Elementary Computer Lab Links

Introduction

Welcome to the computer lab! The following is a list of web sites for students and teachers to use as a class or to browse individually for fun. These are my favorite sites for children related to math, science, social studies, language arts, and kid safe search engines. Each entry includes a description of the web site as well as a link to the site. Although I have looked at these sites, parents and teachers should always double-check them.

Math

Kidquiz Math – This site has games on three different levels so that students at various levels can use it. I would use this site with students in kindergarten through third grade. There are math practice games related to counting, comparing numbers, adding, and subtracting. I thought the vegetable count was a good game to try with kindergarteners. It is very basic and does not limit how much time the player has to answer. For older students, I like the Numero Fun game that gives students practice with fact families. Date visited – 2/13/2006. http://www.gokidding.com/math.htm

Cool Math 4 Kids – This site has great games involving fractions, geometry and money. I wouldn’t recommend playing the lemonade stand game unless you have some time on your hands. It takes a long time to play and is wonderfully addictive. I thought the games on this site were more fun and covered a wider range of topics than many other sites I visited. However, these games are a little harder and are aimed at students third grade and up. Date visited – 2/13/2006. http://www.coolmath4kids.com/

Visual Fractions – This site is great for students who learn best visually. Students can practice many skills with fractions such as identifying, adding, subtracting, and comparing. You can also choose from several different ways for the site to show the fractions. This site could be used with grades three through five. I have used it with fifth graders who loved it. Date visited – 2/13/2006. http://www.visualfractions.com/

AAA Math – This site is very basic, but quite comprehensive. You can find activities on almost any math topic from counting to place value to roman numerals. It includes activities for kindergarten through eighth grade. You can choose whether to browse the activities by age level or by topic. Each activity also includes explanations to help students. Date visited – 2/13/2006. http://www.aaamath.com/

What’s My Angle? – This site is great for teaching older elementary students about angles. The site provides practice measuring, estimating, and constructing angles. The site even provides a virtual protractor for students to use. Although this site does not provide a lot of explanation, it does provide students with easy online practice with fractions. Date visited – 2/13/2006. http://www.madras.fife.sch.uk/maths/homelearning/Ambleside%20Flash/protractor.swf

Science

Wonderville – This site is awesome! Students will love the amazing animation and graphics. This site does a great job of grabbing students’ attention and giving them great scientific knowledge. I especially like this site because it does not just give facts; it provides fun interactive games that require students to use what they learn in creative ways. This site addresses a wide range of science topics including energy, fossils, sound waves, space exploration, and forensics. This site is great for students third grade and higher. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.wonderville.ca/

KS2 Revisewise – This site includes information and activities related to life science, materials, and physical processes. There are many topics to choose from with in each of the three major headings. Each topic includes a short tutorial and an interactive activity to quiz students on what they learned. There is also a game zone where students answer science questions to help them win. Students first grade and up would enjoy this site. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/science/

Kinetic City – Students will enjoy this very attractive site with excellent graphics and animation. This site provides science activities that students can enjoy. Some activities are interactive online games while others are experiments that can be printed out to do offline. Many topics are covered on this site including the human body, adaptation, and planetary science. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.kineticcity.com/

EcoKids – This site is very entertaining and teaches students about some very important ecological topics. There is a large selection of games to choose from. I particularly liked the yard sale game that taught kids about cutting down on waste. Students can play games related to the environment, nature, energy, and wildlife. I would recommend this site for third grade and up. Date visited – 2/15-2006. http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/

KidsHealth – This site is a great resource for students to find information on almost any health related topic. There are also games, of course, but students can also look up words in the health glossary and read about a wide variety of health problems. There are articles about topics such as the human body, emotional health, nutrition, and growing up. Many of the articles are appropriate for fourth grade and up, but there are some activities that could be used with younger students. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/

Social Studies

America’s Story – This site from the Library of Congress provides a wealth of American history information for students. Users can search for biographies of famous Americans, study individual states, or learn about a particular time period in United States history. There is even a section called “See, Hear and Sing” where students can see historical photographs, hear sounds from the past, and create their own cartoons! Due to the amount of reading on this site, I would recommend it for students in third grade and up. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.americasstory.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi

Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government – Ben Franklin teaches students all about our country. There are very good explanations about government, our country’s symbols, and their own neighborhoods. There are also links to United States government web sites for kids. This site is good for students of all ages and is divided into different areas by grade level. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://bensguide.gpo.gov/

The Constitution for Kids – Although this site is not as flashy and attractive as some of the others, the information it provides makes it a must see. It presents the constitution to children in terms they can understand. This site is also available in different versions for different age groups, kindergarten through third grade or fourth grade through seventh grade. You can also view many pictures of the constitution. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.usconstitution.net/constkids.html

Global Gang – This site provides a great, easily navigable place where students can learn about cultures from all over the world. Students can learn about current international events, daily life in other countries, and read journal entries by students around the world. There are also games and a homework help section. This site is great for students second grade and up. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://www.globalgang.org.uk/

Pathways to Freedom – This is a great interactive site that really puts the students in the shoes of Maryland slaves. Students can read articles about the Underground Railroad and read biographies of those who lived during that time. One activity allows the user to pretend to be a slave who must make the right choices to avoid capture in the escape to freedom. You can also create a quilt block that sends a secret message. This site is great for students third grade and up. Date visited – 2/15/2006. http://pathways.thinkport.org/flash_home.cfm

Language Arts

Kate DiCamillo – Students in grades three and up will enjoy this site about author Kate DiCamillo. Users can learn all about her books, read her biography, and read her monthly journal. This site also includes a frequently asked questions page and a section about writing tips from Ms. DiCamillo. This site gave a lot of great information about books to read and writing, but it also did a good job of allowing students to get to know the author. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://www.katedicamillo.com/books.html

Eric Carle – This site is great for younger students, kindergarten through second grade. Students can get to know author and illustrator Eric Carle and his many picture books. There is a wonderful photo and video gallery where students can see some of Carle’s personal photos and view videos in which Carle demonstrates how he creates his art. There is also a link to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://www.eric-carle.com/

Poetry Writing with Jack Prelutsky – Popular children’s poet Jack Prelutsky invites students to explore poetry with him on this site. He provides step-by-step instructions and tips to help students write a poem. There are also many “warm up” writing activities that get students’ creative juices flowing. Users can also listen to Prelustky read some of his poems. When students are finished writing, they can publish their work on the site. Due to the reading, I would recommend this site to students second grade an up, but younger students would also enjoy listening to the poems. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/poetry/jack_home.htm

Tedd Arnold – Students of all ages will enjoy this site from Tedd Arnold, author of the Parts and Huggly books. Arnold answers questions from students and provides a step-by-step look at how he creates an illustration. Students can of course learn all about Arnold’s many books and read his biography. Users can also view Arnold’s works in progress and read about his cat that loves to read! Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://www.geocities.com/~teddarnold/

Between the Lions – This site based on the PBS kids show is great for students in kindergarten through third grade. There are tons of great stories to read, educational games to play and songs to listen to. There is also a recommended books section where students can learn about great new books they might want to try. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://pbskids.org/lions/

Search Engines for Kids

Yahooligans! – This site is a great place for kids to conduct safe searches on almost any topic whether they are looking for sources for a school project or searching for their favorite TV show. They can also browse sites by topic if they choose. There are many fun sections such as games, cool sites, and jokes that children can browse. Yahooligans is both fun and safe for children of all ages. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/

KidsClick – Librarians created this site to help children find safe, reliable web sources. KidsClick refers sites that have gone through a selection process. This site allows students to input a search term or browse by topic. There are a wide variety of topics available including educational topics, entertainment, sports and religion. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://www.kidsclick.org/

Ask Jeeves Kids – This site uses a combination of human selection and filtering programs to conduct child safe searches. Users can input regular questions and find answers they need on a most topics. In addition to regular searches, Ask Jeeves Kids also provides links to news sources, games, references, and homework help by subject. Date visited – 2/16/2006. http://www.ajkids.com/