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American History Time Line

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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.

American History Time Line - McGraw-Hill School Education Group

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Grammaroplois

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Grammaropolis is billed as the place where grammar lives. It teaches 8 parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections) using animated characters based on the roles that they play in sentences. Every part of speech has its own neighborhood. Kids follow a map which takes them through a series of activities (songs, books, videos, and quizzes) to learn about the featured part of speech. If they complete everything on the map, they earn a badge. Cutely designed and simple to use, this app teaches parts of speech in a fun, “Schoolhouse Rock”  like way. The songs are catchy and upbeat so kids will love them 🙂

Nouns is a FREE download with the other parts of speech available as in-app purchases. I was impressed that this app covered so many kinds of nouns – common, proper, concrete, abstract, compound, and collective. This app would work well to introduce/teach nouns in a one iPad classroom.

Common Core Standards:

1.L.1  – b. Use common, proper, and possessive nouns.

2.L.1  – a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group). b. Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).

3.L.1  – b.Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns. c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

Grammaropolis - Grammaropolis LLC

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Plug & the Paddywhacks

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Plug & the Paddywhacks for the iPhone/iPad is an interactive storybook series. The app has some unique features such as word bubbles that trigger the narration for each page and scenes that scroll from side to side. The first issue is FREE. Additional issues are available as in-app purchases: $.99 each or $5.99 for the season of 10 issues. Plug (a lovable monster/creature) and the Padddywhacks (his friends) live inside the Plex because they cannot survive outside its walls – or so they have been taught. Issue 01 ends with a mysterious figure breaking Plug and his friends out of the Plex and the adventure begins…

Here is a link to the website that introduces the series: Plug & The Paddywhacks™. Each issue also has original music composed by Denison Witmer and friends. Download issue 01 to see if this series is something that your child might enjoy 🙂

Plug & The Paddywhacks - Scholar & Saint

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Elliot and Rocco

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FREE today – Elliot & Rocco for the iPhone/iPad. Elliot, a cute little dachshund, finds a bone but drops it when he is frightened by Rocco, a mean giant schnauzer. But the little dog triumphs after Rocco gets greedy and loses the bone. Cute story – the part of the story about Rocco losing the bone is similar to Aesop’s fable: Dog & the Bone. Teachers can use this book to compare and contrast this story with the fable. The story also has rich vocabulary – good for lessons on adjectives & adverbs, context clues, and synonyms 🙂 The story is available in four languages (German, English, Russian, Spanish). It is professionally narrated with hidden movements and sound effects on every page. Take advantage of this FREE offer!

Elliot and Rocco - Ridili GmbH

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The Artifacts

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FREE for a limited time – The Artifacts for iPhone/iPad is a fabulous story for older kids. Asaf is a boy who collects many things – antiques, treasures from other people’s trash, caterpillars, etc. When his family moves, his collections are left behind. He is not permitted to collect things in his new tidy bedroom. So instead, Asaf begins to collect thoughts – imagining all sort of wonderful things. Kids interact with the story in many fun ways: tap the screen to make Asaf’s collections appear, help find treasures on trash day, race with leaf-munching caterpillars, rub-to-reveal Asaf in a wizard’s basement, and more. I loved the variety of interactivity in this app!

Teachers can use this story in so many ways. It contains rich vocabulary – perfect for a lesson on context clues. It also provides great opportunities for creative & imaginative writing. But the best thing about this book is its message. It encourages kids to imagine, read, think, and learn 🙂

Highly recommended!

The Artifacts - Slap Happy Larry

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Flori’s Birthday

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FREE today a cute, interactive e-book for iPhone/iPad – Flori’s Birthday. Flori, the giraffe, is having a birthday and getting ready to celebrate with her friends. Kids 4+ can interact with this book in several ways: They can help to bake & decorate the birthday cake. They can set the table. They can take pictures of Flori & her friends. They can sing & record a birthday song for Flori. Pictures and songs created within the app can be emailed to family and/or friends. This colorfully illustrated story has a “read alone” or “read-to-me mode” narrated in English or German. I love how the interactivity in this book is an integral part of the story. Kids will enjoy being able to help Flori prepare for her special day 🙂

Flori's Birthday - Velago GmbH

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Wee Sing & Learn ABC

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FREE again today (November 9, 2012), this app for the iPhone/iPad normally sells for $2.99. Wee Sing has been around for over 30 years. When my children were small, we always had a Wee Sing tape in our car. This app teaches toddlers the alphabet in a musically fun way. Every letter has a page with its own song featuring an animal with an instrument (both beginning with that letter). There are also three additional words for each letter which are pronounced and spelled. The real sound of every animal and each instrument are also included in the app. This app is well done with great attention to detail – a must have for every toddler 🙂

Highly recommended!!

Wee Sing & Learn ABC - zuuka incorporated

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McGraw Hill books: Little Red Hen, Jack & the Beanstalk, Why the Sea is Salty, Country Mouse & City Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood

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FREE  for your iPad  – five interactive readers from McGraw Hill. All of these titles usually sell for $1.99. These classic children’s tales can be read in two ways: read aloud or read to myself. All five books are nicely illustrated and have animations/interactivity on each page. Sound effects and music are also included – which can be turned on or off. The stories are all great but I especially liked the Little Red Hen. Download them today  – there is no reason to pass these up 🙂


Little Red Hen - Interactive Reader - McGraw-Hill School Education Group  Little Red Hen      Jack and the Beanstalk from McGraw-Hill Education - McGraw-Hill School Education Group  Jack and the Beanstalk     Why the Sea Is Salty - McGraw-Hill School Education Group Why the Sea is Salty

Little Red Riding Hood from McGraw-Hill Education - McGraw-Hill School Education GroupLittle Red Riding Hood    Country Mouse and City Mouse - McGraw-Hill School Education Group Country Mouse/City Mouse

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SketchTime – Quick Sketching and Photo Tracing

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FREE today! SketchTime for the iPhone/iPad makes sketching and tracing simple – as they should be! Just open the sketch pad, pick your gel-like pen or marker, and go. This app is very simple to use with all the tools right at your fingertips. It’s also very quick to change from pen to marker and to change sizes & colors. Photos can be imported in color or black and white and the adjustable transparency makes them easy to trace. Finished sketches can be locked to prevent deleting/editing. There is also a playback option.

This app would be awesome to have in a classroom. Students could sketch out answers to math problems, sketch what they visualize as they read, illustrate the meanings of words, sketch to explain a concept in science, etc. The possibilities are endless. When a sketch is complete, it can easily be saved, emailed, tweeted, and/or duplicated. Kids would love having their sketches featured and as they explain their thinking to others. Great app that can be used across the curriculum with all ages – this one is a keeper!

Highly recommended!

SketchTime - Quick Sketching & Photo Tracing - Hansol Huh

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Stop Math

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Stop Math is an interactive e-book for the iPad for 8 – 12 year-old kids. It was FREE the day that I downloaded it is currently $3.99. Written and illustrated by Jeff Weigel, Stop Math is the story of a boy from the future who hates math and wants to stop it forever. He and his robotic dog travel back in time to find the “evil” genius who invented math to drive kids crazy. Along the way they meet Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and others and the boy ultimately realizes that math is key to understanding our world.

Here’s a quote from the author: “The iPad’s amazing capabilities are a perfect fit for this book,” says Weigel. “It gave me the opportunity to tell kids about the history of math, relativity and gravity in a way that’s entertaining—the animation and interactivity make it fun to read. Kids even enjoy the parts where they have to do some calculations to move the story forward.”

This e-book is fabulous! The story is funny and engaging – perfect for the third grade+. Kids will love the realistic artwork that is done in the comic-like style found in graphic novels. There are also interactive animations throughout the story. Stop Math connects math to history & science in a way that kids will enjoy. Important  mathematical & scientific concepts are introduced within the story. This book would be a perfect to use with an entire class to get them more excited about math, to help them understand the history of math, to emphasize how math is connected to science, and more! Teachers could also use this app as a springboard for creating a historical math timeline, doing research reports on mathematicians/scientists, brainstorming how people use math in their jobs, etc. Wow!!

Keep reading my blog to find out when great apps like this one are offered for FREE. However, if I was still teaching, I would pay $3.99 to have this app to use in my classroom!

Highly recommended!

Stop Math - Jeff Weigel