Identify the states with this FREE simple app for the iPhone/iPad. The app displays a state’s outline and shows its location on the map. Kids choose the correct name from a list of 4 states. The app keeps track of how many states are identified correctly and gives a percentage score. This app can be connected to the Game Center if you wish. Simple practice to learn the states!
FREE today, just in time for Presidents’ Day – Lincoln. This app includes a story about Abraham Lincoln’s life, a portrait gallery of Lincoln & others, and some games. The book can be read by a narrator or on your own. Lots of bigger words in this one, for example: envisaged, eloquence, adversary, promulgated. So… it might be best to read the story as a group. Then, the class could figure out the meaning of the words together using context clues. This book can be read in 4 different languages. This is a great feature, but I wish the developers would have used native readers. Because of the larger words, I think younger kids could have some difficulty with the narrator’s pronunciations – another reason to read it together. I liked how the story included dates and/or Lincoln’s age on almost every page. For that reason, the story could also be used to teach kids how to create a timeline. This app would work in a one iPad classroom with teacher and students reading/working together.
Currently FREE – National Geographic World Atlas for the iPhone/iPad. Updated for 2013, this app has a new look and improved functionality. Spin the interactive 3-D globe and zoom in on specific places. Place pins to mark spots and save them for later. Use the measurement tool to find the distance between two locations. Get information on every country and capital city in the world – socio-economic data, demographics, weather, & currency. New features include the ability to: add customize map pins, store pins in the cloud and share across devices, access up to the minute weather, check currency rates, see latitude & longitude with a tap of our finger. This app would be a great reference tool to have in a classroom. Teachers can easily access a map to show students where a current event is happening, where a story takes place, etc. Download while it’s FREE 🙂
FREE 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, the 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. I only wish that it included more. Hopefully the developers will add more information in updates.
Happy Birthday, Maria Montessori – August 31, 1870!! Enjoy this iPad app FREE (today & tomorrow) in honor of Maria Montessori’s birthday. Kids learn the shapes, names, locations, and flags of North American countries.This app is based on the methodology of Montessori – it progresses through a well-organized sequence of activities using puzzle maps. Excellent learning tool!
Highly recommended!
This app for the iPhone/iPad is FREE today (August 24, 2012) to celebrate “Back to School.” It features a moveable globe dotted with articles about people, animals, landmarks, plants, events, etc. related to the geographical region that you choose to explore. There are over 500 short articles (cards) in the app. Additional card sets are available as in-app purchases. Information can be viewed in two modes: global view and card stream. I really like the global view because it connects the information on the cards to their place. The globe is a physical globe without any sort of labeling – no landforms are named, no political borders are shown. Not all of the cards identify the location so some labeling would be helpful. There is also a quiz mode available if you would like to test yourself. Lots of great information to explore for both adults and children 🙂
Recommended!
This geography app is FREE for iPhone/iPad. It teaches kids to identify countries, states, or provinces of 22 major regions of the world using a fun game. Kids first choose the region that they would like to be quizzed on. The app names which area is to be found and the child taps the map in the proper spot. Hints can be enabled if you wish. Both accuracy and time are measured. Results are saved in the statistics section of the app which is fairly sophisticated. It gives the fastest time and keeps track of the overall accuracy. You can also see specifically which regions are known/unknown. Two additional games modes are available through an in-app purchase ($.99). Nicely done app!!
Recommended!
This FREE app from mapsinternational.co.uk for the iPad teaches kids (ages 5 – 9) about the major geographical features of the world using 6 different maps: political, physical, cities, deserts, mountains, and rivers. The app is simple to use – the maps are zoomable and kids can easily switch from one map to another. This is a nicely done beginning geography app for kids.
Recommended!
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