April Features from Internet 4 Classrooms

April Blog | App of The Month | What's Happening |
New- Online Practice | New- Printables | New- Answer Keys |
Teacher Resources | Parent Resources | Technology Tips |
Other Areas of Interest | Common Core |
SAT and ACT Test Preparation

April brings Autism Awareness Month, National School Library Month, World Health Day, Earth Day, and much more. Visit our monthly newsletter to see all the details.

April Blog: Fun and Engaging STEM Activities for Kids

Fun and Engaging STEM Activities for Kids

This month's blog is Fun and Engaging STEM Activities for Kids.

The majority of jobs over the approaching decades are predicted to rely heavily on skills linked to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), so it's more important than ever for parents and educators to keep kids engaged and passionate about these subjects that can often be testing to master. To help, we've compiled some fun and engaging STEM activities that are simple to execute at home or in the classroom.

Guest blogger Jude McLean is a father of two homeschooled children. When he's not busy teaching or working, he can be found writing about education, learning and development. .

App of the Month

Every month we are going to feature a different, and hopefully FREE, iPad/iPod/iPhone/Android educational application. Visit our ever-changing app page.

The App of the Month for April is Robot School By Next is Great ( iOS and Android ).

Robot School. Programming For Kids is a programming game suitable for children aged 7 and above.

• Winner of 2015 Parents’ Choice Gold Award
  
• "Of all the programming related games I played,this is the best one ever played."
  
• "Robot story is keeping my kids from going to bed. Sure to be a hit at school too. Thanks!”
  
• "It is apps like these that make me wonder if my life would have turned out differently if better teaching tools had been offered at an early age. I feel fortunate for my boy to have a chance to work with Robot School and all of its many levels that start off simply and lead to the very complex. I am eager to see where this app and others like it will take him as he gets older, making the time he spends with Robot School time well spent."

R-obbie the Robot crashed his spaceship in a far away galaxy. R-obbie needs a lot of energy to get back to his planet. Drag and drop programming instructions to help him reach the fuel he needs to return home safely.

Robot School offers a child-friendly way to learn procedures, loops and conditional instructions, while making programming fun and accessible, regardless of prior experience.

Key Features:

1. 45 levels that teach real programming logic
2. Drag and drop instructions to control R-obbie and collect the fuel
3. New powers and achievements unlocked after completing each level
4. A preview of your code in Swift programming language
5. An easy way to share your code on Facebook
6. NO in-app purchases

PSST... Robot School is a great logic game for grown ups too!

-----

"In fifteen years we'll be teaching programming just like reading and writing... and wondering why we didn't do it sooner."
-- Mark Zuckerberg

"Robot School is a great app for teaching coding to kids in a way that helps them visualize what is being taught."
-- 148apps.com

"If you have been wondering how to help your kids learn how to code, Robot School is a great place to start. It’s suitable for ages 7+ who love to play LEGO and want to learn how to control their own robots. The game is an excellent playground for kids to practice their critical thinking and creative problem solving skills."
-- Geeks With Juniors

"There’s a lot of buzz about children learning coding. Robot School is one of the apps trying to help. For age seven and up, it introduces coding logic across 45 levels of accessible, robot-guided puzzling."
-- The Guardian

"Robot School, a game for kids 7 and up, looks like a fancy version of Light-Bot."
-- Boing Boing

"I admire this app a great deal as it allows users the chance to drag and drop programming commands so children can spend their time focusing on the logic of how to move this robot about without having to memorize bits of code or struggling to avoid simple typos and other mistakes that will cause impasses and frustrations. With these commands laid out in front of users organized left to right, much like reading a book, the coding experience is eased for reluctant users who can truly visualize how these codes effect the movements of R-obbie. There is no time limit to these tasks, no score to beat, and no stars to collect, which I appreciate a great deal."
-- AppReviewDaddy.com

"This cool educational app offers a series of challenges that kids can solve using programming elements, including functions like loops that are used in languages from BASIC to Java. The levels get progressively more complex as they introduce new variables and require more steps to reach the solution. You can even see how your code translates to Swift, an iOS and OS X programming language, based on the elements you’ve used."
-- Cool Mom Tech

"We think the app is a great addition to support students from the age of 6+, as they embark on grasping the foundations of programming."
-- UK Ed Chat

Robot School is available for Apple and Android devices.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 7.0 or later on Apple devices and Android version 2.3 and up on your Android device.

WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS MONTH?

Here are some of the April events that you can celebrate or make note of this month:

1. Autism Awareness Month
   
   I4C has an Autism Spectrum Disorder page where you can find information and websites. Visit our Autism classroom tools as well as our Autism parent resources. We also have an entire area dedicated to exceptional children, including ADHD, assistive technology, learning disorders, and more.


2. National School Library Month
   
   Explore our extensive section of Library Resources. Find librarian resources, physical libraries, virtual libraries, presidential libraries, and museums.



3. Easter (4/1)
   
   Happy Easter! Celebrate this holiday with I4C's Easter resource page, filled with tons of fun crafts and projects.




4. World Health Day (4/7)
   
   Obesity numbers are rising and controversial food additives continue to cause harm. Reinforce good habits using our Health resources page, discussing everything from breakfast basics and food pyramids to daily hygiene, drug and alcohol abuse, and heart health. We also have links to physical education and nutrition and wellness too.



5. Paul Revere Rides and Revolutionary War Begins (4/18-19/1775)
   
   The famous Longfellow Poem reminds us all of Paul Revere's Ride. Learn about that midnight ride, what it meant, and even see the route he took. Explore the conflicts that led up to the Revolutionary War. Find timelines, lesson plans, and interactives all explaining the cause and effects of the American Revolution.



6. Earth Day (4/22)
   
   Honor the earth today! Check out our Earth Day page for fun activities, crafts, projects, and lesson plans. We also have Earth Science resources for you to use in your classroom.



7. Hubble Telescope launched (4/25/1990)
   
   Learn about what the Hubble Telescope has discovered, view beautiful pictures of the cosmos, and find out how the telescope works. Find Hubble Telescope educational resources here. Explore our Space page for elementary school to find fun activities and check out our Astronomy pages to learn about our solar system, stars, and our universe.




8. Take Your Child to Work Day (4/26)
   
   Today, share your workplace with your child. Teach them about what you do during the workday and how what they're learning in school relates to your career. Here are some helpful planning tips for teachers and parents. Find ideas of what to do in your workplace, whether it be in an office, a university, or at home.

New- ONLINE PRACTICE AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms now offers Online Practice and Interactives, covering Kindergarten to Eighth Grade Common Core Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice quizzes tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays.

Check out our Online Practice Quizzes! More grades and subjects coming soon!

New Online Practice Quizzes Made Available in AUGUST!

We have released many new online quizzes during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest quizzes by grade.

New- COMMON CORE MATHEMATICS PRINTABLES AT I4C

Internet4Classrooms offers Printables, covering Kindergarten to Sixth Grade Mathematics. Look for a rapidly growing variety of thousands of practice worksheets tied to the Common Core State Standards, School Subjects, Activities, and Holidays.

Check out our Common Core Printables! More grades and subjects coming soon!

New Printables Worksheets Made Available in AUGUST!

We have released thousands of new printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Try them out, and then use them with your students as:

• Bell Ringers,
• In Class Assignments,
• Homework or
• Extra Credit.

Here is a list of the newest worksheet sets by grade.

New- Answer Keys




New Worksheet Answer Keys Made Available in AUGUST!

We have released thousands of new answer keys for our printables worksheets during the last months supporting the Common Core Standards.

Remember that you can sign up for answer key access here: https://i4c.xyz/n89msyv.

Here is a list of the newest answer key sets by grade.





TEACHER RESOURCES



1. Many historical events happened this month which you can cover in your classroom. Check outI4C's History page for lesson plans, videos, activities, and other resources to supplement your lessons!


2. April is Autism Awareness Month, and we know it's becoming more recognized in our children and classrooms. Browse our Autism Classroom resources as well as parent guides. Our Exceptional Children area also combines teacher tools for ADHD, Dyslexia, Gifted, and other learning and behavior disorders.


3. Why was there a Midnight Ride? Watch this great video of how kids describe Paul Revere and the Longfellow Poem "Paul Revere's Ride." (NOTE: There may be an advertisement before the video that I4C does not control.)


4. This Earth Day, find fun activities, projects, and lesson plans you can use on our Earth Day resource page. We also have great Earth Science resources for you to use in your classroom.


5. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps!


6. Remember to visit our Teacher Tools section! This home page contains all the topics you need to use during the school year.


7. Go to our grade level help for lesson plans, activities, instructionals, and tools organized by grade and subject.



PARENT RESOURCES




1. April is Autism Awareness Month. Learn about visual symbols and timetables that can aid in communication and find other parent resources on Autism.


2. Find fun Easter projects and Easter brunch ideas.


3. Earth Day is April 22nd. Show your children why we celebrate Earth Day. Get them involved in recycling. Check out earth day projects you can do at home.


4. Be sure to check out I4C's collection of free educational iPhone and iPad apps for you and your child!


5. You can always visit our Parent Resources page to get grade level practice sites, find online sources, and information pertaining to homework, special needs, reading help, and more.


6. Don't forget our Technology Tutorial section in case you need refresher courses in your computer skills.





TECHNOLOGY TIPS



1. How to Make a 3D Hologram Video of Yourself:
   Check out this cool tutorial for how to make a 3D hologram video of yourself in PowerPoint! While actual holograms are still a few years away, you can get a small taste of the future with this cool effect for how to make 3D hologram videos of yourself in PowerPoint!
   
   Learn more in the YouTube video found: HERE


2. Mr. Peters Classroom YouTube Channel:
   Mr. Peter's Classroom is a great YouTube Channel to visit -- you should subscribe to it. For math teachers you will find almost 100 math videos that correlate to Common Core Standards. The lessons are aligned to Scott Foresman's enVision Math Series, but they can be used with any series. There's a lot more, including a good video with STEM ideas called STEM in the Classroom. .
   
   Learn more by visiting and subscribing: HERE.


3. The Basics of Creating a Quiz in Google Forms:
   Richard Byrne has developed a quick tutorial on making quizzes with Google Forms. If you're new to Google Forms, this video will get you started on making self-graded quizzes in Google Forms.
   
   You can find out more: HERE.






We also have other basic instruction in Microsoft Office, including Word 2007, Excel 2007, Powerpoint 2007.





OTHER AREAS OF INTEREST



1. Resources for Educators - In this section you can find classroom resources for Exceptional Children, Smartboards, Character Education, Web 2.0 Resources and other topics.
2. Resources for Parents - Parents can find resources
   on assisting their children with homework, time management, Internet Safety, subject area resources, grade level resources and more.




Common Core State Standards at I4C




Our Common Core State Standards are full of resources for every individual standard. Students can take control of their own learning by clicking on the page with the standard number, and choosing their own resource to practice that skill.




Check out our Common Core Math High School Algebra Standards, Common Core Math Standards, and Common Core ELA Standards.




SAT and ACT Test Preparation

Free Online Practice Resources for ACT Tests and SAT Tests! I4C now offers free SAT and ACT vocabulary and math quizzes. Join our SAT and ACT Test Preparation program and log in as much as you'd like. Students can take practice tests on 5000 vocabulary words or over 1000 math problems. Parents and Mentors can log in to monitor your scores - including seeing which vocabulary words that were missed. Interactive quizzes allow the test taker to retake and study as much as they want.




Sign Up Here for ACT Test & SAT Test Preparation!