Introducing Angry Birds: Coordinate!

Last summer, we announced our exciting partnership with Rovio Entertainment, bringing the iconic Angry Birds characters to our Learning Universe.

Today, we’re excited to unveil our newest game, designed to teach students essential concepts on the coordinate plane.

A New Angry Birds Adventure

In Angry Birds: Coordinate, players join Red, Bomb, or Chuck as they guide young birds in mastering the art of accurate aiming using coordinates.

Through a series of hilarious and engaging adventures, students will learn to thwart the pigs’ mischievous plans while perfecting their understanding of the coordinate plane.

From deserts to beaches and forests, the game offers a diverse and entertaining experience set within the beloved Angry Birds universe.

Reviews

Academically Sound, Fun-Filled Gameplay

Angry Birds: Coordinate seamlessly blends educational content with fun gameplay. Students will learn key concepts on the coordinate plane while having a blast.

Introduction to the Coordinate Plane

The game introduces players to the basics of the coordinate plane, including the x-axis (horizontal) and y-axis (vertical), as well as the origin (0,0) where the axes intersect.

Interactive Gameplay

Players launch Angry Birds onto a coordinate plane, aiming to hit specific targets located at given coordinates. They must use their understanding of the plane to aim precisely.

Learning Through Play

The hands-on nature of the game allows players to learn through trial and error. This interactive approach makes learning concepts more tangible and accessible.

By integrating these educational and fun elements, Angry Birds: Coordinate can make learning an engaging and effective experience for students.

We’ll see you soon in the Learning Universe with Coordinate in your queue! 

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Share Your Thoughts

Earn Rewards Points by leaving a review after playing Angry Birds: Coordinate. Your feedback helps other teachers choose the best games for their students and contributes to the overall quality of our Learning Universe. By sharing your thoughts, you’re helping to make a positive impact on education!

Other titles from the Rovio & Legends of Learning Collection

• Angry Birds: Kinetic Power for Grades 6-8 over Kinetic Energy  
• Angry Birds: Space Tactics for Grades 3-5 over Linear Geometry
• Angry Birds: Solar Smash! for Grades 3-5 over Earth and the Solar System
• Angry Birds: Return Home for Grades 3-8 over Solar System and Gravitational Force  
• Angry Birds Eggstraction over Forces and Collisions
• Angry Birds and the Multiplication Portal for Multiplication Practice

Read more about Angry Birds EdGames

Stay tuned for more Angry Birds games coming to Legends of Learning in topics such as Gravitational Force, Arithmetic with Decimals, and more!

Are you new to Legends of Learning and want to try out these games? Sign Up Now!

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Read more articles and news!

• Legends of Learning Presents: Math Deep Dish at NCSM 2024
• Teach Coordinate Plane with this New Angry Birds Game!
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Math Games in August 2024
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Science Games in August 2024
• ESSER Funds for Districts: Frequently Asked Questions

Hi Legends! Welcome to another exciting update from our Learning Universe: check out the new math games in August 2024!

We’re thrilled to introduce you to the latest additions to our growing array of science classroom games, designed to engage while enhancing your students’ test scores.

If you missed out on last month’s new game releases, don’t worry! Take a look at July’s update here.

New Math Games in August 2024 🧪

Get ready to engage your students with exciting new adventures and hands-on learning experiences.

Games for Grades K-2

• Clowning Around Problems: Hey! Visit our circus! You’ll find math lessons and learn how to turn them into fun problems to solve with balloons, animals, and cannons!  

Games for Grades 3-5

• Math Munchies Mayhem: Use multiplication and division to scare critters and protect our delicious munchies. 
• The Unlikely Hero: The town of Villaverde is under attack from the Glombobs! Use addition and subtraction of fractions to find the solution and save the villagers!

Games for Grades 6-8

• The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio: Solve all ratio challenges by constructing a complex machine that performs a simple task as elaborately and creatively as possible.
• Plump’s Pies: Sell pies with Lump and Plump and learn how to calculate all the measurements of a circle!

A Closer Look at Featured Games

Clowning Around Problems — Elementary Math 

Game Description:

Welcome to the Math Circus, where learning math is a fun and exciting adventure!

In this interactive game, students join the Numbers Clown Company in a series of entertaining and educational activities.

During the game, students help Ziggy, the balloon clown, to make animal-shaped balloons and assist Bubbles in winning prizes. They also calculate heights with Dizzy’s animal tower. Each activity is designed to make math engaging and enjoyable.

At the end, Peppi the Cannon Clown will challenge students to use their math skills to reach new heights and hit the target.

Math Munchies Math — Middle Math Game

Game Description:

Protect platters of tasty munchies from hoards of marauding critters by solving basic multiplication and division problems.

The critters start in small numbers and are stationary giving you time to find the missing number to scare them away.

Watch out! More and more critters will appear moving faster and faster towards your munchies.

The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio — Middle Math Game

Game Description:

Step into the exciting world of “The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio,” where learning ratios becomes a playful adventure! This game offers students a unique blend of quick, interactive mini-games and the thrill of building Rube Goldberg machines.

Through fun and engaging challenges, students explore and apply the concept of ratios, turning abstract math into captivating puzzles. Perfect for making learning an interactive and joyful experience.

Have you missed last month’s new games? Take a look at July’s update here! And don’t forget to keep an eye out for more exciting game updates coming your way soon.

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Are you new to Legends of Learning and eager to try these games? Sign up now and embark on an educational adventure!

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

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Don’t miss out on our latest posts!

• Legends of Learning Presents: Math Deep Dish at NCSM 2024
• Teach Coordinate Plane with this New Angry Birds Game!
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Math Games in August 2024
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Science Games in August 2024
• ESSER Funds for Districts: Frequently Asked Questions

Hi Legends! Welcome to another exciting update from our Learning Universe: check the new science games in august 2024!

This August, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the latest additions to our growing array of science classroom games, designed to engage while enhancing your students’ test scores.

You missed last month’s new games? Take a look at July’s update here.

New Science Games in August 2024 🧪

Get ready to engage your students with exciting new adventures and hands-on learning experiences.

Grades K-2

• Lovely Planet: Create the world of your dreams and see how plants and animals interact with their environment on our lovely planet Earth.
• Buddy Care: Take care of our little friends, a bird, and a plant,  to learn more about their processes of growth and development.

Grades 6-8

• Angry Birds: Return Home: Join our Angry Birds friends in their mission to send Ice Bird back to his home planet  Cold Cuts. Use your knowledge of gravity to sort all the obstacles!
• Fury the Capybara: Help Fury,  a grumpy movie director,  create his next show while learning more about plate tectonics. 
• Captain Kipper’s Current Quest: Travel across the ocean without a working propeller! Yes, only use the ocean currents and your guts to avoid enemies! 
• Think Titans: Solar System Explorers: Explore our universe with Loopy and Prof. Hoot in their spaceship. You’ll learn more about the planets, stars, and celestial bodies in your travels.

A Closer Look at Featured Games

Lovely Planet — Elementary Science Game 

Game Description:

Create a beautiful forest and a coral reef.

Discover how humans affect the environment with a memory game and paint a better city.

Angry Birds: Return Home — Middle Science Game

Game Description:

We need to help Ice Bird on his mission to get back to his home planet.

To accomplish that, we will have to defeat the space pigs of every planet. 


Join us on this awesome trip and you will learn about the solar system and the concept of gravity.

Fury the Capybara — Middle Science Game

Game Description:

Fury the Capybara is a movie director with a particular personality; he’s grumpy.

Players have to buy props for Fury’s next show while learning the plate tectonics characteristics and playing multiple minigames.

The game offers two modes: Story Mode, where you will be lectured about plate tectonics and play fun minigames. Practice Mode, where you can go directly to have fun while recapitulating the main topics with the summarized activities.

Keep an eye out for more exciting game updates coming your way soon.

Have you missed last month’s new games? Take a look at July’s update here! And don’t forget to keep an eye out for more exciting game updates coming your way soon.

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Are you new to Legends of Learning and eager to try these games? Sign up now and embark on an educational adventure!

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

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Don’t miss out on our latest posts!

• Legends of Learning Presents: Math Deep Dish at NCSM 2024
• Teach Coordinate Plane with this New Angry Birds Game!
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Math Games in August 2024
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Science Games in August 2024
• ESSER Funds for Districts: Frequently Asked Questions

Get ready for a whimsical learning adventure understanding radio concepts and language with Legends of Learning and Rube Goldberg‘s newest math game, The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio!

This exciting addition to our Rube Goldberg series seamlessly blends the iconic chain reaction machines with engaging math challenges, making ratios a breeze for students in grades 6-8.

Ratios in Action: Beyond Numbers on a Page

But what exactly are ratios, and how does this game make them fun? Ratios are all about comparing two quantities. Imagine a recipe that calls for 2 cups of flour and 1 cup of sugar.

The ratio of flour to sugar is 2:1. In the real world, ratios are everywhere! From mixing paint colors to scaling up a recipe, understanding ratios unlocks a world of practical applications.

The Rube Goldberg Connection:

The “Great Rube Goldberg Ratio” takes inspiration from the wacky inventions of Rube Goldberg, where a simple task is completed through a series of elaborate, interconnected steps.

This game cleverly mirrors that concept – students build a virtual Rube Goldberg machine, but instead of dominoes and levers, they use ratios!

Users review

Learning Through Play: 3 Key Elements of The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio

The game is designed to be both educational and entertaining, incorporating several key elements:

Mini-Challenges

Before constructing their Rube Goldberg machine, students conquer a series of mini-games that require critical thinking and problem-solving.

Here, they’ll apply ratio concepts to navigate obstacles, calculate distances for sliding fruits, and collect balls in specific proportions. Each challenge reinforces the concept of ratios in a practical way.

Fixing the Machine

Uh oh! The machine isn’t working!

Students put their ratio knowledge to the test by choosing the correct answer to repair the machine, solidifying their understanding of the learning objective.

Setting the Ratio & Running the Contraption

After conquering the mini-challenges and fixing the machine, the grand finale arrives!

Students set the “right ratio” using bells and lights, a crucial step in completing the Rube Goldberg chain reaction.

The game offers various goals, like caging a bird, making a smoothie, or even fixing a clock – all achieved through the power of ratios!

In the fashion of Rube Goldberg, we’ll solve all these challenges by constructing a complex machine that performs a simple task in the most elaborate and creative way possible.

See more titles or our collaboration with the Rube Goldberg Institute for Innovation & Creativity

EXPLORE LEARNING UNIVERSE GAMES

The Benefits of Learning Through Play

By combining the joy of building Rube Goldberg machines with engaging mini-games, “The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio” offers a unique learning experience:

• Interactive & Engaging: Short, interactive mini-games keep students motivated and actively involved in the learning process.
• Real-World Applications: Students see ratios come to life through the challenges and Rube Goldberg machine, making the concept more relatable and memorable.
• Problem-Solving Skills: The game encourages critical thinking as students strategize and make decisions to overcome challenges and complete the machine.

The Future of Learning

This innovative game exemplifies Legends of Learning’s commitment to transforming abstract math concepts into engaging game-based learning. By embracing the power of play, we can empower students to master math skills while having fun!

Ready to Join the Learning Adventure?

Head over to the Legends of Learning platform to experience “The Great Rube Goldberg Ratio” for yourself!

Reward Points for Teacher Reviews

Earn Reward Points for every game review you write about Legends of Learning platform minigames. By leaving your feedback, you help other teachers pick the right games and students get the best content available. Talk about superheroes saving the day!

Still New to Legends of Learning?

Sign up now and unlock a world of engaging educational games for your students!

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

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Don’t miss out on our latest posts!

• Legends of Learning Presents: Math Deep Dish at NCSM 2024
• Teach Coordinate Plane with this New Angry Birds Game!
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Math Games in August 2024
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Science Games in August 2024
• ESSER Funds for Districts: Frequently Asked Questions

Hi Legends! Welcome to another exciting update from our Learning Universe! This July, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the latest additions to our ever-expanding array of Science classroom games, designed to engage while enhancing your students’ test scores. If you missed last month’s new games you can take a look at June’s update here.

New Science Games in July 2024 🧪

Get ready to engage your students with exciting new adventures and hands-on learning experiences.

Games for Grades K-2

• Light Labs: Help our little robot friend find hidden objects using your knowledge of light and its behavior in different materials. 
• Day on the Farm: Join Charlie and learn how chemical reactions are involved in day-to-day tasks. 
• Magic Map: Tiny will teach you how to use the maps to explore, find locations, and help your peers!

Grades 3-5

• Fossil Finders: Collect fossils to reveal Earth’s ancient past!

Grades 6-8

• Angry Birds: Kinetic Power: Join our Angry Birds friends and learn more about the relationship between mass, velocity, and kinetic energy.
• ChemCraft Arranger: Balance the chemical reaction by rearranging its reactants and products!
• Balance Keeper – Earth: Help Jenna to approve or deny action cards to bring balance to our planet!
• Micro Adventure: Travel to the microscopic world and learn about cells and their organelles!
• Camp Star: Play different mini-games and read interesting facts to mimic the movement of the stars and planets.
• Animals in the Ecosystem: Play as an elephant, dolphin, and cheetah to learn and understand how individuals live in an ecosystem.
• Sun School: Prepare your sunglasses! Because this game will illuminate the photosynthesis process!

A Closer Look at Featured Games

Angry Birds: Kinetic Power — Middle Science 

Game description:
Play with Red and Angry Birds in this fun game and learn how they use Kinetic Energy knowledge to defeat the piggies!

Learn how energy moves among the different systems and how to exploit it.

Academically, students will learn concepts in Kinetic Energy with an Angry Birds gameplay experience they will love. 

ChemCraft Arranger — Middle Science

Game Description:

The game focuses on the fascinating concept of chemical reactions and the arrangement of atoms.

Students will intuitively balance chemical equations by adding and subtracting atoms, reinforcing their understanding of molecular structures.

ChemCraft Arranger makes learning about chemical reactions thrilling and accessible, turning complex science into an interactive adventure.

Balance Keeper – Earth — Middle Science

Game Description:

Step into the role of World Keeper in our captivating strategy game, where each decision shapes your planet’s destiny!

Balance population, science, economics, and resources through turns and dynamic cards. Navigate challenges, foresee consequences, and prevent any pillar from collapsing to ensure a prosperous reign.

Will you rise to greatness or succumb to fate? It’s time to rewrite history!

Have you missed last month’s new games? Take a look at May’s update here! And don’t forget to keep an eye out for more exciting game updates coming your way soon.

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Are you new to Legends of Learning and eager to try these games? Sign up now and embark on an educational adventure!

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

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Don’t miss out on our latest posts!

• Legends of Learning Presents: Math Deep Dish at NCSM 2024
• Teach Coordinate Plane with this New Angry Birds Game!
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Math Games in August 2024
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Science Games in August 2024
• ESSER Funds for Districts: Frequently Asked Questions

Hi Legends! Welcome to another exciting update from our Learning Universe! This June, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the latest additions to our ever-expanding array of Math classroom games, designed to engage while enhancing your students’ test scores.

Let’s dive into June’s highlights! Get to know the new math games and closely examine featured math games.

New Math Games in June 2024

Get ready to engage your students with exciting new adventures and hands-on learning experiences.

Games for Grades K-2

• Julie & Claudio’s Adventure Stories: Help Julie & Claudio sum up whole numbers in their day-to-day life!
• Numera – Read and write numbers up to 1000: 1, 2, 3… let’s learn how to read and count numbers using ones, tens, and hundreds!
• Disassemble and Reassemble with Tita: Join Tita on her mission to find her brother, Tito, while creating new objects from others. How? Easy, by assembling them using little pieces of blocks!

Grades 3-5

• Ninja Kite: The Phoenix Puzzle: Collect coins, unlock power-ups, and learn how to compare decimals in this new exciting adventure with Kenzo!
• Decimal Fraction Forest: Join Chompy on his quest to learn more about equivalent and decimal fractions.
• Farm De-Fence: Use your building skills to create fences of different shapes and angles to protect your farm from wolves!
• Treasure Bay: Use the coordinate plane to find all the treasures across the sea!
• Golden Math Mining: Use your multiplication skills to collect gold and diamonds in the mine.

Grades 6-8

• Agrimath: Quadrant Quest: Learn to read the coordinate plane while planting, watering, and harvesting crops!

A closer look at featured games

Julie & Claudio’s Adventure Stories — Elementary Math

Game description:
Julie, a spunky strawberry, and Claudio, a steadfast cup of coffee, have been friends for a long time and have been on many adventures.

Along the way, they’ve collected tools and trinkets, and love to tell stories of how they’ve shared, traded, collected, and lost them.

Play along with Claudio and Julie and make your own grand adventure!

2. Decimal Fraction Forest – Elementary Math

Game Description:

You and your friend Chompi want to test your abilities in the Decimal Fraction Forest and get the title of ‘Decimal Fractions Masters’.

To do it you decide to go and explore all the challenges in the famous ‘Decimal Fraction Forest’.

3. Ninja Kite: The Phoenix Puzzle – Elementary Math

Game Description:

Embark on an exhilarating adventure with Kenzo, the resolute ninja whose daily routine blends physical endurance with mental agility in a captivating pixelated realm reminiscent of Jetpack Joyride’s fast-paced excitement.

Join Kenzo as he navigates The Phoenix Lair, a mystical landscape adorned with ancient shrines of wisdom, during his brisk 1K morning run.

Traverse the pixelated terrain, solving puzzles at each shrine to unlock magical abilities such as protective shields, coin-magnetism, and transmutation spells, amplifying Kenzo’s journey with newfound powers and challenges.

Have you missed last month’s new games? Take a look at May’s update here! And don’t forget to keep an eye out for more exciting game updates coming your way soon.

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Are you new to Legends of Learning and eager to try these games? Sign up now and embark on an educational adventure!

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

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Don’t miss out on our latest posts!

• Legends of Learning Presents: Math Deep Dish at NCSM 2024
• Teach Coordinate Plane with this New Angry Birds Game!
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Math Games in August 2024
• Boost Back-to-Classroom Prep: New Science Games in August 2024
• ESSER Funds for Districts: Frequently Asked Questions

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!

This year, wow your class with game based learning by creating the perfect Legends of Learning playlist. Much like a DJ, teachers have the ability to deploy their “set list” of games and assessment questions to students. But playlists can do much more than that.

5 Most FAQs About Legends of Learning Playlists

To illustrate the power of this feature, we decided to answer teachers’ five most frequently asked questions.

1. How Can I Make Sure I’m Selecting The Right Games For My Student Playlists?

Selecting the right games based on student interest or academic level is easy with the detailed game modal window. Simply click on any game from within the learning objective screen and the game modal window displays a game overview, teacher ratings, curriculum suggestions, and the option to play the game yourself. When you’ve determined which games are the right fit, click the “Create a Playlist” button and drag the games into your new playlist.

2. How Do I Customize My Playlists?

There are several ways to customize playlists for your students. First, name each playlist and add it to your saved playlists section for future use. Next, try dragging games into your playlist and then moving the games around by clicking and dragging. Finally, use the time slider to shorten or lengthen the amount of time students can play.

Customizable Playlist: Name It, Rearrange It, Time It

3. How Do I Launch My Playlists To Students?

When you launch playlists to your students, you give them an engaging gameplay experience while following their progress in real time on your live teacher dashboard. You can even launch different games to different student groups and create a personalized gaming experience while ensuring they all master the same content.

Launch to Everyone

To get started, locate the dropdown menu under each playlist, which gives you the option to launch to everyone or to a specific group. To create a class or group, navigate to the students page and click the “+” button next to the word “class”. Type in the name of your class or group and press save. You can then click the dropdown next to each student and add them to their group.

Create Your Class

Click the back button on your browser to return to your playlist. The names of your classes and groups will appear in the dropdown menu at the bottom of the playlist. When you launch your playlist to a specific group, only the students in that group will have access to the playlist.

Launch to a Class/Group

4. How Do I Know Students Will Be Asked Questions During Game Play?

Assessment packs are valuable if you are playing games that are activity based and contain few questions. Click on the assessment icon next to the game list to add assessment packs to your playlist.

Assessment Pack Icon

You can control the number of questions in each assessment—from 1 to 99—by clicking the arrows. Then, click and drag to place the assessment pack before, between, or after the games. Use multiple assessment packs and create a pre-test/post-test to gauge student mastery.

Assessment Pack as Pre-Test/Post-Test

5. How Do My Students Sign In & Start Playing?

Students sign in to your playlist by navigating to login.legendsoflearning.com and clicking the students icon. Students are then prompted to enter your teacher launch code, located in the upper right hand corner of your playlist.

Teacher Launch Code

Students sign up using their first name and last initial, or sign in with their previously created username.

Student Login Page

Once you launch your playlist, each student’s dot appears in your live teacher dashboard. Individual student answers to game and assessment pack questions are recorded inside student dots.

Live Dashboard with Student Signed In

Create Your Perfect Playlist Today!

Legends of Learning strongly values the feedback of teachers and welcomes any questions you have on our playlist feature. Login today to create your perfect playlist. Have a great summer and happy gaming!

On August 21, 2017, we’ll see something the country has not seen in 38 years: a total solar eclipse. The day will excite students and science teachers alike. The below resources introduce students to eclipses, both lunar and solar, and prepare them for the solar eclipse.

These 16 resources compliment the Legends of Learning series of eclipse games and lesson plan that can be found in the Eclipses and Seasons Learning Objective.  Legends of Learning published a lesson plan for this Learning Objective, too, and on July 10 will offer two of its games — “Walter’s Travels” and “Bubble Eclipse” — publicly on its Alpha Games page as a public service.

Websites

• Educational Materials and Videos from the American Astronomical Society (AAS). When you ask for standards-based materials about eclipses, you get them from the AAS. The organization’s website contains all sorts of supplementary content, including an NGSS storytelling approach to classroom instruction.
• Total Solar Eclipse 2017. Besides the AAS, start your search for solar eclipse resources with a sure bet—NASA. The site offers classroom activities, downloadables, and information about becoming a Citizen Explorer. Take a look at the events drop-down, too; it includes NASA’s livestream and information about hosting a total solar eclipse event in your community.

 

Interactive Media

• Eclipse2017.org App. Go mobile with the Eclipse2017 app. With it, students will learn about eclipses and how to find the best location to watch “totality” occur. (Available on iOS and Android)
• Eclipses and Seasons. Encourage engagement and solidify learning objectives with Legends of Learning’s seven games about eclipses and seasons. If wishing to cross into other science subjects, look at the “The Sun, Moon, and Stars: Patterns of Apparent Motion” games, as well as “Our Solar System.”
• JavaScript Solar Eclipse Explorer. Eclipses are historical events, and this web-based calculator provides data not only on past eclipses but also future ones.
• NASA’s Extremely Accurate Map for August’s Total Solar Eclipse. Use this tool to combine geography and science. Students can use the tool to identify the best states for solar-eclipse watching on August 21, 2017.
• SpaceMath. Show students how mathematics applies to real-world scientific studies with this in-depth resource from NASA. The page features numerous math activities designed to present eclipses and astronomy in a “different light.”
• THE GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE. With this resource, your classroom can watch the total solar eclipse in real time. Discover’s Science Channel will cover the eclipse as it happens, then follow up with a one-hour special during primetime.
• Total Solar Eclipse Animation. Prepare students for the eclipse launch date with PBS NOVA’s animation. For additional classroom resources, check out PBS’ toolkit, webinar, and videos.

Classroom Activities

• Build a Sun Funnel. Spend the first few weeks of August with a collaborative science project, the Sun Funnel. While inexpensive, the funnel takes some time and expertise to build, so you may want to practice building one at home before introducing the project to the classroom. For simpler versions of the concept, consider using the Exploratorium’s instructions for building a pinhole camera from a UPS shipping container or SPACE’s shoebox concept.
• Create an Eclipse in the Classroom. Styrofoam and cardboard possess magical properties, becoming anything from molecules and atoms to planetary systems. Follow the guide to help students create Earth-Moon-Sun systems and explore how solar and lunar eclipses work.
• Exploring the Solar System: Solar Eclipse. This instructional tool uses an inflatable Earth to teach students three curriculum-based learning objectives. Provided by the National Informal STEM Education (NISE) Network, the tool includes resources for English- and Spanish-speaking students.
• How to Film or Photograph the 2017 Solar Eclipse Like a Pro. Unite the arts and sciences with SPACE’s instructions on how to film or photograph the solar eclipse. Warning: This resource features some advanced photography and film techniques, so you’ll either want to use it with advanced photography students or adapt the methods to your particular classroom.
• Yardstick Eclipse Activity. This classroom activity from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) caters to the older crowd that may be less than pleased with cardboard and Styrofoam projects. You can create the activity from scratch or purchase a pre-made kit for $35.00.

Other Resources

• Eclipse Bulletin: Total Solar Eclipse of 2017. Two leading experts on eclipses, Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson, spill the proverbial beans on everything students could possibly want to know about the upcoming total solar eclipse. (Price: $19.99, black and white; $34.99, color)
• Eclipse Kit from NASA. With NASA’s kit, you’ll be amply prepared with activities and answers for curious students. NASA also provides a more expansive activity guide for the August 21 total solar eclipse and general eclipse lesson plans.

 

Have you taught about lunar and solar eclipses before? What are your favorite lesson plans, activities, or resources? Share your thoughts in the comments or start a thread in the community forum.

On August 21, 2017, we’ll see something the country has not seen in 38 years: a total solar eclipse. The day will be an exciting one for students and science teachers, alike. Let’s make it educational, too.

People across the country are looking forward to watching the sun completely disappear behind the moon. The total solar eclipse will darken skies from Oregon to South Carolina, an extremely rare event that for some locations on earth may occur as infrequently as every 1,000 years!

Legends of Learning has developed a lesson plan for the Eclipses and Seasons Learning Objective that you can use with your students. With it, we’re offering two of our games — “Walter’s Travels” and “Bubble Eclipse” — publicly on our Alpha Games page.

Complete with digital edgames playlists, assessment questions, and a visual eclipse simulation, our lesson plan has everything your students need to learn about this rare phenomenon. Check it out below, or download the PDF version!

Learning Objective: Eclipses & Seasons

NGSS Standard DCI
MS-ESS1.B-2. – This model of the solar system can explain eclipses of the sun and the moon. Earth’s spin axis is fixed in direction over the short-term but tilted relative to its orbit around the sun. The seasons are a result of that tilt and are caused by the differential intensity of sunlight on different areas of Earth across the year.

Objective

Students will be able to:

1. Explain why solar and lunar eclipses occur
2. Explain why Earth has seasons
3. Draw and manipulate models of solar and lunar eclipses
4. Draw a model of Earth’s location during various seasons

Time Required:
75 minutes

Materials Needed

• Small beach ball (or other similar sized ball)
• Ping pong ball tied to a string
• Flashlight
• Teacher computer with internet access
• Projector/Smartboard
• 1 computer/laptop/iPad per student with internet access
• Eclipses and Seasons handout (attached)

Teacher Preparation

• Create Playlist 1, a 30-minute playlist in Legends of Learning with the following games found in the Eclipses and Seasons learning objective (in order):

1. Science Fair: Eclipse and Seasons
2. Volleclipse

• Create Playlist 2, a 10-minute playlist in Legends of Learning with 5 assessment questions from the Eclipses and Seasons learning objective
• Make copies of Eclipses and Seasons Worksheet (1 per student)

Engage (10 minutes)

1. Lay the flashlight on a table and place the beach ball approximately 24 inches in front of the flashlight.
2. Turn off the lights in the room and turn on the flashlight.
3. Holding the ping pong ball by the string, place the ping pong ball between the flashlight and the beach ball.
4. Ask for student observations regarding where they see the light hitting the beach ball and where they see shadow.
   • Answer: Light hitting the ping pong ball and beach ball. Small shadow on front of beach ball as well.
5. Continue holding the ping pong ball by the string, move the ping pong ball so that it is behind the beach ball.
6. Ask for student observations regarding where they see the light and shadow in this position.
   • Answer: Light hitting the beach ball fully, no shadow on the beach ball. Full shadow on the ping pong ball.

Explain to students: “I just demonstrated a phenomenon called an eclipse. Today we will learn about types of eclipses and also review why we have seasons. Think about this demonstration during today’s lesson as we will refer back to it at the end of class.”

Explore (30 minutes)

• Have your students sign in to Legends of Learning and enter your teacher code.
• Launch Playlist 1 to your students.
• As students complete Science Fair: Eclipse and Seasons, students should fill out the Eclipses and Seasons Handout.
• Assist students as needed during game play, pause playlist if you need to address content or questions to entire class.

Explain (20 minutes)

• Review answers to Eclipses and Seasons Handout by drawing diagrams on board or using Smartboard.
• Relate student knowledge to demonstration at the beginning of class.
  • Which item represents the sun? (flashlight)
  • Which item represents the earth? (beach ball)
  • Which item represents the moon? (ping pong ball)
  • Who can demonstrate a lunar eclipse using the items? (ping pong ball held behind the beach ball)
    1. Have student explain why
  • Who can demonstrate a solar eclipse using the items? (ping pong ball held between the flashlight and beach ball)
    1. Have student explain why

Elaborate (5 minutes)

• Explain to students that although they experience seasons all the time, they are less likely to experience a lunar eclipse, and the opportunity to experience a solar eclipse is even more rare.
• Show this timelapse video of what happens on Earth during a solar eclipse: https://vimeo.com/53641212
• Ask students to describe what they are seeing in the video.
  • Answer: It is broad daylight then goes dark like nighttime, then back to broad daylight very quickly. The sun is completely blocked out for a while.

Evaluate (10 minutes)

• Launch Playlist 2 to your students. When they finish the assessment questions, any time left is freeplay.
• Analyze student results to determine what concepts need to be a focus for reteaching.

Seasons & Eclipses: Worksheet

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Name: _________________________________

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Directions:
While playing the first game in Legends of Learning called Science Fair: Eclipse and Seasons, use what you learn to complete the diagrams and answer the questions below.

Seasons

Label the seasons in the Northern and Southern hemisphere at each location.

Circle the correct answer

1. Question 1: It is summer for the hemisphere that is pointing (away from, towards) the sun.
2. Question 2: It is winter for the hemisphere that is pointing (away from, towards) the sun.
3. Question 3: When a hemisphere is pointing towards the sun, the sun’s rays are (stronger, weaker) on that part of earth, making it (hotter, colder).
4. Question 4: When a hemisphere is pointing away from the sun, the sun’s rays are (stronger, weaker) on that part of earth, making it (hotter, colder).

Draw the location of the sun, moon, and earth during a lunar eclipse and during a solar eclipse. MAKE SURE YOU LABEL THE SUN, MOON, AND EARTH!