Just for Fun
Code.org® is a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools and increasing participation by young women and students from other underrepresented groups. Our vision is that every student in every school has the opportunity to learn computer science as part of their core K-12 education. The leading provider of K-12 computer science curriculum in the largest school districts in the United States, Code.org also created the annual Hour of Code campaign, which has engaged more than 15% of all students in the world. Code.org is supported by generous donors including Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, the Infosys Foundation, Google and many more.
*information provided by https://code.org/about
Minecraft: Hero's Journey
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App Lab
App Lab is a programming environment where you can make simple apps. Design an app, code in JavaScript with either blocks or text, then share your app in seconds.
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Where did we come from? What causes change? Where are we heading?
Big History takes on these questions that originate with the dawn of time, and gives students a framework to tell the story of humanity’s place in the Universe. It’s more than a history course. Big History helps students see the overall picture and make sense of the pieces: it looks at the past from the Big Bang to modernity, seeking out common themes and patterns that can help us better understand people, civilizations, and the world we live in.
Big History arose from a desire to transcend traditional self-contained fields of study and grasp history as a whole, looking for linked ideas and connections across history’s entire spectrum. By teaching students to explore these connections, and to effectively question, analyze and postulate, it provides a foundation for thinking not only about the past, but also the future and the changes that are reshaping our world.
The Big History Project represents a strong collaboration between teachers, university faculty and technical professionals. Built from the ground up to support the Common Core and best practices from classrooms around the world, the course includes a rich and comprehensive set of videos, readings, infographics, and classroom activities for students and teachers. Throughout, students encounter challenging ideas and questions and learn to connect ideas across 13.8 billion years of time and an array of disciplines. The course asks students to thoughtfully and rigorously engage with the claims they encounter along the way.
Big History is a free online set of course materials. These materials will always be free. All we ask of teachers is to share what they have learned so we can continually make the course better. The best ideas within the course have always come from the teachers that teach it. Here’s what teachers have said about teaching Big History for the first time—we look forward to hearing about your experience!
Class Codes:
https://www.oerproject.com/Account/Join-Class
7th Grade: PWK1Q2
8th Grade (Room 34): WVBA38
8th Grade (Room 35): U74CXJ
Prodigy is a free, adaptive math game that integrates common-core math (grades 1-8) into a fantasy style game that students love playing. Prodigy takes game-based learning a step further and provides teachers with a powerful set of reporting and assessment tools that allow them to easily identify trouble spots, differentiate instruction, and better manage classroom time.
And as a web-based game, Prodigy can be accessed at school and at home on virtually any device.
Code Combat is an online coding program that transports the player to another world. You create a hero that must complete quests in order to gain treasures and defeat enemies. The only way to do this is by commanding your hero through code commands. Our class is learning Python programming to command our heroes. To learn more, click here.
Teach your Monster to Read is an award-winning series of games which helps children to master the key first stages of reading. It’s been created by the Usborne Foundation, led by Peter Usborne (of Usborne Publishing).
We’re using it at school and your child will benefit more from the game if they can play at home. It’s free to play on a PC and laptop, or you can download the Teach Your Monster to Read app from the app store on phones and tablets.
To play on the website, visit teachyourmonstertoread.com and start playing in seconds.
Teach Your Monster to Read is a series of online games which helps children learn to read.
The games develop children’s speed and accuracy of letter recognition by taking them on a fantastic adventure through magical worlds where they meet island kings and collect letters to win prizes. Children adopt and customise a monster, who they guide through the learning process.
Academics is a game-based learning platform that enables students to learn a variety of subjects by playing games assigned by the teacher. To log in, click on the link here, then enter your username and password given to you. You will see three games assigned to you for the month. Please play all three games throughout the month to receive full credit for the assignment.
iCivics was founded by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to educate students on how our government operates. Through engaging games and real scenarios, students learn about how the founding fathers created our government, how local elections are held, the three branches of government, and how to run a presidential campaign.
Gamestar Mechanic
Gamestar Mechanic is a game and online community that teaches kids how to design their own games!
Designing games builds:
Systems Thinking,
21st Century Skills,
Creative Problem Solving,
Art and Aesthetics,
Writing and Storytelling,
and creates a motivation for STEM learning.