Instructional Software
Social Studies Content
Drill & Practice
Purpose – To provide students with continuous practice of skills so they improve over times.
Benefits – Students receive instant feedback so they can review necessary information. The teacher can receive information instantly via e-mail.
Is a free online software program that can be used for all content areas for drill & practice.
This software can be used for student comprehension of content. Students view a brief video then answer a ten question quiz. There are also activities that have worksheets connected to the video clip as well. This can be used for practice of content material or remediation of content for students that are more auditory learners.
Tutorial Examples
Purpose – For students to learn from their mistakes of learn when the teacher isn’t directly in front of them.
Benefits - Can provide individual practice for students in skill areas they are lacking. Students can improve test taking strategies or overall content knowledge anytime anywhere.
Is a free online software program that can be used for all content areas for drill & practice. Within this program you can set up question sets with hints to aid students in solving equations or locating answers within their content.
Social Studies Alive! Has several tutorial topics for drill & practice. When students select the incorrect answer the program corrects them and explains what the correct answer choice is and explains whys.
Best done with math content, however, there are videos on other topics as well.
Simulation
Purpose – To recreate a real life situation in a virtual experience.
Benefit – The benefit of these sort of games is that they engage students actively in the learning process.
Educational Games
Purpose – To enhance content knowledge in a fun manner.
Benefit – Student engagement in learning.
Problem-Solving
Purpose – For students to use higher order thinking skills
Benefit – Students analyze content and formulate new thoughts about the content information by solving a real word problem.
Drill & Practice
Purpose – To provide students with continuous practice of skills so they improve over times.
Benefits – Students receive instant feedback so they can review necessary information. The teacher can receive information instantly via e-mail.
Is a free online software program that can be used for all content areas for drill & practice.
This software can be used for student comprehension of content. Students view a brief video then answer a ten question quiz. There are also activities that have worksheets connected to the video clip as well. This can be used for practice of content material or remediation of content for students that are more auditory learners.
Tutorial Examples
Purpose – For students to learn from their mistakes of learn when the teacher isn’t directly in front of them.
Benefits - Can provide individual practice for students in skill areas they are lacking. Students can improve test taking strategies or overall content knowledge anytime anywhere.
Is a free online software program that can be used for all content areas for drill & practice. Within this program you can set up question sets with hints to aid students in solving equations or locating answers within their content.
Social Studies Alive! Has several tutorial topics for drill & practice. When students select the incorrect answer the program corrects them and explains what the correct answer choice is and explains whys.
Best done with math content, however, there are videos on other topics as well.
- www.3dgamelab.org – This is an open source platform than can be set up with tutorial videos by the classroom teacher. These can be assigned to specific students via a badge that unlocks that quest chain. In order to individualize the experience.
Simulation
Purpose – To recreate a real life situation in a virtual experience.
Benefit – The benefit of these sort of games is that they engage students actively in the learning process.
- Students can engage in simulation of pyramid building at http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/launch_gms_pyramid_builder.shtml. This game has students make choices over materials, location, and workers to construct a pyramid for a pharaoh.
- http://www.lavamind.com/gaz.html - It is like digital monopoly.
- http://www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade/ Students need to plan location, product, weather, and design in order to have the best lemonade stand. This simulation game incorporates math skills, geography skills, and economic skills.
Educational Games
Purpose – To enhance content knowledge in a fun manner.
Benefit – Student engagement in learning.
- http://www.brainpop.com/games/ has just come out with educational games for social studies on various aspects of government where students need to become part of the decision making process. These could also be considered simulation games as well or problem-solving software.
- minecraft = http://www.minecraft.net/ this game can be used in the classroom as a tool where students recreate historical structures such as pyramids, temples, or the Titanic. Students can make creations on the computer or using the app for a mobile device.
Problem-Solving
Purpose – For students to use higher order thinking skills
Benefit – Students analyze content and formulate new thoughts about the content information by solving a real word problem.
- http://www.classzone.com/books/north_carolina/page_build.cfm?content=net_sim&state=none## There are several problem based simulation games where students need to make decisions on the following topics: Boston Massacre, The impeachment of Andrew Johnson, & World War II and the atomic Bomb.
- http://www.brainpop.com/games/ has just come out with educational games for social studies on various aspects of government where students need to become part of the decision making process. These could also be considered simulation games as well or problem-solving software.