Current Site and App of the Week - eSchool News July 23, 2014

Current Site of the Week  

"Do your students need help learning key scientific concepts? This week's Site of the Week uses games and engaging methods to help students learn." writes Laura Devaney, Managing Editor.

The Possible Worlds digital games are designed to help improve student understanding of phenomena that are often the subject of scientific misconceptions. Developed by the Center for Children and Technology, the games are the centerpieces of modules that address four topics: photosynthesis, heredity, electricity, and heat transfer. Each module includes accompanying classroom activities that leverage students’ experiences within the games.
Games are designed to:

• Help students build novel conceptual models
• Complement teachers’ existing instructional practices
• Be familiar and fun to play

Why are certain scientific phenomena the subject of persistent misconceptions? Research suggests that we develop naïve theories because the accurate versions of these concepts are difficult to resolve with our common experience of the physical world. They are counterintuitive, and thus hard for us to imagine.

Games are designed to:

• Help students build novel conceptual models
• Complement teachers’ existing instructional practices
• Be familiar and fun to play

Why are certain scientific phenomena the subject of persistent misconceptions? Research suggests that we develop naïve theories because the accurate versions of these concepts are difficult to resolve with our common experience of the physical world. They are counterintuitive, and thus hard for us tn experience of the physical world. They are counterintuitive, and thus hard for us to imagine.
Read more...

App of the week

Name: EarthViewer

What is it? 

What did Earth’s continents and oceans look like 250 million years ago, or even 1 billion years ago? What do we know about the climate back when our planet formed?
EarthViewer is like a time machine for exploring Earth’s deep history. Based on the latest scientific research, it lets you scroll through the last 4.5 billion years with your fingertips. Follow a favorite landmark, be it Greenland or New York City, as its position shifts through time, or watch a famous fossil like Tiktaalik make an incredible journey from its origin to its current location. Layer your view of shifting continents with data on atmospheric composition, temperature, biodiversity, day length, and solar luminosity, to get a more complete view of our dynamic planet.

Best for: Students and teachers

Price: Free

Requirements: iPad and iOS 4 or later; Android 7″ and 10″ tablets
Features:
EarthViewer features include:
• Continental reconstructions and accompanying data dating back billions of years
• World temperature map for the last 100 years
• Ability to manipulate the globe and zoom to any location
• Locations of modern cities tracked back over 500 million years
• In-depth features on major geological and biological events in Earth history
• Clickable details on geologic eons, eras, and periods
• Automated play modes
• Extensive reference list
• Suggestions for classroom use
• Tutorial videos

Related link 
Visit iTunes to buy and download apps

Source: eSchool News