New In Grades K-2

Our K-2 science suite continues to expand! In addition to the 12 new games previously published, 3 new games have recently been added. Find one new game in each of The Living Environment: Ecosystems; The Sun, Earth, and the Solar System; and Weather. We feature one of these new games, The Perfect Day, featured later in the blog. More to be published soon!

 

 

New In Grades 3-5

NASA just landed a rover on MARS, so let your students join the space party! A new space-themed game, Space Shipyard, awaits for your students to become engineers, solving multiplication and division problems in order to build a space shuttle! 

Additionally, our friends at PhET Interactive Simulations are continuously publishing new simulations on our platform. Check out 3 new simulations spanning lessons on magnets and energy!

 

New In Grades 6-8

Head to Division of Fractions where students will mix magical recipes in a great new game, Potion Makers. That’s right, magical sorcerers need to know math to make their finest recipes! We feature this engaging game further in the blog. 

In the virtual lab we have new PhET Interactive Simulations ready for both middle school science AND math! In science, find a new simulation in Electric and Magnetic Forces, 3 in Molecules and Compounds, and 2 in Conservation of Energy. In math, find 4 new simulations spanning multiple topics on the number line.

 

New In STEM / Career Training Education

We have awesome new games in our STEM / CTE subject area that address climate change and ecosystem sustainability. In particular, Green Living, found in our Climate Change: Make it Personal learning objective, is an excellent addition to any National Green Week curriculum. Students will learn the most effective personal behaviors to keep our planet healthy. Is recycling or adopting a plant-rich diet more effective in combating climate change? Play the game with your students to learn more!

 

 

A Closer Look at New Games

The Perfect Day – K-2 Science (Weather)

 

 

Teacher Reviews:

 

 

Game screenshots and more info:

How do you define the weather on your perfect day? You first need to know how to observe and record weather to know how to describe it! Temperature, precipitation, wind, and sky condition will all factor into the weather. With these many variables in daily weather, there are a lot of different activities to enjoy on your favorite day. Swimming, flying a kite, riding a kite, and building a snowman – the perfect day awaits!

 

Potion Makers – 6-8 Math (Division of Fractions)

 

 

Teacher Reviews:

 

 

Game screenshots and more info:

Welcome to Pogwarts, the best potion making school! All the best sorcerers have one thing in common – flawless mathematical acumen. Every potion has its own recipe, and the recipe may contain proper fractions, improper fractions, and mixed numbers. Learn how to divide fractions by solving the correct amount of each ingredient to add to the cauldron. Let’s see what you can create with a cauldron and sharp math skills!

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’ll see you soon in the Learning Metaverse with these new games in your queue! 

Stay tuned for more new game updates and if you have any questions please email support@legendsoflearning.com.

 

Check out the top 10 most popular science topics on the Legends of Learning platform and games you can use to teach them in your Classroom.

1. Effects of Temperature and Pressure on State

 

Summary of concepts covered: A substance’s state of matter is an extrinsic property that can be changed by its environment. Physical conditions like temperature and pressure affect the state of matter. Both temperature and pressure can be measured, and state changes can be observed.

Did you know that games can be a powerful tool to re-engage students in the classroom?

Get free access to all the science games available on Legends of Learning. Click here to create your free teacher account!

The game Galaxy Scape is the best to teach this concept

2. Atoms and Elements

 

Summary of concepts covered: Everything in the universe is made of atoms. Atoms are the smallest units of matter, and the different types of atoms make up different elements. They can exist on their own or bonded together in molecules.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to use top-tier games and PhET simulations to teach Atoms and Elements!

Try out DocDuck, one of the best games available to review Atoms and Elements.

3. Parts of the Cell

Summary of concepts covered: Cells contain specialized structures, called organelles, that perform specific functions.

Prokaryotic cells, like bacteria, do not have many organelles, while eukaryotic cells have defined organelles.

All cells have a semi-permeable cell membrane that lets them absorb nutrients and get rid of waste.

Nuclei, mitochondria, ribosomes, rough and smooth ER, the Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes are all covered!

Cosmic Cells is your get-go instructional game to make this topic easy and fun for your students!

4. The Sun, Moon, and Stars: Patterns of Apparent Motion

 

Summary of concepts covered: From day to day, the sun and stars will not appear in the exact same part of the sky due to the Earth’s revolution around the sun.

These patterns of apparent motion allow us to predict where the Sun, Moon, and stars are at any given time, using drawings, 3D models, and computer models.

Help your students understand the movement of the celestial bodies in the sky with Camp Star

5. Role of Sunlight and Gravity in the Water Cycle

Summary of concepts covered: On Earth, water can exist as a liquid, a solid (ice), or a gas (water vapor). It changes between these states of matter when it gains or loses energy. In the water cycle, this energy comes from sunlight.

While sunlight is the energy source, the greatest force propelling the water cycle is gravity. Gravity is the force of attraction between two objects, and Earth’s gravity pulls matter downward, toward its center. It pulls precipitation down from clouds and pulls water downhill.

Try Novo Mundo Corporation: Water Cycle Engineer

6. Conservation of Matter in Chemical Reactions

Summary of concepts covered: During a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged, but they are not created or destroyed.

The substances entering the reaction are called reactants, and the resulting substances, with new chemical formulas, are called products.

Games can be a powerful tool to motivate students in the classroom. Get free access to chemical reaction games available on Legends of Learning!

7. Temperature, Thermal Energy, and Particle Motion

 

Summary of concepts covered: Temperature measures the average kinetic energy of the particles in a substance.

Thermal energy measures the total kinetic energy of the particles in a substance. The greater the motion of particles, the higher a substance’s temperature and thermal energy.

Discover all the games available to support your teaching efforts! Go to Legends of Learning

8. Weathering and Erosion

 

Summary of concepts covered: Aside from plate tectonics, moving water (including ice) causes the most significant change to the earth’s surface.

Weathering (including physical and chemical) is the process of breaking down rock that is not moving. Erosion is when water actually transports rock and sediment from one place to another.

9. Sound Waves

Summary of concepts covered: Waves are disturbances that transfer energy from one place to another. Sound waves are a type of mechanical, longitudinal wave.

Longitudinal waves cause matter to contract and expand, known as compression and rarefaction. Matter vibrates as sound passes through it.

10. Gene Mutations

Summary of concepts covered: DNA contains the genetic blueprint of all living things. It comes in double helix-shaped strands, which look like twisted ladders.

The ladders’ rungs are made up of two kinds of nucleotide pairs: adenine and thymine, and cytosine and guanine. During cell division, DNA replicates itself, but it sometimes makes errors.

Most of these errors are fixed during the process, but the ones that aren’t may become gene mutations.

Are you ready to experience the power of engaging games and fun learning?

Have questions? Reach out to us at support@legendsoflearning.com

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We’re just about halfway through the fall term, which means one thing: test preparation. I’m sure you can already hear your students groaning.

There is good news for your students! One of the most popular ways to use Legends of Learning is to review content before a test. Building a playlist of games and assessment questions is like creating an animated study guide: you choose the content for students to review, and they see it in action. Meanwhile, realtime analytics let you evaluate how well they understand the material.

Let’s take a look at an example. Say you’re preparing for an upcoming test on photosynthesis.

Once you’ve started a new playlist draft within the Photosynthesis Learning Objective, click on a game and review its “Game Curriculum” tab before dragging it. That way you can quickly vet which ones best highlight your concepts of focus.

The discussion questions here are great for asking your students, whether for individual or group review. They challenge your students to think critically about the topic by situating games in the proper educational context, leading to a rich, engaging experience in the days before a test. Many teachers who use Legends of Learning love discussing these questions with a group of students. When students collaborate and get excited about learning through games, knowledge retention increases.

 

 

Placing assessment questions before and after gameplay give you great insight into how well your students comprehend the material. In this example, Ms. Rose and Photosynthesis! discusses the conditions necessary for photosynthesis to occur in plant cells. By comparing your students’ pre and post game answers, you immediately see how much further review students’ need on this concept.

Assessment question analytics are broken into both individual and class-wide data, so the scale of concept comprehension is apparent. If it appears from the post game questions that the entire class is struggling with the conditions surrounding photosynthesis, you have the ability to pause everyone’s games and discuss points of confusion. Class time is more efficient with your instruction becoming more targeted to the concepts that need more review.

 

 

The view below further illustrates this test prep tactic. In this example, only 30% of the students have correctly answered a question about where the energy for life on earth comes from, so you know to emphasize that concept more in future review.

 

 

After a playlist ends, all of its question data is automatically saved. Teachers use this feature to examine which topics individual students struggle with and curate upcoming review to meet their individual needs. Completed playlists can easily be cloned and adjusted to build upon past review. For optimizing individualized test preparation, teachers love to create multiple tracks within a playlist.

As an example, if one group of students has a solid grasp on the material, assign them to a track that only contains a couple of games and assessment items and leaves more time for free play of games within the learning objective. For other groups that need additional reinforcement, build tracks that include more directed games and assessments.

Playlists are a powerful, flexible tool for any stage of review. Use Legends of Learning for superpowered test preparation and watch as student performance improves by leaps and bounds.

Log in and take a fresh approach to science reviewing!