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Monthly Newsletter Interactive content for your interactive classroom
February 2017
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
New Science Content 1
Matter
Digital Content for 1
Black History Month
When is Technology 2
Necessary?
Digital Content 3-4
for Presidents’ Day
New Science Content Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Matter)
Last month, we added new resources to Solids, Liquids, and Gases found
under our Science topic. Be sure to check out our favorites listed below!
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Digital Content for Black History Month
As you celebrate Black History Month, don’t forget to
make use of StarrMatica’s reading content guides:
A Band of Angels, Duke Ellington, and Dinner at Aunt
Connie’s House as well as our Underground Railroad
resources found under our History topic. To locate
the content guides, choose Reading as your subject
and click the Guides button. Then click Load. Click
the top of the Link column to sort the guides
alphabetically.
Materials Smackdown
Pit two materials head-to-head in a
test of strength. Then learn more
about the properties of each and why
they are useful.
Characteristics of Materials
Test different materials to determine if
they are waterproof, transparent,
flexible, or strong. Enter the workshop
to make different objects out of rubber,
paper, glass, and plastic to see how
they perform. Then take a quiz to test
what you have learned.
Need help finding that perfect digital resource? Email or call StarrMatica’s
digital content experts. We would be happy to help!
[email protected] 563-219-2111
When is Technology Necessary? The #1 Reason to Give Your Students Screen Time
As the Mom of a 2 ½ year old, I’m all ears every time I hear an American Academy of
Pediatrics recommendation. So, last fall when the AAP released their new screen time
recommendations, I reflected on the reasons we allow our children screen time both at
home and at school.
Technology is a tool, and just like I wouldn’t use a hammer to paint a wall, technology isn’t
always necessary to achieving a learning goal. However, there are many times
technology can be an integral piece of the learning process. The challenge is knowing
when this is the case.
One of the greatest reasons for justifying the use of technology is when it allows
you to see or do things not otherwise possible because of a lack of access, time, or
materials—or because technology is simply the only way it is possible.
Here are a few examples of situations where technology should be an integral part of the
learning process:
Google Earth is one of the best examples of technology allowing you to do things that
wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Students can travel to any location in the world, under the
ocean, and even into space! Click here to read an article about using Google Earth for
virtual field trips.
With this site, students can zoom in on a pop can to the atomic level. This would not be
possible in real life without expensive, scientific equipment.
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/structure.html
With this site, students can see simulated damage from
earthquakes at all magnitudes in order to draw conclusions
about the richter scale. Without this site, students would need
to view static photographs and would not be able to test
damage at different levels of the scale.
http://www.iknowthat.com/ScienceIllustrations/earthquake/earthquake_movie.swf
This site allows students to construct an environment for fish
and then test that environment to determine how many will
survive. A scientific simulation like this would otherwise not be
possible for students on a large scale.
http://archive.fossweb.com/modules3-6/Environments/activities/virtualaquarium.html
There are many valid reasons to use technology in your classroom besides those shared
above. The purpose of this article is so the next time you make the choice to use
technology in your classroom, you simply pause and ask yourself if it is the best tool to
help students meet your current learning goals.
Digital Content to
Celebrate Presidents Day
Content curated by Emily “Patriotic” Starr, Your Digital Content Colleague
Click each image to visit that site. Enjoy!
‘
Presidential Trivia
Washington and Lincoln