1. Games in Education Judy Donovan Judy.donovan@mnsu.edu MEMO October, 2009

2. Why Use Games?

3. What is a Game? There are a number of different terms and definitions used to describe 'games' -- such as experiential learning instructional simulations, and group learning. a game is a "structured activity with learning at the end” An activity characterized by competition, rules and winning and losing games are simply "fun with a purpose"

4. Games can enhance the following functions Motor development. Games often involve movement; they stimulate precision, coordination of movements, and speed. Intellectual development. As well as movement, games may also involve understanding how things work, resolving problems, devising strategies, etc. Affective development. The fictional nature of games, the opportunity to act out a role means that they have a key function in the affective development of the individual. Games stimulate students to understand their life experiences and help them to mature. Social development. Games are also ways of relating to others. In addition to their socializing dimension, their capacity to symbolically generate roles makes them effective transmitters of society’s predominant values and attitudes.

5. Areas of learning in which games can contribute Personal and social development Provide interest and motivation to learn Maintain attention and concentration Creative development Respond in a variety of ways Students use their imagination in art and design, music, and stories Increase students Knowledge and understanding of the world

6. Areas of learning in which games can contribute Physical development Fine motor control can be developed with the increased refinement in using a mouse for navigation and selecting objects Language and literacy Encourage children to explain what is happening Use talk to organize, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events Mathematical development Use everyday words to describe position, direction, etc.

7. More benefits In addition to helping students learn, games reinforce and review course information by allowing learners to apply what they have learned conceptualizing education as a game restores enjoyment, healthy competition, and discipline to teaching and learning Depending on their design, games can also improve teamwork

8. course design standpoint one of the greatest strengths of using games for learning is that they are excellent tools for connecting learners to knowledge, key concepts, facts, and processes in a way that is fun and purposeful. games also help learners construct meaning and to discover things about a subject area in a more personal way and in a safe environment.

9. practical standpoint Today's children: spend over 10,000 hours playing video games. 70% of college students have played computer, video or online games (Pew report) "learning via digital games is one good way to reach Digital Natives in their 'native language'" (Prensky, 2001, p.1).

10. technology standpoint there is a proliferation of new and emerging computer capabilities that enable greater collaboration and interactivity across time zones and geography The ability to engage with learners through the use of computers is increasingly attractive, based on learner profiles, and possible, based on current technology capabilities.

11. learner-centered standpoint games can be intrinsically motivating and can adapt to different styles of learners, as well as different learning styles. learners like to be in charge of their own learning and they like to experience it. Experience-based learning can foster greater diversity in approaches to learning, opportunities for interactivity, collaboration and peer-to-peer learning Games can be constructed to bridge to real-world relevance.

12. different learning styles games can often accelerate the learning process. because games involve 'doing,' they provide the kinesthetic learner with opportunities to engage in his or her own learning in a physically interactive way. Berson, a social studies teacher, used interactive games with technology as the enabling tool in his class. He found that more visual learners were not only able to enhance their critical thinking skills, but they also increased their ability to interpret visual cues such as maps and graphs.

13. feedback Games can also provide useful tools for generating feedback for the learner as to how well he or she has internalized the learning (Sugar, 2002). This feedback loop extends to the instructor, as well.

14. Computer Games are Engaging Characteristics of GamesHow contribute to engagement FunEnjoyment, pleasure PlayIntense and passionate involvement RulesStructure GoalsMotivation InteractionDoing (i.e. the activity) Outcomes and feedbacklearning AdaptiveFlow WinningEgo gratification Conflict/challenge/competitionExcitement Problem solvingSparks creativity InteractionSocial groups Representation/storyemotion

15. New ways of learning The computer environment not only influences the people who use it, but also has a bearing on the whole of the social context. we need to take its effects into consideration in the design of teaching-learning situations. Hard to predict exact cognitive modifications based on the change from a culture based on writing to one based on multimedia

16. Speed The digital generation has far more experience in processing information rapidly than its predecessors. The amount of information received and the number of channels available for exchanging information are greater today than they have ever been. Information is processed at high speed

17. Parallel processing versus linear processing The digital generation has an ever increasing capacity for parallel processing which involves a more diversified form of concentration — probably less intense, and less centered on a single aspect. This is the result of a process of adaptation to an environment in which we are likely to be carrying out several tasks at once — driving and talking on a cell phone, writing a letter, speaking on the phone and checking our e-mail messages.

18. The text illustrates the image For many years, images and graphics were used to accompany and illustrate text. Today, in technological media it is often the text that is complementary: It is used to expand on something that has already been presented in image form. Greenfield (1996) speaks of the importance of "visual intelligence" and its intense development since the advent of television, cinema and, of course, multimedia. The challenge for educators is to design ways to use this shift to enhance comprehension, while still maintaining the same richness of information in the new visual context.

19. Connectivity The digital generation is growing in a world connected synchronously and asynchronously. Both types of connection offer access to information and to social relations in highly varied ways. the new generation tends to approach problems from a different angle; their searches for information and communication are carried out via computers.

20. Active versus passive There is a big different between reading and interacting with computers. Reading needs concentration, silence, working alone. The use of computers introduce more active experiences such as chat, posting, surfing for information. C hildren and adolescents expect immediate results and become more active. we now see much less tolerance among the games generations for passive situations such as lectures

21. Orientation towards problem solving The digital generation has an approach to things that is similar in many ways to a computer game: performance and constant revision of the action, without any planning of the processes. "Trial and error" is used a great deal, and possibly the task of the educator is to counterbalance this type of action in order to encourage thinking, and strategies for planning and problem-solving.

22. Immediate reward It is often said that pupils ask about the utility of what they are learning. Adults assume that they are asking about its utility in the long term. But what the student wants to know is its immediate applicability — not necessarily in a utilitarian sense, but because she needs an immediate contextualization of what has been learnt. They need to work with "authentic" tasks.

23. The importance of fantasy a review of many of the most successful computer games and of the films and novels read by adolescents today, shows that fantasy is a key element for today’s adolescents. This phenomenon has been encouraged by technology not clear if this affects both genders the same way.

24. A positive view of technology The new generations grow up using computers and are highly familiar with them. The differences among between children and adolescents can be seen in the types of technology they use. In this regard, studies of gender are particularly relevant. In the domain of video games, there is a greater preference for adventures and simulation among girls and little interest in action and sports games, which are the ones that most motivate the boys.

25. The Value of Play in the Context of Games "The commonsense tendency is for people to define play as the opposite of work" (Rieber, 1996, p. 2).

26. Play Play is a human characteristic the existence of games appears in the most wide-ranging of cultures. Games were originally introduced in the school as something more than just entertainment. (Dewey, 1944)

27. Roles of play Play as progress -- engaging in play leads to other outcomes, such as learning. Play as fantasy -- where play is intended to unleash creativity Play itself is to be valued without regard to secondary outcomes -- i.e., play for its own sake, to enhance ones' quality of life. Play as power involves our traditional competitive view of play where there are winners and losers. In the context of play for learning, however, some believe that games used to foster learning work best when competitive elements are minimized and emphasis is placed on the value of the experience and learning itself.

28. Elements of Games that Teach According to Thiagi (1998), well-constructed games share the following characteristics: Conflict: Players must have a goal to achieve, as well as various obstacles that must be overcome to achieve the goal. Control: The game must have a clear set of rules that indicate how to play the game (making moves, taking turns, etc.). Closure: It must be clear how and under what conditions the game ends (e.g., when a certain point total is achieved, after a specific time limit, when players are eliminated, etc.) Contrivance: Those things that allow learners to say, "After all, it's only a game!“ Competency: Refers to the specific skill or knowledge areas that the game is designed to improve.

29. Effective games The following questions are vital to the classroom use of games: Is the product fun enough that someone who is not in its target audience would want to use it? Do people using it think of themselves as "players" rather than "students"? Is the experience addictive? Do users want to play again and again? Are the users’ skills in the subject matter and learning content of the game — be it knowledge, process, procedure, ability, etc. — significantly improving at a rapid rate and getting better the longer he or she plays? Does the game encourage reflection about what has been learned?

30. Games and Learning Strategies There are several important factors to consider in the instructional design phase of course development -- where and when to incorporate a game into your lesson. Questions to ask yourself may include: Is it important to reinforce specific learning points immediately after a single lesson or should a learning game be incorporated at the end of a unit as a summative evaluation tool? Can the game be placed in the beginning of the lesson as a way to create the context for learning about a specific topic? Is the subject matter highly sensitive (sexual harassment, e.g.) and, therefore, requires selecting a game that engages the learner but in no way trivializes the subject matter? Where can I incorporate my game where it is the most seamless to the learner (doesn't disrupt the flow or instruction or seems as if it was just dumped into the lesson)? Are there any logistical considerations that would limit the type of games that are feasible (do I have support for any technology-delivered games or must I rely more on a less-sophisticated approach when devising and/or selecting a learning game)?

31. Other useful questions to consider: What should the game communicate to the group ? How large is the group ? What is the audience profile (demographics, culture, and previous knowledge of the subject matter) ? Is the game most appropriate for introducing, reinforcing, or demonstrating learning points? Is the game "playable ?" Is a game the best method for achieving my learning objectives ?

32. References Gros, B. The impact of digital games in education. First Monday, volume 8, number 7 (July 2003), URL: http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_7/gros/index.html http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_7/gros/index.html Shareski, Dean http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=332 Miller, C. (2008). Games Purpose and Potential in Education. Springer. Mungai, D. and Jones, D. Games to Teach By. Published in the Proceedings of the 18 th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning. Madison. WI. August 14-16, 2002

33. The Games

34. Language Arts Grades K-2 http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/language_ arts.htm http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/language_ arts.htm THE ROAD TO READING HTTP://WWW.LITERACTIVE.COM/HOME/ROADTORE ADING.ASP HTTP://WWW.LITERACTIVE.COM/HOME/ROADTORE ADING.ASP THE ROAD TO READING IS A BLENDING OF EAROBICS AND STARFALL, DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS PRE-K THROUGH FIRST GRADE OR AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER.

35. Literacy - Audio Picture books KIZCLUB provides educational activities in language arts for preschool and elementary age children. In English and Korean. A total of 32 stories are arranged in three reading levels: http://www.kizclub.com/Sbody.html The word being spoken is highlighted in red. A fun and familiar one is: 10 in the Bed http://www.kizclub.com/storytime/ten-in-the-bed/ten-bed3.html. http://www.kizclub.com/Sbody.html http://www.kizclub.com/storytime/ten-in-the-bed/ten-bed3.html Story Place http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/other.asp 15 stories with activities and more to accompany each. Fun ones are I Will not Take a Bath and Morris’s Special Day which teaches a few Spanish words within the story. Audio accompanies words. English and Spanish. The preschool level is all audio, but the elementary requires some reading and writing. A wonderful site created by a library. The site says; “StoryPlace, an interactive web site, came about to provide children with the virtual experience of going to the library and participating in the same types of activities the library offers”.http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/other.asp

36. Literacy – Audio Books Mighty Book http://www.mightybook.com/MightyBook_free/f ree_index.html Describes itself as Entertainment that helps kids read. Many activities and stories are available with a subscription, but quite a few freebies are available including books and stories, games and more. Audio stories – the word is highlighted in red as it is said aloud. Good one is The Muffin Man (under Free Stories and Songs ages 2-4) Note – need to Click Stop twice. http://www.mightybook.com/MightyBook_free/f ree_index.html

37. Emerging Literacy Game Goo http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooey.htmlhttp://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooey.html Includes lots of activities with audio instructions so students can work independently. Site offers several levels including beginning reading and also teaches skills such as alphabetic order, letter recognition, letter-sound correspondence, and spelling. Two of the best are Tina’s World and Real or Make- believe. Clifford the Big Red Dog http://www.scholastic.com/clifford/read/index.htmhttp://www.scholastic.com/clifford/read/index.htm This area of Scholastic’s site includes several audio books, audio phonetics games and more to teach literacy. Games include matching and putting things in order. Lots to do. Students should be able to explore independently after they find a few favorites and learn where things are on the site. Get Ready to Read http://www.getreadytoread.org/content/view/101/317/http://www.getreadytoread.org/content/view/101/317/ really good video/audio stories with interactivity built in. The site includes: Chapter 1: Gus and Inky's Underwater Adventure - a great story with activities that explore rhyming words, word recognition, letter names and letter sounds. In Chapter 2: Rhyme Time “Gus tries out hip-hop beats as Inky helps him learn about rhyming. Children participate in the story by finding words that rhyme to help Gus write his first hip-hop song”. In Chapter 3: Wild World Round Up Students work on listening for the beginning and ending sounds in works, and blended sounds.Gus and Inky's Underwater AdventureRhyme TimeWild World Round Up

38. Computer Skills Jigzone http://www.jigzone.com/g.php?AD20D4A.92B825&z=6&v=164438 wonderful site with dozens of puzzles – builds mouse skills as students drag each puzzle piece to the proper location. Students learn they have to be precise or the puzzle will not come together. Start with the 6 piece classic and let students increase the difficulty (up to 247 pieces!) as they improve. http://www.jigzone.com/g.php?AD20D4A.92B825&z=6&v=164438 Magickeys Another puzzle site (also includes stories (no audio) and other games) http://www.magickeys.com/books/jigsaws/ You can choose difficulty level of the jigsaw puzzles- start with 6 pieces. Many of the puzzles allow rotation of the pieces, which helps students learn spatial skills in addition to problem solving and mouse skills.http://www.magickeys.com/books/jigsaws/

39. Computer (and other) Skills BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/funandgames/makemunch movemachine/index.shtml The Make Munch and Move Machine is fun! Try the Munch button. This recipe game teaches the shapes of foods and where they are found (the audio explains that the sheaf of wheat is turned into bread) and is great for learning how to use the mouse as you must drag the recipe ingredients to the mixing bowl. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/funandgames/makemunch movemachine/index.shtml Mostly Mommies: http://www.mostlymommies.com/games/infant_games.ht ml This activity is really good for beginners. You move the mouse and a ball follows your actions. Teaches how to move and control the mouse and how to click the mouse. http://www.mostlymommies.com/games/infant_games.ht ml

40. Computer Skills Fisher-price.com http://www.fisher- price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=gamesLanding&mcat=game_infant,game_toddler,gam e_preschool&site=us The ABC’s Zoo Learning Game under the Toddler category teaches keyboarding as well as the alphabet, with great animal sound effects. When you press a letter on the keyboard an animal starting with that letter pops up. In all there are 27 Toddler games, 8 Infant games and 37 Preschool games. This game teaches (through video and audio) colors and shapes, and requires use of the keyboard: http://www.fisher-price.com/us/fun/games/colorshapes/http://www.fisher- price.com/fp.aspx?st=10&e=gamesLanding&mcat=game_infant,game_toddler,gam e_preschool&site=usThe ABC’s Zoo Learning Gamehttp://www.fisher-price.com/us/fun/games/colorshapes/ Kids Com JR. Kidscomjr.com Several activities under Games at this site and the activities under Art help teach mouse skills. Paintpad at http://www.kidscomjr.com/art/paintpad/paintpad.html has students use the mouse to color within the lines using a paintbrush. This is best for advanced users as it is hard to stay within the lines. There are three paintbrush thicknesses to choose from; no eraser, but students can use white to “touch-up” errors. An Internet Safety Game under Games on the site is worthwhile, though students may need help taking the quiz; there is audio but unless you remember the order of the choices you have to be able to read to choose the correct response.Kidscomjr.com http://www.kidscomjr.com/art/paintpad/paintpad.html

41. General Games K-2 Nick Jr. http://www.nickjr.com/kids/flash_site/index.jhtml Problem solving role playing games, stories, lots here. Dora the Explorer, Dora’s fairy Tale – takes awhile to load - click twice - http://www.nickjr.com/playtime/cats/stories/all_stories/dora_fairytale.jhtml interactive with audio instructions and little games to play.http://www.nickjr.com/kids/flash_site/index.jhtml http://www.nickjr.com/playtime/cats/stories/all_stories/dora_fairytale.jhtml CBC Kids Literacy skills– http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc/ At Princess Patty’s Post Office students can write a letter. Audio instructions so no reading needed. Coloring (Art machine), Sticker Park Explorer, explore a pond, woods, and other environments.http://www.cbc.ca/kidscbc/ Fun with Spot http://www.funwithspot.com/house.asp?locale=US On site are two animated Eric Hill books. Matching farm animal game, send a postcard (with help) from the beach – lots to do! Spot Digs a Hole is fun: http://www.funwithspot.com/bsPages.asp?menuCode=BS&subMenuCode=BKhttp://www.funwithspot.com/house.asp?locale=US http://www.funwithspot.com/bsPages.asp?menuCode=BS&subMenuCode=BK Kids Psych http://www.kidspsych.org/index2.html Matching, shapes and more. Click on each link twice to open. Two levels; ages 1-5 and 6-9. Very short little games; some kids might like the repetitive nature and replay some over and over. Instructions not audio and not intuitive as the site was designed for parents to work through it with their children. Music a little annoying. Good rewards for correct answers.http://www.kidspsych.org/index2.html Little G http://little-g.com/shockwave/loading.html 20+ games for preschoolers teach math, counting, money, sorting, matching, creating a story, learning about tolerance, and more. Some students will need help at first. All short and simple one concept games.http://little-g.com/shockwave/loading.html

42. Noggin http://www.noggin.com/games/index.php fun site for preschoolers. Some things to try are Pinky’s word game, creating a story with 64 Zoo Street, making a video, playing an ABC game, getting ingredients for a salad, counting, the who has more game - great site.http://www.noggin.com/games/index.php Play Kid’s Games http://www.playkidsgames.com/ Math, alphabet, vocabulary, memory, geography and puzzle games. Whack the mole alphabet game is fun; you have to whack the letters held by moles in order to win. http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/wam/default.htmhttp://www.playkidsgames.com/ http://www.playkidsgames.com/games/wam/default.htm Thomas and Friends http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/thomas_the_tank_official_us_website_in tro.htm Thomas and friends website. Building games, puzzles, memory games. Games - Build an engine is fun as is the Legos Building game: http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/building.html Some games have written instructions so students may need help at first and it takes time to figure out how to get around and back. http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/thomas_the_tank_official_us_website_in tro.htm http://www.thomasandfriends.com/usa/building.html Up to Ten - Boowa and Kwala http://www.boowakwala.com/ Overwhelming in its riches. This is fun: Can You Walk Like a Duck Song http://www.uptoten.com/kids/boowakwala-adventures-ducks-ducksong.html 400+ games and new ones each day. Choose from 11 Sorting games from the easy Shells to the harder Birds on a Wire. http://www.uptoten.com/kids/boowakwala- navigation-gamesindex.html Turkey Tic Tac Toe has great sound effects!;-)http://www.boowakwala.com/ http://www.uptoten.com/kids/boowakwala-adventures-ducks-ducksong.htmlhttp://www.uptoten.com/kids/boowakwala- navigation-gamesindex.html

43. Math Grades 3-5 http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/m ath.htm http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/m ath.htm Count us In http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games.htm http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/games.htm Math Playground http://www.mathplayground.com/games.html http://www.mathplayground.com/games.html Academic Skills Builder http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/game s.htm http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/game s.htm

44. Language Arts Grades 3-5 http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/la nguage_arts.htm http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/la nguage_arts.htm Academic Skills Builder http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/game s.htm http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/game s.htm Wordmaster Vocabulary game – have to identify the word missing from the sentence. http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/vocabul ary-games.html http://www.onlinemathlearning.com/vocabul ary-games.html

45. Science Grades 3-5 http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/sc ience.htm http://www.primarygames.com/curriculum/sc ience.htm Science Museum Launchball http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/launchpa d/launchball/ http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/launchpa d/launchball/ The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis http://www.childrensmuseum.org/games/gra des_3-5.htm http://www.childrensmuseum.org/games/gra des_3-5.htm

46. Math Grades 6-8 Chaos game (hard!) http://math.bu.edu/DYSYS/applets/chaos-game.html http://math.bu.edu/DYSYS/applets/chaos-game.html Education 4 Kids http://edu4kids.com/index.php?TB=1&page=12 http://edu4kids.com/index.php?TB=1&page=12 Fido http://www.digicc.com/fido/http://www.digicc.com/fido/ Lego Box Game http://www.lego.com/build/junkbot/junkbot.asp?x=x& login=0 http://www.lego.com/build/junkbot/junkbot.asp?x=x& login=0 Pig http://cs.gettysburg.edu/projects/pig/index.htmlhttp://cs.gettysburg.edu/projects/pig/index.html Timez Attack http://www.bigbrainz.com/http://www.bigbrainz.com/

47. Science Grades 6-8 BBC Science Games and Activities http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/index.sht ml?nervous http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/index.sht ml?nervous Jefferson Labs http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/elementgames.php http://education.jlab.org/indexpages/elementgames.php Line Rider Game http://linerider.com/play-line-rider-online Line Rider Gamehttp://linerider.com/play-line-rider-online Line Rider 2 http://www.linerider.eu/game36.phphttp://www.linerider.eu/game36.php Science News for Kids http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/pages/gamezone/ http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/pages/gamezone/ The River City Science Inquiry Project http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html

48. Language Arts Grades 6-8 Free Rice Site http://www.freerice.com/index.php http://www.freerice.com/index.php 20 Questions http://www.20q.net/http://www.20q.net/ BBC Numeracy and Literacy games at all levels Lots of audio. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/nu meracy/sequences/index.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/nu meracy/sequences/index.shtml

49. Game Classroom - K-6 Math and Language Arts Games Game Classroom is an educational games website catering to the K- 6 market. Game Classroom offers mathematics games and language arts games. Games can be found by selecting a grade level and then a subject area. Both the mathematics and language arts categories are subdivided into specific focus areas. Some of the games are unique to Game Classroom and some are games that are used on other sites. In addition to the games, Game Classroom offers a "homework help" section for each grade level and content area. In the homework help sections are sample problems and questions, how- to guides, links to other help websites, and links to games related to the help topic. Game Classroom

50. More Games

51. Build Your Own Educational Games ClassTools.net is a free service teachers can use to create their own educational games. Games made on ClassTools.net can be shared via email or embedded into a blog or website. (Yet another reason for having a class website or blog). ClassTools.net provides fifteen easy to use templates with which teachers can make educational games for their students. There are also pre-made games on ClassTools.net which teachers will find useful. Applications for Educators Games and puzzles are good review tools for students. The templates on ClassTools.net are flexible enough to be used with students of most grade levels and content areas. Rather than relying on pre-made games from expensive textbook publishers take advantage of the flexibility of the ClassTools.net templates to create games specific to your curriculum and your students. ClassTools.net

52. Misc. Technology for Teachers. Ghost Blasters, Math Blasters - A Fun Math Game Find Country Play the Cash Cab Quizzes Grammar Ninja Get the Glass Promotes Healthy Choices Games for the Brain What's In That Wagon? - An Oregon Trail Activity Math Moves U Pest World for Kids Five Fun Spelling Games Technology for Teachers Ghost Blasters, Math Blasters - A Fun Math Game Find Country Play the Cash Cab Quizzes Grammar Ninja Get the Glass Promotes Healthy Choices Games for the Brain What's In That Wagon? - An Oregon Trail Activity Math Moves U Pest World for Kids Five Fun Spelling Games

53. UMAPPER UMAPPER IS A GEOGRAPHY GAME THAT HARNESSES THE MAPPING FEATURES OF MICROSOFT'S VIRTUAL EARTH TO MAKE LEARNING GEOGRAPHY FUN. THERE ARE 2 VERSIONS: STATES AND COUNTRIES AND CAPITALS. THESE ARE FREE, EASY TO USE, AND A LOT OF FUN. THE ABILITY TO SCORE POINTS IS A FEATURE THAT WILL KEEP KIDS COMING BACK AGAIN AND AGAIN. THIS IS A GAME BEST SUITED FOR AGES 8 AND UPSTATESCOUNTRIES AND CAPITALS

54. Owl & Mouse Owl & Mouse provides good, free educational software and web activities for students. Owl & Mouse offers sixteen online map puzzles. Owl & Mousemap puzzles The map puzzles present students with outlined pieces to drag and drop into position on a blank map. See the screen capture below.map puzzles

55. Law Focused Education Law Focused Education, has developed some good games about US Government. Law Focused Education has thirteen games that could be used in Civics and Social Studies classrooms across the United States. There are three additional games that are specific to Texas. The games offered by Law Focused Education cover topics like the Bill of Rights, the US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Branches of Government. One topic addressed by Law Focused Education that you don't often see turned into a game is Federalists v. Anti-Federalists. Law Focused Education Law Focused Education

56. Crickweb - Games for Young Learners Crickweb is a UK-based website offering a good collection of simple games for young learners. On Crickweb you can find games for students to practice and learn the basics of numeracy, literacy, geography, history, and science. There is also a collection of games for used on Promethean whiteboards. Applications for Education Educational games can be useful for students to practice their skills individually. You may want to link Crickweb to your classroom website for parents to access at home with their children. Crickweb

57. e-Learning for Kids - Dozens of Activities e-Learning for Kids offers dozens of courses for students ages five through twelve. e-Learning for Kids uses the term "courses" to describe what they offer, but "game" or "interactive lesson" would be a more appropriate description. e-Learning for Kids offers activities in math, language arts, science, computer skills, health and life skills, and ESL/EFL. Courses are listed with a brief description and a recommended age group. e-Learning for Kids is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Applications for Education e-Learning for Kids has something to offer just about every elementary school aged student. Most of the activities are designed for individual or paired use, but there are some that could adapted for use as a classroom activity on an interactive whiteboard. e-Learning for Kids

58. XP Math - Math Games, Videos, and More XP Math is a good place to find math games, math videos, math worksheets, and math e-books. The games section of XP Math offers games for basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and probability. Create an account on XP Math and you can keep track of your scores. In the teacher resources section of XP Math you can find eleven e-books about teaching mathematics. The highlight of the XP Math worksheets is 1001 Math Problems. XP Math's video section offers three videos, two of which are divided into six to ten segments a piece. These videos are geared toward an elementary and middle school audience. Applications for Education XP Math is a good resource for locating mathematics activities that students can use on their own. The games section allows students to record their scores to measure their progress. The teacher resource and worksheet sections provide mathematics teachers with activities they can use when they can't get their students online. XP Mathgames sectionXP Mathteacher resourcesXP Math worksheets1001 Math Problemsvideo section XP Math

59. World Food Programme - Lesson Plans and Games The United Nations' World Food Programme's website has excellent resources for learning about world hunger and fighting world hunger.United Nations' World Food Programme's World Food Programme's website offers students a large selection of educational online games and activities. The games are categorized by age group. Some of the games, like Food Force, are about world hunger while other games are more general in nature. World Food Programme'sFood Force

60. Expedition Africa - New TV Show and Online Game Expedition Africa is a new television show starting this weekend on the History Channel. The basic premise of the show is four adventurers traveling across 970 miles of African bush in Tanzania. According to the trailers, the show is not a contest as the four adventurers are working together without any sort of prize at the end. The four adventurers include a wildlife expert, a navigator, a survivalist, and a journalist. The Expedition Africa website has a game in which players try to travel 970 miles of African bush. Throughout the game players encounter natural obstacles and have to make decisions regarding course of travel and use of resources. In general the game could be described as Oregon Trail meets African bush. Applications for Education The Expedition Africa game could be a fun way for students to learn about the natural dangers of backcountry travel in Africa. Here is a related resource that may be of interest to you: Wild Earth TV - Live from the African Bush Expedition Africa Wild Earth TV - Live from the African Bush

61. Flags of the World from Taking it Global Taking it Global, an organization for youth interested in global issues, has a small games section that includes a game based on the flags of the world. Flags of the World asks students to match flags to their respective countries. After matching each flag to its country students can click the "learn more" link to find more information about that country. Taking it Global is also the producer of Ayiti: The Cost of Life game Taking it GlobalFlags of the WorldAyiti: The Cost of Life

62. Stop Disasters - Disaster Simulation Game http://www.stopdisastersgame.org/en/playgame.html Shape It Up - An Earth Changing Erosion Activity Shape It Up is one of many good educational games and activities on Kinetic City. Shape It Up is an activity that would be good for use in an elementary school Earth Science lesson. The activity presents students with "before" and "after" images of a piece of Earth. Students then have to select the force nature and the span of time it took to create the "after" picture. If students choose incorrectly, Shape It Up will tell the student and they can choose again. Shape It UpKinetic CityShape It Up

63. Playing History - History Games Playing History is a collection of 128 games related to topics in US and World History as well as civics and geography. The games come from a variety of sources across the web. Feedback on every game and suggestions for future additions are welcomed by the hosts of the site. Visitors to Playing History can search for games by using the tag cloud, by using the search box, or just browse through the entire list. I clicked on the tag "Supreme Court" and found nine games that I could use next fall in my US Civics course. Applications for Education Playing History offers a wide array of educational games for use in elementary, middle, and high school social studies course. Find a game that matches your curriculum and add it to your classroom website or blog to provide your students with fun review activity that they can use at home or at school. Playing History

64. Smarty Games - Free Educational Games Smarty Games is a new website designed for pre-K and elementary school students. Smarty Games features games for developing basic mathematics and reading skills. There are six mathematics games covering basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The reading section has two alphabet games and nine animated stories. In addition to the mathematics and reading activities, Smarty Games offers activities for learning to read a clock, puzzles, mazes, coloring activities. The site could be navigated by elementary school students while pre-K students would need some help getting started before using the activities on their own. Applications for Education Smarty Games could be a good site on which students can practice and develop mathematics and reading skills. Smarty Games

65. Planet in Action - Games Using Google Earth Planet In Action is a fun website that features three games based on Google Earth. All three games utilize Google Earth imagery and navigation. The three games are Ships, Places, and Moon Lander. In "Places" you navigate, from a helicopter view, five popular places including the Grand Canyon. In "Ships" you become the captain of a fleet of ships to navigate famous ports of call. And in "Moon Lander" you take control of the Apollo 11 moon lander and guide the "Eagle" to touch-down. Applications for Education The Planet in Action games could be a fun way to introduce students to Google Earth. The games could also be used by students to view places dynamically rather than statically. Planet In ActionPlanet in Action

66. Ghost Blasters, Math Blasters - A Fun Math Game Ghost Blasters is a fun mathematics game that I learned about last week through Anne Marie's Talking Smartboards blog. Ghost Blasters is designed to help students learn to multiply and divide quickly in their heads. To play Ghost Blasters select a multiple of which each "bad" ghost will have a value that is a multiple of that which you chose. Students then use their mouse to blast every "bad" ghost. For example, if I select "5" at the beginning then all bad ghosts will display a multiple of 5. I then have to blast all of the bad ghosts to gain points, but if I blast a "good" ghost (a ghost that does not have a multiple of 5) I lose points. Applications for Education I played Ghost Blasters for a few minutes this afternoon and I think that elementary and middle school students would really enjoy it. Ghost Blasters is a great way for students to practice and develop multiplication and division skills. Ghost BlastersTalking SmartboardsGhost BlastersGhost Blasters

67. Crickweb Crickweb is a UK-based website offering a good collection of simple games for young learners. On Crickweb you can find games for students to practice and learn the basics of numeracy, literacy, geography, history, and science. There is also a collection of games for used on Promethean whiteboards. Applications for Education Educational games can be useful for students to practice their skills individually. You may want to link Crickweb to your classroom website for parents to access at home with their children. Crickweb

68. Planet in Action Planet In Action is a fun website that features three games based on Google Earth. All three games utilize Google Earth imagery and navigation. The three games are Ships, Places, and Moon Lander. In "Places" you navigate, from a helicopter view, five popular places including the Grand Canyon. In "Ships" you become the captain of a fleet of ships to navigate famous ports of call. And in "Moon Lander" you take control of the Apollo 11 moon lander and guide the "Eagle" to touch-down. Applications for Education The Planet in Action games could be a fun way to introduce students to Google Earth. The games could also be used by students to view places dynamically rather than statically. Planet In ActionPlanet in Action

69. Playing History Playing History is a collection of 128 games related to topics in US and World History as well as civics and geography. The games come from a variety of sources across the web. Feedback on every game and suggestions for future additions are welcomed by the hosts of the site. Visitors to Playing History can search for games by using the tag cloud, by using the search box, or just browse through the entire list. I clicked on the tag "Supreme Court" and found nine games that I could use next fall in my US Civics course. Applications for Education Playing History offers a wide array of educational games for use in elementary, middle, and high school social studies course. Find a game that matches your curriculum and add it to your classroom website or blog to provide your students with fun review activity that they can use at home or at school. Playing History

70. Ten Grammar Games and Lesson Resources 1. Grammar Ninja is a fun game for students to play as they develop a working knowledge of the parts of speech. Grammar Ninja has three levels for students to work through. As long as you answer questions correctly, they continue through the game, but answer incorrectly and the words explode. 2. Mad Libs offers a widget that you can install on your blog to allow visitors to play Mad Libs. I've always thought that having a "fun element" on your classroom blog is a good way to keep students actively visiting the blog without prompting from you. If you're an English teacher, the Mad Libs widget might be something to consider adding to your blog. 3. Great Source iWrite from the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt company features an awesome animated and narrated glossary of grammar terms. In this glossary you will find animated, narrated videos explaining the use of punctuation. You can also find the same type of video explaining the parts of speech and mechanics of writing. 4. Grammar Bytes is a great website for Language Arts teachers. Grammar Bytes offers teachers and students a glossary of terms, handouts, interactive exercises, and slide show presentations. There are eighteen slide show presentations available for free download from Grammar Bytes. Each slide show is accompanied by a handout for students to complete as they view each presentation.Grammar NinjaMad Libs widgetGreat Source iWrite animated and narrated glossary of grammar termsGrammar Bytes

71. 5. Daily Writing Tips is a blog that I've mentioned in the past as a good source of content about writing in English. Recently, they announced the release of an ebook about English grammar. The ebook is 34 pages long and is free to anyone that subscribes to their email newsletter. Visit Daily Writing Tips for all of the details about the ebook. 6. The Houghton Mifflin Company produces Grammar Blast. Grammar Blast offers 35 interactive grammar activities for students in grades two through five. 7. The Grammar Practice Park produced by Harcourt School Publishers provides 12 games for students in grades three, four, and five. 8. The British Council's Learn English website offers 69 interactive activities for learning the rules of grammar. The activities are not listed by grade level so you will have to preview them to determine which activities are best suited for your students. 9. Scholastic Inc. has a page for elementary age students called Maggie's Learning Adventures. On Maggie's Learning Adventures visitors will find five grammar activities as well as activities for learning Spanish, Math, and Science. 10. The BBC's Skillswise website is a great resource for a wide variety of content areas. On the grammar and spelling page there are 21 activities suitable for students of middle school and high school age.Daily Writing TipsmentionedDaily Writing TipsGrammar Blast Grammar Practice ParkLearn English69 interactive activitiesMaggie's Learning Adventures BBC's Skillswise grammar and spelling page

72. e-Learning for Kids e-Learning for Kids offers dozens of courses for students ages five through twelve. e-Learning for Kids uses the term "courses" to describe what they offer, but "game" or "interactive lesson" would be a more appropriate description. e-Learning for Kids offers activities in math, language arts, science, computer skills, health and life skills, and ESL/EFL. Courses are listed with a brief description and a recommended age group. e-Learning for Kids is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Applications for Education e-Learning for Kids has something to offer just about every elementary school aged student. Most of the activities are designed for individual or paired use, but there are some that could adapted for use as a classroom activity on an interactive whiteboard. e-Learning for Kids

73. Shape It Up Shape It Up is one of many good educational games and activities on Kinetic City. Shape It Up is an activity that would be good for use in an elementary school Earth Science lesson. The activity presents students with "before" and "after" images of a piece of Earth. Students then have to select the force nature and the span of time it took to create the "after" picture. If students choose incorrectly, Shape It Up will tell the student and they can choose again. Shape It UpKinetic CityShape It Up

74. XP Math XP Math is a good place to find math games, math videos, math worksheets, and math e-books. The games section of XP Math offers games for basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and probability. Create an account on XP Math and you can keep track of your scores. In the teacher resources section of XP Math you can find eleven e-books about teaching mathematics. The highlight of the XP Math worksheets is 1001 Math Problems. XP Math's video section offers three videos, two of which are divided into six to ten segments a piece. These videos are geared toward an elementary and middle school audience. Applications for Education XP Math is a good resource for locating mathematics activities that students can use on their own. The games section allows students to record their scores to measure their progress. The teacher resource and worksheet sections provide mathematics teachers with activities they can use when they can't get their students online. XP Mathgames sectionXP Mathteacher resourcesXP Math worksheets1001 Math Problemsvideo section XP Math

75. Word Girl Games Word Girl Games offers four vocabulary activities for students. Of the four activities one is a game called Synonym Toast. In Synonym Toast students have to place as many pieces of synonym toast as they can in three minutes. The "toaster" displays a word and students have to place the piece of toast displaying the matching synonym in the toaster. Word Girl GamesSynonym Toast

76. Expedition Africa Expedition Africa is a new television show starting this weekend on the History Channel. The basic premise of the show is four adventurers traveling across 970 miles of African bush in Tanzania. According to the trailers, the show is not a contest as the four adventurers are working together without any sort of prize at the end. The four adventurers include a wildlife expert, a navigator, a survivalist, and a journalist. The Expedition Africa website has a game in which players try to travel 970 miles of African bush. Throughout the game players encounter natural obstacles and have to make decisions regarding course of travel and use of resources. In general the game could be described as Oregon Trail meets African bush. Applications for Education The Expedition Africa game could be a fun way for students to learn about the natural dangers of backcountry travel in Africa. Expedition Africa

77. heyZap heyZap is a newer website hosting games of all types submitted by game developers. TechCrunch describes heyZap as "YouTube for flash games." heyZap provides customizable widgets for embedding any of the games on the site into your blog or website. Applications for Education heyZap doesn't have an category dedicated to educational games, but it does have categories for strategy games and puzzle games. The puzzle games category is where I found games about the US states and capitals. The strategy game category is where you can find games like Chess. The customizable game widget allows you to select specific games to add to your class website or blog heyZapdescribes heyZap

78. http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/about/my- best-of-series / GAMES The Best online Learning Games– 2007 The Best Online Video Games For Learning Language & Content Knowledge The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too The Best Websites For Creating Online Learning Games The Best Online Learning Games — 2008 The Best Sites For Making Crossword Puzzles & Hangman Games The Best Fun Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2008 The Best Online Games Students Can Play In Private Virtual “Rooms” The Best “Cause-Related” Online Learning Games The Best “I Spy” (Hidden Object) Games For Vocabulary Development The Best Collections Of Online Educational Games The Best Places To Read & Write “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories The Best Places To Find Online Video Games For Language-Learning The Best Online Learning Games — 2009 The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2009 The Best online Learning Games– 2007 The Best Online Video Games For Learning Language & Content Knowledge The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too The Best Websites For Creating Online Learning Games The Best Online Learning Games — 2008 The Best Sites For Making Crossword Puzzles & Hangman Games The Best Fun Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2008 The Best Online Games Students Can Play In Private Virtual “Rooms” The Best “Cause-Related” Online Learning Games The Best “I Spy” (Hidden Object) Games For Vocabulary Development The Best Collections Of Online Educational Games The Best Places To Read & Write “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories The Best Places To Find Online Video Games For Language-Learning The Best Online Learning Games — 2009 The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2009

79. U.S. ConstitutionU.S. Constitution. Here is another very nice interactive game that will challenge your student’s knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. You are given 30 questions to answer. Click on the “Draw a Card” option to the right bottom of the screen, a question will appear and then type in your answer (correct spelling counts!!). When finished click on the “Answer” option and you will be told if you are correct or incorrect. Click on “Buy the Answer” option if you get stumped! The instructions for the game can be found by clicking on that option at the top right of the page. This activity presents well on the SMART Board. Of course you would need to either use the SMART Board onscreen keyboard or the computer keyboard to type answers. The teacher I collaborated with had created an answer template, divided her class into groups and used it as a class review. ENJOY!U.S. Constitution

80. Bill of Rights Match Game The Bill of Rights Match Game is a great activity/game to help students understand and review the Bill of Rights. There are are two levels- elementary and high school. The object is to read each statement and decide if the answer is yes or no based on the information they have learned about the Bill of Rights. It then asks you to identify the specific Amendment you based your answer on. This game would present well on the SMARTBoard. ENJOY Bill of Rights Match Game

81. American Symbols You simply answer the 30 questions that appear on the screen by clicking and dragging the answer to the answer box. The incorrect answer is not “accepted” into the box and the correct answer allows you to proceed to the next question. ENJOY!

82. Get Your Web License A PBS site to teach, reinforce and review Internet safety for elementary students called Get Your Web License. Students take a “driving test” by answering specific questions regarding Internet safety and earn their “license” when they have correctly answered all of the questions and completed the “driving test”. If you are reviewing skills with students as a class this activity presents very well on the SMARTBoard. This activity would also be a great activity for parents to do with their children at home. ENJOY!Get Your Web License

83. Save The Words Save The Words. The premise is that you chose a word to “adopt” and ultimately “save”. You click on one of the words that appears on the screen and anther text box will appear with it’s definition, a sentence using the word and the option for you to adopt the word. Very clever!!! I know a Middle School ELA teacher who visits this site once a week with her classes to help increase their vocabulary awareness. She assigns extra credit if students actually adopt words and incorporate these words into their writing assignments– how cooool!!! ENJOY! Save The Words

84. Curriculum Bits Curriculumbits.com is a wonderful resource offering free online access to interactive multimedia elearning resources. The online resource library contains games, quizzes, animations and videos in a variety of subjects for students aged 11 to 16. The resources are available to access online, completely free of charge in the library (they no longer offer the option to download resources). Simply click the PLAY button. You do not need to register to access the resources. After previewing resources I would suggest you bookmark the resource you want to use in your classroom. Many of these resources will work well on the SMART Board. ENJOY! Curriculumbits.comonline resource library library

85. arcytech.com I came across a nice game/activity to review money skills from arcytech.com that I wanted to share. This game works very well on the SMART Board since all students need to do is drag and drop the amount into the blue box. Here is a link to the specific directions.arcytech.comlink to the specific directions. I also wanted to mention a money game I found on tvokids.com that reminds me of the Connect Four game I used to play with my brothers when I was young. A money amount will appear in the green box in the upper left corner of the screen and players must click on the coins to match that amount. I have not yet tried this game using the SMART Board, but I believe it would be fun–ENJOY tvokids.com

86. School Time Games http://schooltimegames.com/index.html Includes sports, logic, social studies and others. Spelling City – input spelling words and review, play a game or test. Tons of games to choose from – Audio word match, crosswords, hangmouse, scramble, and more. http://www.spellingcity.com/

87. ABCya - Fun, Educational Games for K-5 ABCya is a great place to find all kinds of free educational computer games for elementary school students. The games do not require any special plug-ins or downloads in order to play. ABCya also does not ask for users to register. ABCya is divided into grade levels (K-5) then subdivided based on subject area. The categorization system ABCya uses makes it quick and easy to find an activity appropriate for each student. Applications for Education ABCya's games reinforce basic academic skills and are fun to use. Games that reinforce academic skills are useful for meeting the needs of different students. Each student can practice and develop the skills that they need to focus on. ABCya ABCya's

88. Sites to find games Free Technology for Teachers Blog – http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ Talking SmartBoards – http://annemarie80.edublogs.org/ http://annemarie80.edublogs.org/ Larry Ferlazzo – http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/