EE+webtool+reviews

Websites for Elementary Students:

[|www.iknowthat.com]I know that: The site has activities for students in grades pre-k through 6. Though a subscription is available for purchase, much of the website is available for free. The site is easy to use. Activities can be selected based upon topic and grade and objectives are very clear for each activity.

[]Making sentences: The information on this website is very stream-lined and the subject matter is very specific: writing simple sentences. There is a fact sheet and games, quizzes, and worksheets to practice writing sentences. Links are presented to the next writing skills, writing compound sentences and using commas.

[]Fractions! This interactive site is meant to be used by students. It starts out with basic fractions and moves very quickly to more advanced math skills, such as improper and mixed numbers and improper and mixed numbers. I don't know that I would use it in my classroom, but I might use it as a quick review for a few students or refer parents to the website.

[] The Cafeteria Caper: This is one in a series of Math Maven's Mysteries, which are the ultimate in word problems for elementary students. This mystery is a logic problem that requires very young elementary students to organize information.

[]Color in Motion: This is available in Spanish and English and is described as "an animated and interactive experience of color communication and color symbolism." Each color is the "star" of their own movie and the attributes of each color are displayed in animation. This site would be good for an art class in upper elementary or middle school. Students really need to have an understanding of symbolism and abstract concepts.

[]Animal Riddles: There is a game for children who can't yet read, thus the recommendation for ESL, and for children who can read. Students have to guess what animal is being described by a riddle. These activities are for very young elementary students, and a teacher could quickly read one or more of these during circle time, and brain-teasers.

[] Character Trading Cards: Students are prompted to create either fictional characters or outline the character of a historical or current figure. Students answer such questions as "who does this character remind you of and why?" and "what is the character's problem at the beginning of the story?" Questions like this really force a student to think through the morals, motivations, and personality of their character. The website is easy and quick to use.

[] Math Games: This website is actually for pre-school through high school. There are likely hundreds of games. The website is easy to use but there may actually be too many links to math games. Most are interactive games beginning with basic addition and going through much more complex skills like data interpretation.

[] Shedd Aquarium Build-a-Fish: Students create a fish by choosing a mix of adaptations and then try to help it survive by finding food and avoiding predators. A related lesson plan is for grades 3-6. The game is meant to be a lesson in evolution, adaptation, and habitats.

[]NIEHS Kids' Pages: This is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' website for kids. The website gives some attention to addressing current issues in a kid's vocabulary and includes larger sections such as games and activities, story time, environmental health science education, sing-along-tunes, and brain-teasers. Within each section are a myriad of activities and the education section includes complete lesson plans on topics. The website is very easy to use.