iPad Apps

Week 28- Triangles w/Technology & Mystery Powders

We started the week with a review of triangles. Each group started with a Mobi and listed everything they know about triangles. I found that most groups thought all triangles have acute angles. Then I gave every group a wanted poster with the name of a triangle at the top. They used the iPad to research their triangle and record the information. 

The posted had a place for them to list a description and place last seen. There was a $180 reward so they had to figure out why that was the reward amount. I forgot to take pictures of their posters when completed but they did a great job. They posted their research on LinoIt.

Find my triangle wanted posters in my TpT store by clicking here. 

I had each group share their poster and we used their information to create a flipbook about triangles. Then I called out a triangle and my students used Play-Doh to make them. 

Here is Avery telling you about her triangle. She created this using YAKiT Kids app on the iPad. 

Our focus this week in science was acids and bases. My students tested powers with BTB to find out if they were acidic or alkaline. 

They also tested the same powders with iodine to see if starch was present. Then each group mixed 2 powders to create a mystery powder. They used the data they had been collecting to figure out which two powders were mixed to create the mystery powder from another group.

I loved seeing all my students synergize!

In the end, all the groups guessed on of the powders right but only one group was able to determine both powders in the mystery powder mix.

STUDENTS: This week with Mrs. Smith you have been writing a persuasive essay. Do you think cell phones should be allowed in school? Why or why not?

Week 13- My Teacher is Missing & Math Apps

This week I went to a math workshop and got some great things to share. Our math coach shared some iPad task cards she made so I thought I'd feature them on my blog this week. You can purchase her task cards on teacherspayteachers.com. Click this link! iPad and Math by Haley James

I want to show you a screen shot of each app that goes along with the task cards.

Population Matters


MLB at Bat



National Geographic Park Guides



Measure Map



While I was learning today my kids wrote about me. I left a "My Teacher is Missing" writing assignment. I'm going to share a couple here.

Missing Teacher by Raina

When I came to school I noticed my teacher was missing. I looked everywhere for her. I went to the other classes and looked for her. Then the principal came and asked why I was out of class. And I told her that my teacher was missing. The principal said what! And so we looked outside. But there was something strange, we saw her car. So she had to be in the school somewhere inside the school. Then we called the police. They were coming over to the school. So they came and helped us look. We still couldn't find her. Then all of the sudden my friend said she found blood. But it was just cranberry juice. So we followed the tracks. It went into the teacher's work room. It was my teacher. She was getting all the Dr. Peppers.

Missing Teacher by Ryan L

It was just another typical day: getting ready for school, ride the bus there, and go to class. When I got there, though, we had a substitute. Most people thought she was sick so I did to. Then, a week passed and we realized she had to have been kidnapped. That afternoon I put up "MISSING" signs all over the city. Later, I put together a group of kids called the SSK, that stands for Secret School Kids. One of the kids found something that looked like an alien space ship. He called me and told me to come imidiatly. When I saw the ship I thought our teacher must be inside. Some kids didn't want to come in because they were scared but that was ok. When we got there we split up. The place was kind of high tec and greenish. Then I came to a door that said "teacher chamber." I thought that must be where she was. It was locked though. So I stole the key and unlocked the door. There was my teacher! She was tied up and so I untied her. I told the others and we all came out of the ship. We went to school and celebrated! Then everything was back to normal.

STUDENTS: We have been using the iPads in class every week. What is your favorite app to use at school? Why is it your favorite? Don't forget to use 7 up sentences to answer the questions!

More iPad Apps

I thought I'd share a few more apps that I've used with my students (or that I discovered this summer). The first one is Measure Map ($1.99). You can go anywhere in the world and measure anything. The first picture you can see the US Space & Rocket Center. I measured the space shuttle and the area and perimeter shows in the top left corner.



Then I found my school and measured an area of the playground. This would be great for kids to use to measure things they are familiar with.





Lobster Diver (free) is an app to review numbers, fractions, and decimals. The kids love it! You have to dive down at the given number without getting hit by the eel. There is also a section where you have to cut an eel into pieces using the fraction given.



Symmetry Shuffle is great to help students review translations, reflections, and rotations. As you can see, the app uses both terms (slide/translation) so it works with multiples grades. When you start all the cups are sepia and you have to move the boxed cup around and place it on top of the cup the correct way to make it change to a colored cup.



The last one is called Factor Samurai and it reminds me a lot of fruit ninja. Different numbers fly up and if they are prime you don't cut it. But if it is composite you slice it into factors.



I'm excited that I'm going to be able to get into my classroom to start working next week. So I'm sure I'll have some pictures to share next week.

Don't forget to check out my Teaching Resources page! I'm still working on it and if you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them. Thanks!

Virtual Manipulatives on the iPad

I decided I would share some of my favorite virtual manipulatives! I have these apps on my iPad and can't wait to try them out with my students next year.

Dice is the first (free) app I want to share. This app allows you to choose the color and number of dice. You can have from 1-20 dice and they can be red, white, black, blue, green, or yellow. I think this will be great because dice are forever rolling in the floor and kids are down on their hands and knees looking for them. This app will keep them from searching and actually stay focused on the math games.



Geoboard is up next and the best part? This one is free!! I love using geoboards but hate getting them out because it never fails, a rubber band breaks. Ever have a students you weren' sure could handle all those rubber bands (tempting right)? This allows you to use the geoboard without having to worry about rotting rubber bands or flying rubber bands.



Coin Toss is another free app. This one allows students to toss a coin to learn about probability without that problem of finding the coin when it falls or the sound of the coin over and over!



Do you know about Virtual Manipulatives? It is a free app that gives you fraction bars to manipulate. When you press and hold the fraction piece it also shows the equivalent percent and decimal!



GA-Spinner (free) is a spinner app that allows you to use a spinner with the touch of a finger. When the spinner stops it says the number and color of the space you land on.



Magnetic ABC ($1.99) is an app I found and couldn't pass up. The bottom scrolls between the alphabet, numbers, symbols, and some pictures. My plan for this app was to have students create incredible equations and then use Educreations to record an explanation.



So I spent some time with my niece, Kayla, this weekend. She just finished Kindergarten and I asked her if she would help me play with this program. We took a screen shot of the problem we created in Magnetic ABC.



Then we brought it into Educreations and she explained her thinking as she solved the problem. Yes, you can hear her sisters because they wanted to play with the iPad too. And yes, I know I am super country! I hate listening to myself on a recording but I still wanted to share.


Can you see the possibilities for using this in the classroom? I can't wait!