App Ed Review
Think chemistry can’t be taught using instructional technology? Think again. This month, we’re sharing four of our favorite chemistry resources for creating reactions, safely mixing volatile chemicals in virtual labs, learning elemental symbols/facts, and directing students through in-class experiments. Your students will go Ba.Na.Na.S. for these Dy.N.Am.I.Te. C.He.M.I.S.T.R.Y. apps and website!
As part of our review process, every app analyzed by App Ed Review includes an original app description, 3-5 instructional ideas for using the app, a 24-point evaluation, and screenshots of the app in action! Also, are you interested in blending multiple apps together to form lessons? If so, take a glance at our ready-made app lessons! They might be just the thing you need to add to your instruction! Check them out by clicking here.
- Sometimes having to use flashcards to memorize the symbols and names for elements on the Periodic Table can be, well, boring. With the Chemical Elements Quiz app, you can help liven up that experience for your students. For beginners to advance students, this app offers different quiz levels that include a variety of information about the elements. For example, the size, symbol, weight, and makeup of the different elements are all included. As a standalone app, this app does emphasize recall-level skills, so it did receive lower marks in terms of rigor. However, the beauty of this app is that teachers can mold its content to match with their instructional needs. With high scores for different design elements in the app, teachers and students will have no problem navigating it to access quality information. To learn more about this app, click here.
- com is a great website for students and teachers to explore different experiments they can perform in the classroom. ScienceBob.com offers a wide range of practical experiments with resource lists including video tutorials, materials and apparatus requirements, step-by-step procedures, and more! This website includes support for students entering science fairs, a question and answer section, and research help. This multi-faceted website scored a 9.3 in design and a 7.4 overall on our comprehensive rubric. Check out our instructional ideas here.
- Unfortunately when working with chemicals, mixtures can sometimes go BOOM! Because no one likes classroom explosions, we suggest using the Chemistry Lab app as an alternative. With this app, students can choose any of the Periodic Elements and mix them in a variety of beakers, with or without water, heat the mixture with a Bunsen burner, and see what happens. Not only that, but the app includes a “Notepad” feature that offers additional information about the chemicals being mixed. Scoring a perfect 5.0 for its interactivity and earning high marks for its rigor, this app will sure to be an engaging learning tool for students. To learn more, click here.
- Want to produce chemical reactions safely and without the messy cleanup? goREACT, created by Chicago’s Museum of Science-Industry, allows students to make their own reactions with a Periodic Table full of chemicals. Students drag the chemicals they would like to mix from the periodic table into the reaction space and view a report of the reaction outcome. This app is excellent for testing chemistry hypotheses scored a 7.4 overall. Check out the full review here.
That’s all for this month’s Roundup. If you would like more information about any of the apps mentioned here or that are on the App Ed Review website, please contact us at info@appedreview.com. And Remember, when mixing elements, you can make the combustion digital using apps but the learning is real!
