This weekend I had the opportunity to test out a new app that teaches the "complete first grade science curriculum" - PlayScience I. With the app, students are taught the basics of first grade science through a narrator, animations, images, and short readings. After learning the content, students engage in a variety of activities and questions to test their knowledge.
The app costs $4.99 and covers 6 major topics:
The app costs $4.99 and covers 6 major topics:
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Each section is broken down into two parts. First, the student is taught the content of the lesson. They listen to a child narrator discussing the major ideas of each topic while watching visuals and animations. For example, in the first unit over plants, the narrator describes the plant life cycle while showing pictures of the different stages.
The student has the option to skip the instruction section at any time and jump to the questions, in case they are already familiar with the material. The Learning/Lesson section takes around 10 minutes and then the student begins the questions and activities section. In my opinion, this is where the app shines, as they offer a huge variety of question types:
True and False
Matching
Crosswords
Puzzles
Memory Games
Plus they've got the standard multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions on top of all that. The questions' coverage of content is pretty extensive and, for the most part, they are grade-appropriate. Sometimes the vocabulary seems a little advanced for first graders, and there are a few typos here and there, but for the most part they are spot on.
While students advance through the questions the earn coins that they can use to buy fish and toys for the virtual aquarium that is also included in the game:
And essentially, that's the app! Students learn the content through the narrator, visuals, and short readings and then they apply what they've learned through the variety of questions and activities. As they work through each section, the caterpillar under each section fills up with green until they've finished the entire topic:
Overall, it's a well put together application that I think would be fun and educationally beneficial within the first grade classroom!
My only major complaint is that the software isn't aligned with any sort of standards. The app advertises that it covers the entire first grade science curriculum, but is that for the common core standards, or state standards, or what? That would be nice to see in future updates.
Also for future updates, it would be great if there was some way to track and analyze student data. Which questions are the students missing? What areas and topics are they having trouble with?
And finally, while this app does an awesome job of covering the content basics, there is no real critical thinking or problem solving skills involved. It's an awesome start to help students learn vocabulary and content-basics, but in the future it would be nice if it could help students dig a little deeper into the scientific method.
Aside from that, it's an excellent app that is well thought out and put together. If you're fortunate enough to have iPads in your first grade classroom, PlayScience I is a solid resource for bolstering your curriculum through technology. Final Score: Ready for Class!
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