Category Archives: social studies apps

0

TED – TED conferences

|

Parents/Teachers – here is an app for you (and the kids)!

TED started in 1984 as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, and Design. It is now a nonprofit devoted to ideas worth spreading. Here is information on 2 apps that will bring the world of TED to the device of your choice!

TED - original

tedRiveting talks by remarkable people and FREE to the world. Connect with the official TED app for iPhone/iPad. Access more than 1,400 TEDTalk videos with more added every week! When you open the app, you will see a wide variety of featured talks – Where is Google going  next? by Larry Page, A new way to grow bone by Molly Steven, Teach teachers how to create magic by Christopher Emdin, and so on. There are about 60 talks to choose from. Click on a title that interests you to get additional information about that talk: the length of the talk, a short synopsis, related talks, and related tags. Then you can watch the talk, save it, bookmark it, or share it. The app permits you to browse the entire library at any time – even when you are offline. You can browse by tag or by language. TEDTalks are subtitled in over 100 languages!  You can create your own playlist or the app can create one for you based on your mood and how much time you have to listen. A fabulous resource for lifelong learners!!

TED - TED Conferences

And now, Ted has a new initiative for teachers and students called TED-Ed. Teachers can create lessons around any TED-Ed original, TED Talk, or YouTube video and/or start a TED-Ed Club in their school.

From their site: “TED-Ed aims to amplify the voices and ideas of teachers and students around the world. TED-Ed’s commitment to creating lessons worth sharing is an extension of TED’s mission of spreading great ideas. With this philosophy in mind, and with the intention of supporting teachers and sparking the curiosity of learners around the world, TED-Ed is the newest of TED’s initiatives.”

Connect to TED-Ed here: Lessons Worth Sharing | TED-Ed

1

Wonderopolis

|

Wonderopolis

FREE – Wonderopolis, a fabulous educational app. Now you can explore Wonderopolis (the website) with your mobile device.

Wonderopolis (Wonderopolis | Where the Wonders of Learning Never Cease) is a fantastic website that provides a daily Wonder of the Day®.  A fun & intriguing question is featured every day. The website/app includes a written explanation of the answer, vocabulary words, and a gallery of images & videos – all to foster learning and inspire curiosity about the Wonder of the Day®. Other daily features include a “Try It Out” section which suggests activities based on the day’s question, a “Still Wondering” section which gives additional/related information, and a quiz. There is even a section for teachers/parents called the “Educator Sandbox” with additional resources and opportunities to connect with the Wonderopolis community. It’s such a fascinating and wonderful resource – I enjoy reading it myself!

Using this website/app would be a fabulous addition to a daily classroom routine. Kids could read (or listen to) the daily Wonder of the Day® as part of their independent work time. They could journal about what they learned and/or what they are still wondering about. A class discussion could be scheduled for later. What a great way to encourage THINKING! Wonderopolis is a fabulous resource to ignite the natural curiosity and imagination of kids!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wonderopolis/id505247028?mt=8&uo=4

0

Lulu in Polynesia

|

lulu

FREE today – Lulu in the Polynesia, an interactive storybook in English, French, and Portuguese. Lulu and her cat Zazou are taking a trip around the world in this series of books about travel/other cultures. Kids join them on their second adventure as they crisscross Polynesia in a double canoe. They will learn all about the Polynesian culture as they participate in a variety of activities: making tropical flower necklaces, preparing a Tahitian salad, catching coconut crabs, racing canoes, and more! Kids can also click on the characters to hear them speak, look for the little pink bird on every page, and play games as they journey around the islands. The app includes a map that shows where they have traveled. It also permits kids to go back to a favorite page or a favorite game.
 At the end of their adventure, kids can make postcards personalized with their own photos. I love the idea of this series – exposing kids to different cultures around the world. What a fun educational app for kids 3 – 10!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lulu-in-polynesia/id510098538?mt=8&uo=4

0

GeoBee Challenge HD by National Geographic

|

geobee

FREE for a limited time – GeoBee Challenge HD by National Geographic, a challenging game of geography for kids. Each year the National Geographic Society prepares the questions for the National Geographic Bee, a contest open to schools with 4 – 8 graders. The national contest was started to increase public awareness, encourage teachers to include geography in their teaching, and stimulate kids’ interest in their world. GeoBee Challenge HD uses materials from the National Geographic for three types of play: multiple choice questions, a map challenge, and a photo bonus round. The multiple choice questions come from the library of 1300+ National Geographic Bee questions. The faster that kids answer, the more points they accumulate. In the map challenge, students must identify one of 1000+ locations on a map. Once they zoom, pinch and tap their way to the location, the app shows them its EXACT spot on the map and tells them how close they were. The photo bonus round is the most challenging. Students have to identify a photo AND know its location on the map. This educational app is fun for adults too! GeoBee Challenge HD gives kids lots of practice in a fun, fast-paced game – LOVE it!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geobee-challenge-hd-by-national/id373203236?mt=8&uo=4

0

Disney American Presidents

|

presidents

Happy Presidents’ Day! Disney American Presidents, an award-winning educational app is free for a limited time only! Kids flip through the Unofficial Oval Office Scrapbook to learn about the American Presidency. The app includes more than 2 hours of presidential profiles which are entertainingly funny and historically accurate. Kids can flip through the app in chronological order or they can look at the presidents by era. The music, art styles, etc. of each era are also included to help kids gain a greater understanding of each time period. Each President (from Washington to Obama) has his own two-page spread, with fun interactive elements that link to interesting facts about his presidency. The app features presidential historians from the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress as well as experts/White House insiders like Wesley Clark & Sam Donaldson. It’s Airplay enabled – perfect for classrooms presentations. The app was listed as: Parent’s Choice Award Winner, Entertainment Weekly’s Best of 2012: The 10 Best Apps Of The Year, Scholastic Instructor – 50 Best Apps for Teachers. Highly recommended for a fun and factual look at history!

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/disney-american-presidents/id559557889?mt=8&uo=4

0

BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr.

|

BrainPOP has been around for more than a decade as an educational website. The site features short animated movies – 750+ lessons covering science, social studies, math, art & music, etc. The content is geared for grades 4 and above but I found that many movies were also suitable for third graders. When I was in the classroom, it was one of my favorite online resources.

Now you can download the BrainPOP Featured Movie, the educational app for FREE! Your child can learn something new every day. After watching the daily movie there is a short interactive quiz. And… if your child can’t get enough of this app, there are two subscription options: $1.99 per month/ 4 movies & quizzes a day OR $6.99 per month/full access.

Teachers could add the BrainPOP movie of the day to their daily routine. Watch it at a transition time – right before lunch, after lunch, while waiting for buses to called, etc. Interesting and educational!!

Highly Recommended!

BrainPOP Featured Movie - BrainPOP®

Also available for FREE is BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week, another educational app. Every week Annie and Moby (two lovable characters) help 5 to 9 year olds learn about a different subject. There is also a quiz and activities to accompany each animated movie. BrainPOP Jr. has been on the web since 2006 delivering content for younger students in science, social studies, reading, writing, math, and more.

Again, teachers could add the BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week to their routine. Start your Monday off with the “Movie of the Week” or use it on Friday. BrainPOP gives teachers another way spark kids interest in learning!

Highly recommended!

BrainPOP Jr. Movie of the Week - BrainPOP®

0

Learn the States with Flat Stanley FREE

|

flat stanley

If your kids LOVE Flat Stanley (and who doesn’t) you may want to check out the FREE version of this iPad app  – Learn the Sates with Flat Stanley FREE. This FREE version of the app features states in the west coast region. The full version is currently on sale for $.99 and it features all 50 states.

A mail truck has lost its cargo! Kids slingshot Stanley to the proper state so that he can help deliver letters to students. Kids must identify each state by its location and shape. The app uses colored stars to indicate how many states were identified correctly on the first try. If your class is involved in the Flat Stanley project, or reads the Flat Stanley books, you may want to take a closer look at this app. 🙂

Learn The States With Flat Stanley Free - Flatter World, Inc.

0

American History Time Line

|

FREE again for a limited time from McGraw Hill – American History Timeline. Kids can navigate the timeline to read about the hundreds of important people, places, and events that have shaped American history. When kids tap on a thumbnail photo, this educational app brings up a larger image and an explanation of the person, place, or event. The majority  of the drawings/photos used are from Library of Congress. There are 7 categories (such as women, inventors, constitution, etc.) that can be turned on and off so kids can see figures and/or events specific to that category. World events are also included on a parallel timeline. Two games are included: Time Line Scramble and Memory. Kids sequence events in the correct order with the Time Line Scramble Game. In the Memory Game, they match the correct date with the correct event or person.

I really like the design of the app – the ability to customize what categories you want to look at, the authenticity of the drawings/photos, the parallel world history timeline for comparison. It would be great for teaching kids read or create timelines.

American History Time Line - McGraw-Hill School Education Group

0

Geography Drive USA™

|

geography

FREE for a limited time – Geography Drive USA™, a fabulous geography app for up to 3 players. This educational app teaches kids about the 50 U.S. states – their shapes, capitals, nicknames, postal abbreviations, flags, key symbols and more. As kids travel on a cross-county adventure, they stop in each state to answer trivia questions about national rivers, mountains, parks and time zones, important trails and railroads, major U.S. cities, landmarks, and attractions. When they answer questions correctly, they unlock airports and fuel stations – essential to stay in the game. The more you know, the further you go. 🙂

Additional fun features include: a visitor center with state brochures and regional & national maps, a game-based newspaper with headlines that recognize player achievements, trophies waiting to be claimed & displayed, and the ability to customize and upgrade the players’ cars. There are also 4 bonus games included. Love this app – it’s the perfect blend of fun and learning!

2013 Gold Parents’ Choice Award, 2013 Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award, and featured on Fox News.

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/geography-drive-usa/id579100969?mt=8&uo=4

0

littleBIG History

|

FREE for a limited time – littleBIG History, an educational app that bills itself as ” a brief history of everything ever.” The app is organized as an interactive timeline that starts with the Big Bang and goes through modern times placing humanity within the larger context of the cosmos, earth, and evolution of life. It currently includes 90 categories, 700 pictures, and 1300+ events (links to Wikipedia) with plans to add more. There is also a search option within the app. Check out this cool educational resource today. 🙂

Download link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/littlebig-history/id543049472?mt=8&uo=4