Over the past few weeks, students in 4th grade have been writing iBooks using the app Book Creator. This app has so many features, including the ability to open finished books in the iBooks app. However, this time we took it one step farther. Students (with parent permission, of course) had the option to try and publish their finished creations to the actual iBook store. The story, Wolves Win the Game, was the first to be accepted. Check it out! Wolves Win the Game
Students in Mrs. White’s Kindergarten classes researched and made animals that started with the short vowel sound. They worked in small groups to build their creations, and then animated them with an app called ChatterPix Kids. Take a look at their zoo below!
The projects are also posted on the Oak Grove Digital Archive, including Vowel Zoos from Mrs. Blankenship’s Class and Mrs. Fox’s Class.
Students in Mrs. Sharp’s and Mrs. Downey’s Math and Writing classes used Legos to practice skills! First, they created lego houses based on a STEM activity created by Mrs. Downey. They found the area and perimeter of each of the rooms in their houses, and made sure to include at least one simple machine and working light.
Lego Houses:
Then, in writing class, they created Lego video trailers using the iMovie app. I created templates for them to use here:
But there are many iMovie Trailer templates out there! Here’s a few more I’m considering using next time:
iMovie for iPad – Storyboard Help Sheets
iMovie for iPad Printable Storyboard Templates
Here’s what the students created. They only had one class period to write and film their trailers!
Lego Trailers:
The Journey from elemitrt on Vimeo.
The Cabin from elemitrt on Vimeo.
Super Family from elemitrt on Vimeo.
Summer’s Here from elemitrt on Vimeo.
Creepy Connie from elemitrt on Vimeo.
Students in Mrs. Clapper’s Kindergarten Class created Digital Stories with the Story Kit app about their moms for Mother’s Day! They have pictures, text, and sound. Students did all the work themselves, starting with the “selfie” they took using the camera app. Click on their selfies below to interact a few examples below. If you see a sound button, turn up your volume and click it to hear their voices!
During the class’ Mother’s Day Tea, moms will receive a handmade card with a QR code on it that links to their child’s story! How fun!
Students in Mrs. Bier’s writing class researched and wrote interactive Science books on various topics like electricity, rocks and minerals, and magnets! Along the way, the took videos and pictures and even completed science experiments.
There are two versions of each book: epub and pdf. The epub contains videos and audio and can be downloaded in iBooks (on an iPad or iPhone/iPod Touch) or any other ebook reader. The pdf can be downloaded on a computer and printed but does not have interactive features. Check them out by clicking on the links below!
View all the Science eBooks here
Third Graders in Mrs. Weikle’s class created Mouse Traps during a STEM project that targeted Simple Machines and 3D shapes.
Mrs. Weikle showed a Rube Goldberg inspired video before the students started their project.
Then students broke up in groups and created their mouse traps. The traps had to contain at least one simple machine (screw, pulley, lever, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axel). Students were prepared to explain how their mouse trap worked, and what the simple machine did to help it. They also needed to identify the 3D shapes they used when building. Most of the groups even had time to create a Pic Collage labeling the parts of their machines.
Take a look at their creations below!
Cross Posted in the Oak Grove Digital Archive.
After reading Wednesday is Spaghetti Day by Maryann Cocca-Leffler Mrs. McGe,e’s third graders wrote, illustrated, and recorded digital books. They used the app Book Creator. This app allowed them to add text, pictures, and audio to their books. They really did a very nice job!
We have found that using “offices” when recording helps minimize background noise. It’s like a mini sound booth.
There are two versions of each book: epub and pdf. The epub can be downloaded and read in iBooks (on an iPad or iPhone/iPod Touch) or any other ebook reader. The pdf can be downloaded on a computer and printed. Check them out below!
View All Mrs. McGee’s Digital Books Here
Mrs. Parks’ Class animated their pictures of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington using the app ChatterPix Kids. Check it out!
Students in Mrs. Mulvaney’s Science class created creatures using circuits and their knowledge of living systems. They created new creatures based on a habitat and an animal type card they drew at the beginning of the activity. The animal had to move, had to have a complete circuit, and had to have adaptations for the food it ate and the habitat it lived in. Take a look at their creatures in action.
As a culmination to the project, students created Trading Cards (using an iPad app) about their animals.
Cross posted on the Oak Grove Digital Archive.
Students in Mrs. Schirmer’s Fourth Grade reading class have been learning about the Iditarod. While the event started on Saturday, they’ve spent the past few weeks reading books and researching information about it. As part of their research, they created Musher Trading Cards using the Trading Cards iPad app by Read, Write, Think (you could use the website too). They gave each of their classmates a copy of the trading cards they made, and will watch these musher’s closely as the race progresses. Check out their cards below!
Students will be following the Iditarod at the official site: http://iditarod.com/ and plotting progress on the classroom map. Finally, they will skype with resident of Alaska to get first hand information about what it’s like to live there. More on that in another post!