos of the unique landscape in their area and include a written description of what environmental aspects of…

Math by Design

January 31, 2011

Math by Design encourages students to problem solve and think critically as they encounter unique geometry and measurement challenges. Students are introduced to the TRC Architectural firm as junior architects who are commissioned to build environments by working through a series of mathematical tasks. Students may build two environments: Flossville Town Park and Windjammer Environmental Center. Both are rich with interactives and online hints to help students refine and build upon their knowledge of geometry and measurement. Extensive educator resources provide valuable assistance for teachers to seamlessly integrate Math by Design into classroom instruction. Project Partners Math by Design was…

Lure of the Labyrinth

January 31, 2011

Think like a mathematician in this digital learning adventure for pre-algebra students. Work through intriguing math-based puzzles while immersed in an exciting narrative in which students work to find their lost pet â€“ and save the world from curious, quirky creatures! Web: http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/ This information is provided as a courtesy for BISD teachers and inclusion here does not indicate an endorsement by the district. It is important to thoroughly evaluate a website before using it with students. For help with this please contact the Learning Technologies Coach for your campus.

Teach Kids Money Management Skills

January 31, 2011

The Mint believes in educating American children about money because the lessons on saving and debt need to be urgently learned. The site has sections tailor-made for kids, teens, parents, and teachers. The tools consist of games that are built around earning, saving, spending, and giving. Lessons on how money moves are also imparted in an easy to grasp language. With a basic understanding, you can play the quizzes and calculator games like the Be Your Own Boss Challenge on the website. Web: http://www.themint.org/ This information is provided as a courtesy for BISD teachers and inclusion here does not indicate an…

Integrate Argument Literacy into the Curriculum

January 28, 2011

Democratic societies thrive on dissent, discussion and debate. Teaching Tolerance’s Civil Discourse in the Classroom provides lessons that offer a way for basic argument literacy to be integrated into any classroom. Students of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels are able to learn the basic tools for argumentation. Once they learn these tools, it becomes easier to build discussion and deliberation into daily classroom activities. Many students also find that practice in structured argument dramatically improves their ability to read and produce persuasive writing. Click Here to Access Free Online Lessons This information is provided as a courtesy for BISD teachers and inclusion here does…

Discover Babylon

January 4, 2011

Students will develop an understanding of Mesopotamia (located in what is now modern Iraq) with Discover Babylon, a FREE, DOWNLOADABLE game that brings alive Mesopotamia’s diverse contributions in writing, mathematics, literature and law. The game is an outgrowth of a joint project of the Federation of American Scientists Learning Technologies Project, UCLA’s Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative, Escape Hatch Entertainment and the Walters Art Museum. Targeted at ages 8-14, Discover Babylon uses video-gaming strategies and realistic digital environments to engage the learner in challenges and mysteries that can only be solved by developing an understanding of Mesopotamian society, business practices and…