The final game I played for this blog is called Paralaughs. It's on the ever-profilic Mr. Nussbaum site which is filled with games for all types of subjects and ages.
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/paralaughsindex.htm
Curriculum Connection: Students in 4th grade are expected to identify parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns.
Game Overview: Paralaughs is basically Mad Libs on line. Students choose a topic. I chose Mammals. Then, a list of parts of speech are given and the player gives a word for each part of speech. After the list is complete, the player hits Submit. The words the player gave are incorporated into a story or paragraph to varying degrees of humor depending on how silly/grotesque the words are. My students would enjoy this as a diversion in class, though there is no way to guarantee that they will actually supply words that are the correct parts of speech. Since the paragraph doesn't make sense anyway, I don't think they'd realize if they had made a mistake.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Multimeaning Words
Multimeaning Words
http://www.smarttutor.com/home/lessons/Vocabulary_MMWords_L1_V1_T4a.swf
Curriculum Connection: Students in 4th grade are expected to use context clues to show the difference between homonyms.
Game Overview: In this activity, students watch a tutorial with a cartoon pilot teaching 2 boys about multimeaning words. Then, the students read two sets of definitions and choose the multimeaning word that match the definitions. Each correct answer earns the player a "ticket." Once they've completed the activity, they play a game. The game I played involved using the mouse to make a cartoon girl run to catch water balloons. The more tickets you have, the longer the game goes. While the description sounds pretty fun, in actuality, it was a pretty weird experience. From the pilot tutorial to the primitive feeling balloon game, I don't think my students would be highly engaged and I don't feel like the educational content was strong enough to overcome these drawbacks.
http://www.smarttutor.com/home/lessons/Vocabulary_MMWords_L1_V1_T4a.swf
Curriculum Connection: Students in 4th grade are expected to use context clues to show the difference between homonyms.
Game Overview: In this activity, students watch a tutorial with a cartoon pilot teaching 2 boys about multimeaning words. Then, the students read two sets of definitions and choose the multimeaning word that match the definitions. Each correct answer earns the player a "ticket." Once they've completed the activity, they play a game. The game I played involved using the mouse to make a cartoon girl run to catch water balloons. The more tickets you have, the longer the game goes. While the description sounds pretty fun, in actuality, it was a pretty weird experience. From the pilot tutorial to the primitive feeling balloon game, I don't think my students would be highly engaged and I don't feel like the educational content was strong enough to overcome these drawbacks.
Construct a Word
I just played "Construct a Word."
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/construct/index.html
Curriculum Connection: Students are expected to know how to use consonant blends and word parts to encode words correctly.
Game Overview: In "Construct a Word," students choose a word ending and then click on word beginnings (both single consonants and digraphs) to put as many words as possible into a word bank. This game would be effective and engaging for my students who struggle with phonics, but in general, this game is probably too simplistic for most of my 4th graders. I imagine teachers in 1st or 2nd grade might find this game appropriate for their classes.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/construct/index.html
Curriculum Connection: Students are expected to know how to use consonant blends and word parts to encode words correctly.
Game Overview: In "Construct a Word," students choose a word ending and then click on word beginnings (both single consonants and digraphs) to put as many words as possible into a word bank. This game would be effective and engaging for my students who struggle with phonics, but in general, this game is probably too simplistic for most of my 4th graders. I imagine teachers in 1st or 2nd grade might find this game appropriate for their classes.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Look Out Below!
I just played Look Out Below!
http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/joseph/games/lookout.html
Curriculum Connection: Students are expected to recognize phonemes when decoding.
Game Overview: In Look Out Below, a large word is displayed. Three choices of small words are given and the player chooses the small word that contains all letters that can be found in the big word. It seemed like it would be simple, but it was surprisingly challenging. I think my 4th graders would enjoy it even though it doesn't have a lot of curricular connection. I think it will still get my students to think creatively and flexibly about word parts. Also, the game is bright and colorful and fun to listen to because a little marionette-like character hosts the game.
http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/joseph/games/lookout.html
Curriculum Connection: Students are expected to recognize phonemes when decoding.
Game Overview: In Look Out Below, a large word is displayed. Three choices of small words are given and the player chooses the small word that contains all letters that can be found in the big word. It seemed like it would be simple, but it was surprisingly challenging. I think my 4th graders would enjoy it even though it doesn't have a lot of curricular connection. I think it will still get my students to think creatively and flexibly about word parts. Also, the game is bright and colorful and fun to listen to because a little marionette-like character hosts the game.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Alien Hangman
I also played Alien Hangman tonight.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html#alienhangman
Curriculum Connection: Though there isn't a lot in the current state curriculum related to spelling, there certainly will be in the Common Core Writing Standards that will be in place within the next few years in Baltimore County.
Game Overview: This is basically just like hangman, except less graphically disturbing as nobody is hanged at the end of this game. Instead you choose from letters and if you choose incorrectly, the body part of an alien appears. Once the entire alien is corporeal, the game is over. Sounds simple, but this was actually the hardest game of hangman I've ever played. You only get 5 chances and no category is given to give you an idea of what type of word you're guessing. All three of the words I worked on had only one vowel in them, so by the time I got finished guessing all of the vowels in standard hangman strategy, my alien was almost fully formed! I was very engaged and kept playing until I finally won. I will probably start playing this in my spare time, and I'm excited to add it to my Favorites in my classroom. It's curricular connections are less obvious, but I believe that wordplay is an important way to excite students about language.
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html#alienhangman
Curriculum Connection: Though there isn't a lot in the current state curriculum related to spelling, there certainly will be in the Common Core Writing Standards that will be in place within the next few years in Baltimore County.
Game Overview: This is basically just like hangman, except less graphically disturbing as nobody is hanged at the end of this game. Instead you choose from letters and if you choose incorrectly, the body part of an alien appears. Once the entire alien is corporeal, the game is over. Sounds simple, but this was actually the hardest game of hangman I've ever played. You only get 5 chances and no category is given to give you an idea of what type of word you're guessing. All three of the words I worked on had only one vowel in them, so by the time I got finished guessing all of the vowels in standard hangman strategy, my alien was almost fully formed! I was very engaged and kept playing until I finally won. I will probably start playing this in my spare time, and I'm excited to add it to my Favorites in my classroom. It's curricular connections are less obvious, but I believe that wordplay is an important way to excite students about language.
Prefixes Say Plenty
The first game I played tonight was on prefixes.
http://www.tv411.org/lessons/cfm/vocabulary.cfm?str=vocabulary&num=1&act=1
Curriculum Connection: In 4th grade, students are expected to use knowledge of word parts, like prefixes, suffixes, base words, and root words to determine the meaning of unknown words.
Game Overview: This game was embedded within a lesson on prefixes. It was definitely a higher level of vocabulary than most of the websites that I've seen. There were 3 activities to the lesson. In the first activity, players type in the meaning of a prefix by using the context of a sentence to determine the definition. A word bank is offered. In the second activity, players drag prefixes from a central bank into blanks embedded in sentences. In the final activity, players choose between 2 possible meanings of a prefix. Though this isn't the most attractive or engaging game, the content is excellent. I will definitely use this website as a station in my classroom. In fact, I'm considering using at as a whole group lesson with the laptop cart.
http://www.tv411.org/lessons/cfm/vocabulary.cfm?str=vocabulary&num=1&act=1
Curriculum Connection: In 4th grade, students are expected to use knowledge of word parts, like prefixes, suffixes, base words, and root words to determine the meaning of unknown words.
Game Overview: This game was embedded within a lesson on prefixes. It was definitely a higher level of vocabulary than most of the websites that I've seen. There were 3 activities to the lesson. In the first activity, players type in the meaning of a prefix by using the context of a sentence to determine the definition. A word bank is offered. In the second activity, players drag prefixes from a central bank into blanks embedded in sentences. In the final activity, players choose between 2 possible meanings of a prefix. Though this isn't the most attractive or engaging game, the content is excellent. I will definitely use this website as a station in my classroom. In fact, I'm considering using at as a whole group lesson with the laptop cart.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Whack-a-Mole
I just played a version of Whack-a-Mole at http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/wam/wam.htm
Curriculum Connection: This game connects to younger curricula (Kindergarten and 1st grade). It reinforces learning the alphabet and letter recognition.
Game Overview: Basically, moles pop out of holes in the ground holding a sign with a letter on it. Players must whack moles with their mallets in alphabetical order, waiting for the next letter to pop up amid incorrect popping letters. While this game doesn't require any higher level thinking and I don't think is particularly academically appropriate for my 4th grade classroom, it was pretty fun to whack moles over the head with a mallet.
Curriculum Connection: This game connects to younger curricula (Kindergarten and 1st grade). It reinforces learning the alphabet and letter recognition.
Game Overview: Basically, moles pop out of holes in the ground holding a sign with a letter on it. Players must whack moles with their mallets in alphabetical order, waiting for the next letter to pop up amid incorrect popping letters. While this game doesn't require any higher level thinking and I don't think is particularly academically appropriate for my 4th grade classroom, it was pretty fun to whack moles over the head with a mallet.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Spin Off!
Today I found a game for students who speak English as a second language.
http://www.eslgamesworld.com/Revision/Level1/play.html
Curriculum Connection:
This game connects to the English curriculum and focuses on vocabulary development as well as ideas of possessives and pronouns.
Game Analysis and Overview:
There are several levels of play. I chose the most basic level and found that the content would certainly be appropriate even for a 4th grader who is learning English. In the game, students click to spin a wheel of 9 categories, ranging from "Colors" to "How Many?" to "This/that." The questions are multiple choice and you earn points as you play. The site only allows you to play up to 20 questions before you are prompted to pay to use the sit for longer but I think that the 20 questions would suffice as an independent station or in a small group setting, not only for students in an ESL program, but also for students who are struggling with basic ideas of grammar. There are also some whimsical touches to the game. In particular, the player gets to choose from 35 avatars including Dr. King, Marilyn Monroe, and Abraham Lincoln.
http://www.eslgamesworld.com/Revision/Level1/play.html
Curriculum Connection:
This game connects to the English curriculum and focuses on vocabulary development as well as ideas of possessives and pronouns.
Game Analysis and Overview:
There are several levels of play. I chose the most basic level and found that the content would certainly be appropriate even for a 4th grader who is learning English. In the game, students click to spin a wheel of 9 categories, ranging from "Colors" to "How Many?" to "This/that." The questions are multiple choice and you earn points as you play. The site only allows you to play up to 20 questions before you are prompted to pay to use the sit for longer but I think that the 20 questions would suffice as an independent station or in a small group setting, not only for students in an ESL program, but also for students who are struggling with basic ideas of grammar. There are also some whimsical touches to the game. In particular, the player gets to choose from 35 avatars including Dr. King, Marilyn Monroe, and Abraham Lincoln.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Sporcle
So, while I was supposed to be looking for digital games for the classroom, I kept getting distracted by how many countries I could name that end with -ia on my very favorite website Sporcle.com. And then it hit me, there is no reason why Sporcle.com couldn't be used for educational purposes. Sporcle is a website filled with trivia-based quizzes on every conceivable topic. Though there are several games that have no curricular connection (Name the Breakfast Cereal by Picture), there are tons of geography, science, literature, and vocabulary based games on Sporcle. One of my favorite series of quizzes are the "Countries of____" quizzes. In these quizzes, a blank map of a continent is displayed. Then you have 10 minutes to name all of the countries of that continent. I play these games relatively obsessively and by now I can name all of the countries of Africa and most of the countries in Asia. Students could certainly benefit from these repeated practices and would definitely expand their knowledge.
Another great thing about Sporcle is that the games aren't all recall based. There are many games that center around word play and critical thinking. Students in middle school and high school would find those challenges exciting and would be motivated to learn because the quizzes are designed with flow in mind.
www.sporcle.com
Another great thing about Sporcle is that the games aren't all recall based. There are many games that center around word play and critical thinking. Students in middle school and high school would find those challenges exciting and would be motivated to learn because the quizzes are designed with flow in mind.
www.sporcle.com
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
It's Greek to Me
The first game I tried is called "It's Greek to Me." This is on the scholastic.com website and can be found at http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/athens_games/gameGreekToMe.htm.
Curriculum connections: We do a lot of word work in 4th grade to analyze word definitions by noticing their word parts. Certain root words are studied so that students can learn to decipher words that may be unknown to them.
Game analysis and reflection: In "It's Greek to Me," the player chooses either to participate in archery (easy level) or discus (hard level.) A root word is displayed along with a word that uses that Greek root. The player's job is to choose the definition that best describes the word. If the player is correct, the arrow hits the bullseye or the discus travels far. If the player is incorrect, the arrow or the discus falls close to the avatar. Players can play several rounds and can print out their medals when they're finished.
This type of game is an educational trivia game. It is not a true shooter game because the player does not have any control over the aim. The player controls the shooting only by answering the question correctly or incorrectly.
I earned several gold medals in the archery level of this game. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. My first round of the discus level yielded only a silver medal, as I found the definition choices for "android" difficult to distinguish. However, I did not let that defeat hold me back. I went on to earn several gold medals in the discus level.
I think this game could be one that some of my fourth graders would enjoy. I can see some of my students deciding to just guess answers to see the arrows or discuses fly. But I do think that many of them would be engaged, particularly in the archery level. Since we don't have a lot of class time to devote to word work, using the laptops to practice this game for about 10 minutes a few times a week would be an effective and engaging method. This is also allows the students to be quite independent, and so after initial instruction, I could also use this as a station on the classroom computers.
Curriculum connections: We do a lot of word work in 4th grade to analyze word definitions by noticing their word parts. Certain root words are studied so that students can learn to decipher words that may be unknown to them.
Game analysis and reflection: In "It's Greek to Me," the player chooses either to participate in archery (easy level) or discus (hard level.) A root word is displayed along with a word that uses that Greek root. The player's job is to choose the definition that best describes the word. If the player is correct, the arrow hits the bullseye or the discus travels far. If the player is incorrect, the arrow or the discus falls close to the avatar. Players can play several rounds and can print out their medals when they're finished.
This type of game is an educational trivia game. It is not a true shooter game because the player does not have any control over the aim. The player controls the shooting only by answering the question correctly or incorrectly.
I earned several gold medals in the archery level of this game. Not too shabby, if I say so myself. My first round of the discus level yielded only a silver medal, as I found the definition choices for "android" difficult to distinguish. However, I did not let that defeat hold me back. I went on to earn several gold medals in the discus level.
I think this game could be one that some of my fourth graders would enjoy. I can see some of my students deciding to just guess answers to see the arrows or discuses fly. But I do think that many of them would be engaged, particularly in the archery level. Since we don't have a lot of class time to devote to word work, using the laptops to practice this game for about 10 minutes a few times a week would be an effective and engaging method. This is also allows the students to be quite independent, and so after initial instruction, I could also use this as a station on the classroom computers.
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