Some students dread coming to Social Studies, while others are as excited as can be.
And while Social Studies (or history if you still teach or call it that) gets NO LOVE on state assessments (I'm looking at you, NJ ASK, PARCC, and anything else), we do get some massive love in the APP world.
So, in this weeks edition of our App-O-Da-Week, we are highlighting the apps that are filled with a bunch of maps and old dead people from history, that's right, the SOCIAL STUDIES APPS. We will be highlighting two apps this week, one for elementary school students and the other for middle school students. Both apps will deal with Geography.
One of the lost arts today is looking at, and figuring out maps. Well, there is a great app for that!
Its called Stack the States - $0.99 -
While not entirely free (there is a FREE lite version that I would recommend trying before making this huge purchase...) it is a great app that teaches state recognition and capitals and the like in a progression like fashion, unlocking states as they go along. Perfect for kids in grades 1-4. It's fun and addictive, which is the crux of any good educational app. Make it fun and they will want to learn even more!
Even Commonsensemedia.org wrote a nice piece about it! Here is what they said:
- Help kids search for interesting facts or landmarks in each state to keep learning fun.
- Plan imaginary visits to state capitals. Map out the trip and sights to see.
- Encourage kids to dig deeper into the history of their own state, or states where relatives live.
Stack the States has great educational and entertainment value. Kids will fall in love with its ease of use that should keep them entertained and learning. Enough said. Take a look!
The second app is aimed at older students - particularly in middle school. This app is FREE. Yes, we love the word FREE in education and this one is a good one.
It's called History: Maps of the World.
The maps are rendered in beautiful HD quality. There are literally hundreds of maps. Even Edudemic thinks its a great app!
Here are the key features:
- Wide variety of historical displays
- Support for Category/Era view
- Keyword Search
- Displays the source about each map
- Zoom in/out (zoom-in/out with pinch, zoom-in with double tab, and zoom-out with two-fingers tap
A local school district in Alabama came up with this great video on the App - check it out!
I like this app because it gets to the point - there is no need for an Atlas. Students have historic, geographic, and others maps at their fingertips.
So, for our recap:
App #1 - Stack the States - $0.99
App #2 - History: Maps of the World - FREE
While I may be biased on these apps (and oh yes, I am), I think both are great pickups that will enhance learning and won't cripple your wallet.
Remember - in the end, HISTORY matters. Plus, we rock.
PS - join us on Twitter for this gem of a chat!
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