Maps

No matter what grade you are teaching, maps help students visualize places and their topographical features. The first grade social studies lessons focus on identifying the continents, whereas, second grade lessons introduce students to the different states. Putting the cart before the horse, this post will concentrate on general maps to use as reference. Several future posts will look at how to practice and reinforce the objectives of the lessons.

Software

Google Earth: This free download will let you explore the earth, its oceans, and its sky and easily find a location. If there are specific places that could be visited as a class, it is possible to create placemarks, which are essentially shortcuts to that location. These can be combined to create a “tour” to easily facilitate the process of moving from one location to another on the earth. Even though the application can be downloaded directly to your PC, Mac, or Linux computer, it still requires an internet connection.

Websites

Google Maps: This one website could be all you really need. Besides the basic map view, it can display satellite imagery, street views, current traffic conditions, the weather, live feeds from webcams, user uploaded pictures, and much more. If there are specific places to visit as a class, a custom map can be created that can be shared with other users or kept private. The custom maps can include place marks, descriptions, pictures, and videos.

Scribble Maps: Take Google Maps one step further with this website which allows users to “scribble” on traditional street or satellite maps by adding lines, shapes, text, and placemarkers. The most amazing part is that the additions to the map stay exactly where placed even when the map is moved or zoomed in or out.

Stratalogica: This is a subscription website that my district currently uses. It is similar in many respects to Google Earth, however, it makes sharing tours or specific trips easier. One teacher can create a tour and other teachers can access it just by logging into their accounts.

Outline Maps: These are basic maps that can be printed or annotated while using an interactive whiteboard. Maps are available with or without labels.

Mapping – National Geographic Education: 1-Page Maps start full of information and can be customized to remove features like labels, grid lines, and rivers.  Under MapMaker Kits, various maps have been formatted to allow them to be printed out over many pages making them bulletin board size.

iPad Apps

Maps: iPads come with this app preloaded. It is an app version of Google Maps, but it does not allow for the viewing or creation of custom maps.

Google Earth: This is very similar to the Maps app that comes preinstalled on the iPads. The app version does not provide access to street views or user uploaded pictures and videos.  However, this app provides a 3D experience and smoother scrolling. (Free)

Sphere - 360 Photography: Access a huge collection of user uploaded 3-D panoramic views of specific locations called tours. Each tour places you in a specific location. You literally move the iPad to look left and right as well as up and down. The database is searchable by categories such as “Points of Interest” or “Arts and Entertainment.” Also, tours can be found on the map by zooming and moving it around. Tours can also be created to fill in where they are lacking. (Free)

 

Stuck on Earth – Free World Travel Guide: Either search for a location or zoom in on the map to find high quality photographs from in and around that location. (Free)

Commander Compass Lite: Help students get their bearings by understanding a map’s compass rose. Through this active compass, students can figure out the direction they are facing. (Free)

Phases of the Moon

The phases of the moon are examined in second grade. Students keep moon journals to record their observations of the moon each night. Objectives include understanding that our view of the moon changes each day and what that change looks like. There are a variety of ways for the students to demonstrate and utilize their newfound knowledge. The majority of the time, this is done through projects.

Software

Pixie, PowerPoint, or Keynote: The students were given a file that had each phase of the moon on a different page. After opening it in Pixie, the students would click on Share or the button to see all the pages at once. The phases of the moon needed to be dragged into the correct order. Once the students thought it was correct, they would reduce the slide time as far as it would go and hit Show, thus, animating the sequence and allowing it to be checked for errors. Originally, we completed this project in Pixie. However, it could easily be done in any presentation software that has a slide sort view.

Frames: This software is for creating animations. Similar to the project above, the students are creating a movie of the moon phases but, in this case, are not given a template with which to start. Students need to add blank frames to the project and locate images by searching the built-in image library. Students can easily play back their progress as they work and at the end to check their sequencing. The final project is exported as a QuickTime movie.

General Paint Program: Students were given a template to draw their observations of the moon and to write a few sentences describing how the moon looked.

Concept Mapping: Before beginning this unit, students start a concept map to document what they currently know about the moon. The word “Moon” goes in the middle and individual bubbles are created for each fact they know or think they know about the moon. This diagram can be saved and revisited throughout the learning process to add new information or to correct misconceptions. Paid software options for this include Kidspiration and Inspiration. A possible web option is bubbl.us, however, in order to save your work you must have a login and password. Therefore, bubbl.us is a great website for one-time use projects and activities, not those that you want to revisit. A free downloadable web option is IHMC CMAP Tools.

Websites

Lunar Cycle Challenge: Practice filling in the lunar calendar by dragging the missing phases onto the calendar.

Phases of the Moon: Press the play button to watch an animation of the moon circling around the earth. As it circles, the appropriate phase of the moon is shown on the right along with its name.

Moon Phases: An interactive site that allows you to change the hemisphere, moon cycle, and time of day. As these are changed, a simulated image from space and a view from the ground also change.

Moon Flip Book: Print out this document in order to make a paper flipbook of the phases of the moon. Each phase is labeled with its name.

iPad Apps

Deluxe Moon Pro: This app is great for finding out the current moon phase. It can automatically adjust the view of the moon based on your location. ($2.99)

Moon Globe: Upon opening the app, a picture of the moon is shown. Zoom in on or rotate the moon to get a better idea of what its surface looks like. Students can tap on the labeled features for information on how they were named. (Free)

Complements of Ten

In first grade, the students are introduced to the complements or sums of 10. Learning about the different pairs of numbers that add up to ten is a great way to practice basic addition skills. These facts can easily be practiced using a variety of software, websites, and apps.

Software

Everyday Math Games: There are two particular games within this suite of games that apply: Penny Cup and Two-Fisted Penny Addition. Penny Cup starts with ten pennies and then some of the pennies get hidden under a cup. The students need to figure out how many pennies are hidden. The goal of Two-Fisted Penny Addition is to be able to visualize the part to whole relationship. 

Websites

Complements of 10: Click on the number to make the equation true. After are certain number of equations are solved, the game provides the player with their score and amount of time taken to solve the problems. The score information can be used to create a friendly competition among students.

Math Lines: Shoot the numbered ball at its complement before the line of complements snake all the way around.

Ten Frame: Include various activities such as counting a given number of chips, to put so many chips on the frame, counting the empty squares, and adding numbers using the provided frames. There is also an option to have questions from all of the activities randomized.

What Makes 10?: Type in the missing number to make the equation equal ten.

Dynamite Song for Teaching Complements of 10: A fun song to help students learn their facts.

iPad Apps

Find Sums: Students are given a board with the numbers 1-9 and need to tap on the pairs that add up to ten. The game’s settings might need to be changed since the app has the ability to quiz students on a variety of numbers, not just the number ten. (Free)

Add Bubbles: This app is similar to the one mentioned above except that it has an aquatic theme. ($.99)

10 Frame Fill: Using a ten frame, figure out the complement of ten to complete the problem. (Free)

circleTen HD: This can be another extension activity. It is similar to the game of pool in that a ball is flung at others to make sums of ten. There is an added element of strategy in regards to hot to hit the other balls and overcome obstacles. (Free)

Native American Research Projects

For many years, the study of Native Americans has been part of the second grade social studies curriculum. The unit includes researching Native American tribes and presenting the information that is learned. Numerous projects and variations thereof have been completed. Below are some examples of student projects. These can be easily adapted to the technology that is available in your school.

Projects

Comic Life: For this project, we used the application Comic Life. We started with a template that divided the page into four. In each section, the students wrote about the homes, clothing, transportation, and food available to a particular tribe. The students drew pictures in a paint program and exported them as .jpegs to insert them into Comic Life.

General Paint Program: Another way to complete the above mentioned project is to create five to six pages in a general paint program (Title, Home, Food, Clothing, Transportation, and Other). Students not only draw their pictures in this program, but also write about what they learned. Each page could be printed out separately or combined onto one page.

General Paint Program: As an addendum to the last project, I have had students add a recorded narration of each slide or image. This way, the students did not have to type as much (we still required a summative sentence on each page) but were still able to include much of the information that they had found. Our paint program, Pixie, allows the students to record the audio directly onto each page and for the entire project to be exported as a Flash or Quicktime movie file.

Native American Commemorative Stamps: Instead of spending time on drawing or making many pictures or slides, the students write up their research findings and then draw one picture representing the tribe and what it is known for. Design It! Student Stamps for America has a full curriculum built around stamp making. 

General Paint Program: As the students learn about Native American pottery, they are given the task of decorating their own pottery bowl. In the design phase, the students must incorporate only colors that would have been available at the time. Also, drawings depicting nature, birds, buffalos, and so forth are recommended. Then, each student is given a template in the paint program in order to create the final version. 

Create Your Own Native American Board Game: This links to a complete lesson plan that includes an introduction to the topic, research planning sheets, project directions, and a project evaluation sheet. The directions also recommend that the students work collaboratively in small groups.

Researching Websites

Native American Facts for Kids

Native American Legends (very noticeable ads)

Online Encyclopedia – ask a librarian if your school subscribes to one

iPad Apps

Any drawing or story-creating app on the iPad, such as Storykit (Free), can be used to complete the above-mentioned projects.

Below are a few fun apps to enhance learning:

Ho-Chunk (Hoocąk) Native American Language: This app provides the pronunciation for certain words in the Hoocąk language. Just pick a category and click on the desired word to hear it read aloud. (Free)

Navajo Toddler: Learn to speak the Navajo language through these free flashcards that provide pronunciations when tapped. Swipe your finger across the screen to get to the next card. This includes a comprehensive list of terms in each category. (Free)

uFlute Lite - Native American Flute Simulator: Play your device like you would play a flute. I am not sure you would want to use this if the devices are not 1:1 because you need to blow on the microphone to make the flute play. The app provides places to put your fingers to play the different notes. (Free with ads or $1.99 without)