TeachersFirst's Game-Based Learning Resources
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This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst provides the editors’ choices of the TOP tools for game-based learning. Game-based learning is popular in today’s classrooms. Explore tools in various subject and topic areas. Differentiate for all students using games! Find games to help your students learn and review.
Explore all of the resources tagged game-based learning.
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PBS Kids Lab - PBS Kids
Grades
K to 4
tag(s): addition (224), counting (111), data (157), estimation (47), game based learning (137), geometric shapes (169), measurement (177), numbers (194), preK (284), vocabulary (315)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the math activity calendar located on the site, including quick math activities for every day of the year. Create a link to learning games and activities on classroom computers. Post a link on your class website for use at home. Share information on the site with parents to assist them in helping their child with math and reading skills. Be sure to share the PBS Parents Play & Learn app that provides over a dozen learning games for parents to play with their kids, best of all, it is available in English and Spanish!You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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NASA - HIAD App - NASA
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): aeronautics (13), engineering (132), problem solving (294), STEM (191)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Include this site with any STEM lessons or units. Share this activity with students interested in aeronautics or engineering as an excellent opportunity for practice and learning skills. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos with tips and suggestions for successful completion of this hands-on learning activity using a tool like wevideo, reviewed here. Share them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here. HIAD would also be an excellent activity for an after school science club.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Bioman Biology - Brett Baughman
Grades
5 to 10This site includes advertising.
tag(s): body systems (58), cells (99), classification (25), dna (64), ecology (133), evolution (101), game based learning (137), genetics (87), human body (133), meiosis (15), photosynthesis (33), respiration (17), scientific method (66)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site to your class on an interactive whiteboard or projector to review and reinforce concepts. If you are lucky enough to have access to iPads for your students, you could have the activities downloaded as apps to use for stations or early finishers. Be sure to include this site on your class webpage for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Have students create animated movies online using Dvolver - Movie Maker, reviewed here, to demonstrate biology concepts. Use an online flashcard maker, like Flashcard Stash, reviewed here, to review concepts before quizzes and tests.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scholastic Family Playground - Scholastic
Grades
K to 2This site includes advertising.
tag(s): game based learning (137), literacy (105), preK (284)
In the Classroom
Create a link to the Family Playground on classroom computers for use as a literacy center. Be sure to share a link to the site with parents on your class web page or newsletter. Take advantage of printables to use with classroom read alouds.Comments
I must appreciate the way you have expressed your feelings through your blog!Temple, TAMPS, Grades: 0 - 12
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Dice Roll - S Riley Teacherled
Grades
K to 8tag(s): game based learning (137), mental math (30), operations (122), probability (137)
In the Classroom
Have fun in your classroom with virtual dice on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this with young students just learning to count. Have students take a guess about what number will "win." Use as an incentive and allow a student to roll the dice to meet a class goal. Set a goal of a large number, and every time a small goal is achieved, roll the dice and keep adding. Keep track until the class achieves the sum given. Practice basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division facts. Have team competitions and choose winners by even/odd, the greatest/least sum, greatest/least product or quotient. Allow students to work in small groups to play the mathematical practice games. For larger digits, roll two die simultaneously and get the greater number. Do the same to get double or triple digit numbers. Encourage your students to practice at home and play against their parents. Any time you need a dice, go to your bookmarked site. In older grades study probability and chance. Use the data and create line plots or graphs in various forms. Be sure to incorporate mean, median, and mode.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Manga High - Manga High
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): addition (224), critical thinking (118), DAT device agnostic tool (175), data (157), decimals (125), division (159), equations (154), fractions (229), game based learning (137), geometric shapes (169), multiplication (209), problem solving (294), subtraction (186)
In the Classroom
Create your class account on Manga High and assign activities for your entire class or differentiate based on student performance levels. Use the search tool to assign tutorials based on grade level or Common Core standard. Add your class to public leaderboards and challenge students to improve their standing versus other classes. Be sure to provide a link to Manga High on your class website or blog for students to access from home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Online Music Games - Russian Music Games
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): game based learning (137), music theory (44), musical instruments (51), musical notation (39)
In the Classroom
In music class, present basic information virtually using technology to catch your students' interest. No music classes? Present basic musical information to your students. Any students who require differentiation can learn music basics at centers to build their musical repertoire. During Readers' Theater, create masterpieces to promote the mood in the plot. Create centers with this tool to increase creativity with a gift rarely used in most classrooms, music.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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PBS Interactive Whiteboard Games - PBS Kids
Grades
K to 5tag(s): design (88), environment (321), estimation (47), game based learning (137), gravity (50), literacy (105), measurement (177), operations (122), painting (65), patterns (86), reading comprehension (127), sight words (36), suffixes (13), vocabulary (315), vocabulary development (119)
In the Classroom
Use activities from this site on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) to supplement current lessons. Create a link to specific activities on classroom computers for use as a learning center. Allow students to explore these sites on individual computers. Share links to games and activities on your class web page for students to try at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Branches of Power - Annenberg Classroom
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): bill of rights (28), branches of government (52), constitution (88), game based learning (137), supreme court (24)
In the Classroom
Use the Sunnylands Civics Games to introduce Constitution-related topics to your class using an interactive whiteboard or projector. View videos together and pause as needed to discuss information. Challenge students to try the interactive activities on individual computers or at home. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Americans described in the games. Have students create timelines (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Capzles, reviewed here, to trace the path of a bill or the writing of the Constitution.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ABC Splash - ABC TV and Radio Australia
Grades
K to 10tag(s): addition (224), animals (319), antarctica (29), atmosphere (29), australia (37), cells (99), climate change (70), continents (51), counting (111), decimals (125), division (159), earth (222), earthquakes (51), ecosystems (91), egypt (65), energy (210), environment (321), food chains (26), forces (48), forensics (26), fossil fuels (18), game based learning (137), gold rush (19), human body (133), immigration (60), insects (72), light (54), maps (294), molecules (45), money (184), multiplication (209), nuclear energy (25), nutrition (159), oceans (166), parts of speech (67), percent (81), perimeter (29), place value (54), plants (176), probability (137), rhymes (30), rocks (52), songs (53), sound (105), subtraction (186), time (138), vietnam (34), volcanoes (68), weather (202), whole numbers (16), world war 1 (56), world war 2 (138)
In the Classroom
This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Share this link on your class web page and/or in a parent newsletter for help with homework and school projects. These high-quality media resources will engage your students and enhance their learning.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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0h h1 - Martin Kool
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (175), game based learning (137), logic (244), problem solving (294), puzzles (204)
In the Classroom
Oh h1 is perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use this site as a computer learning center or on individual computers. Challenge students to increase difficulty levels and elapsed time. Share this engaging site with your gifted students for some mind stretching fun! Be sure to include a link on your class website or blog (parents may want to try this one too). Have students challenge their parents to see who can complete puzzles the quickest!Comments
Great for logic practice.Melissa, , Grades: 0 - 5
Fun logic game-kids won't realize they are learning.Tammy, OR, Grades: 0 - 9
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Engineering Games - engineering-games.net
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): circuits (23), electricity (93), energy (210), engineering (132), game based learning (137), logic (244), machines (27), problem solving (294), robotics (27), rockets (17), simple machines (35), STEM (191)
In the Classroom
Share these excellent STEM activities with your students. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups to find activities of interest. Use Engineering Games to differentiate learning experiences for students based on the difficulty of games. Challenge gifted students with more difficult activities. Provide a link to games on your class web page for students to play at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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English Learning Games - Mn Yazilim
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): colors (78), crosswords (20), game based learning (137), grammar (210), listening (86), logic (244), parts of speech (67)
In the Classroom
Be sure to point out to students how to locate and play the interactives while avoiding the ads. Be patient when loading games, some take several seconds to load fully. Create a link to games on classroom computers. Add a link to your class website for use at home. Share with your school's ESL/ELL teacher as a resource for English language learners.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tynker - Krishna Vedati
Grades
3 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animation (61), coding (66), Computational Thinking (17), computers (101), critical thinking (118), design (88), game based learning (137), gamification (89), problem solving (294), STEM (191)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to learn basic coding skills. Students will quickly catch on to this program when allowed to "tinker" and see what they can make. Provide a simple assignment with defined rules/tasks to learn the tools. Younger students may familiarize themselves more easily working with a partner. Be sure to recommend that students "ask three before me" (the teacher). Have students use an online storyboard to write down what they plan to do/draw/say with their creation, and to help you keep tabs on students and their progress. For creating digital storyboards see Amazon Storybuilder, reviewed here, or Storyboard Generator, reviewed here. When finished with these Tynker lessons, move to other free tools such as Scratch, reviewed here. Teachers of even very young gifted students can turn them loose with these challenges when they have already mastered math or science curriculum. Have them create a creature they can explain to the class or share with gifted peers in other classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MobyMax: Complete K-8 Curriculum - MobyMax.com
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (224), assessment (117), classroom management (152), differentiation (45), division (159), fluency (25), game based learning (137), multiplication (209), subtraction (186), vocabulary (315), vocabulary development (119)
In the Classroom
Create a classroom account. Use MobyMax during centers, for nightly homework, or computer lab time. Share with parents as an excellent resource for practicing math, reading, writing, grammar, science, and vocabulary skills at home. Use the pre-testing features at the beginning of the school year to get students started at the correct levels. Use this tool to differentiate for all students. Your gifted students can pretest out of material already learned and receive activities and instruction at their individual level. Be sure to bookmark this site to use with all levels of students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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