Tech Thursday (2/3/2022): Mystery Science Launches New Site

<p> </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo5XH_vco-5rdD-E3uDSKnshn3nzVD-0OwsaLJ_CxqSkoyPphQT2VsCh1Wi5z4dPe0haNvJE1tZ5cbbwWBRMC0AR1kJIEXqAHxv_X9CRwZxeBjosaB8bVL1JRd-Z9IeGGHyYaPY-5hrGW98r-FxaKxKsP9yxCvhXPOY3pGHLiBXDHoMhDWdj6kIGF4Sw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="121" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgo5XH_vco-5rdD-E3uDSKnshn3nzVD-0OwsaLJ_CxqSkoyPphQT2VsCh1Wi5z4dPe0haNvJE1tZ5cbbwWBRMC0AR1kJIEXqAHxv_X9CRwZxeBjosaB8bVL1JRd-Z9IeGGHyYaPY-5hrGW98r-FxaKxKsP9yxCvhXPOY3pGHLiBXDHoMhDWdj6kIGF4Sw=w158-h165" width="158" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Mystery Science</i> Launches New Site!</span></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Just a head's up that the look and feel of the <i>Mystery Science</i> website has changed as of January 28th, 2022! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqhMKMXBTD955mBYbTxqW_wwL0pciw4zKGJDtT6o0a2L8jF7b67-LV9CSbhqcWaHJmVlKphEsu0smwkg6ClABR8Ani1pfgTJqK9He688RsCDzy56iGlRMrXMFNP39VCvvHBBAwTRjrega6p0jCuBvSQh7NpSNKBpdcGJD6BR0Q00FtWeHM9dPKeHyWpQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1916" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqhMKMXBTD955mBYbTxqW_wwL0pciw4zKGJDtT6o0a2L8jF7b67-LV9CSbhqcWaHJmVlKphEsu0smwkg6ClABR8Ani1pfgTJqK9He688RsCDzy56iGlRMrXMFNP39VCvvHBBAwTRjrega6p0jCuBvSQh7NpSNKBpdcGJD6BR0Q00FtWeHM9dPKeHyWpQ=w627-h284" width="627" /></a></div><div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The <i>Mystery Science</i> Team has phased out their old site and has launched a new site in order to add more features and improvements for educators. Regular users may have already explored the new site; the "new" site was made permanent as of January 28th, 2022.  </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXLSjQFbe4zmugwK30nkVFzYiP4846U-J3hiitaARkv7o_JfGorxXdTUa2pGWCwCiet8up_wkkqIMHSTDcS4dMr2fJao8EpW_aRnriIRsDXsQ1-FYtbfiPU8ujNZnJgDhg0QxyrN-iEUvLgsgtPEGegEy48mOqvi1rV7Vwkv6KeJ7D5yBn8_tpY1nR-Q" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="2000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXLSjQFbe4zmugwK30nkVFzYiP4846U-J3hiitaARkv7o_JfGorxXdTUa2pGWCwCiet8up_wkkqIMHSTDcS4dMr2fJao8EpW_aRnriIRsDXsQ1-FYtbfiPU8ujNZnJgDhg0QxyrN-iEUvLgsgtPEGegEy48mOqvi1rV7Vwkv6KeJ7D5yBn8_tpY1nR-Q=w449-h225" width="449" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The new look includes friendly font that mimics teacher's handwriting, bright colors that are usually found in a classroom, and many new and engaging images. Besides a new look,  teachers will be able to find lessons with a "Top 5 Bonus" feature as well as "See all units at once" feature! </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSOXJXhLSzS7QzDc19sgcwdXddxlO7LlGIN319ZfA2lKBdycARGeIikqSVZgrf0LbnaFXctJ6A9uD8xoFBtr2ylaLkd2ux6SZMLqsh6IAiho8FBQ384NKr52NJs1ulYvGXWKU4xJHdj35cC35niBOUSRXH7l58a4qHihteDKOREZu7EYHwD8xsuXvdSQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="398" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSOXJXhLSzS7QzDc19sgcwdXddxlO7LlGIN319ZfA2lKBdycARGeIikqSVZgrf0LbnaFXctJ6A9uD8xoFBtr2ylaLkd2ux6SZMLqsh6IAiho8FBQ384NKr52NJs1ulYvGXWKU4xJHdj35cC35niBOUSRXH7l58a4qHihteDKOREZu7EYHwD8xsuXvdSQ=w302-h300" width="302" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>K-5 Educators will still access Mystery Science through ClassLink launchpad and/or through Discovery Education. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">If you have questions about Mystery Science or would like help integrating this tool into your classroom lessons, please reach out to the Digital Learning Team at digitallearning@johnston.k12.nc.us</span><div><p></p><p><br /></p><p></p></div>

Tech Thursday (2/3/2022): Mystery Science Launches New Site

  Mystery Science Launches New Site! Just a head's up that the look and feel of the Mystery Science website has changed as of January ...

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Wednesday Web Tool: Interactive Sites for K-5 Education

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70LtDYPwtTJ6fhLWrwkdJb4RPAjhfbWnocC5Eb-6FspGRWMU6tJRmoIxrbaSKyt0xSmkxX7EuWOw3AVqwis47sS8folIHpLy_R6KL_eMLOm-Xx2-bMNgQqPZFah5v3Bzya9FwvIwA2dM/s1600/student-using-computer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70LtDYPwtTJ6fhLWrwkdJb4RPAjhfbWnocC5Eb-6FspGRWMU6tJRmoIxrbaSKyt0xSmkxX7EuWOw3AVqwis47sS8folIHpLy_R6KL_eMLOm-Xx2-bMNgQqPZFah5v3Bzya9FwvIwA2dM/s200/student-using-computer.png" width="200" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week we are highlighting an awesome resource for all elementary teachers. <a href="https://twitter.com/karenogen?lang=en">Karen Ogen</a> has created a clean website filled with interactive lessons and simulations for all areas of elementary education. <a href="http://interactivesites.weebly.com/">Interactive Learning Sites</a> has categories by subject area and strand with direct links to activities.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To visit Interactive Learning Sites, go to: <a href="http://interactivesites.weebly.com/">http://interactivesites.weebly.com/</a></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqaFoHkyOdBJpTGqSo3o-aIS-oUtO-V2DCNU6EjG97_KQl1zI0jCwXLL0vN-vxR7YjpBhi_QHoNmHSw2riPpPt7g_YXRpbUUIJqQqlo-8YbTmxlQErmOuXEUTeQPMjUOnh_QovWbs-wQ/s1600/Interactive+Learning+Sites+for+Education+++Home.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqaFoHkyOdBJpTGqSo3o-aIS-oUtO-V2DCNU6EjG97_KQl1zI0jCwXLL0vN-vxR7YjpBhi_QHoNmHSw2riPpPt7g_YXRpbUUIJqQqlo-8YbTmxlQErmOuXEUTeQPMjUOnh_QovWbs-wQ/s400/Interactive+Learning+Sites+for+Education+++Home.png" width="400" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once you click on a subject area, you will be taken to a list of topics/objectives to choose from. Here is the current list of science topics:</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TbxfJqUPLxpc_YISxK_GTB3QrxrepbjQXo2aj_24qY48gqhaZCkGT7qK93wfZdmiwiiruMoKA5L2GarEzKr_RVp4iDk14_a2P5_TkT5JoA970tugjnCMOL7P5-EhIKw2xuhua62nqXs/s1600/Science+++Interactive+Learning+Sites+for+Education.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TbxfJqUPLxpc_YISxK_GTB3QrxrepbjQXo2aj_24qY48gqhaZCkGT7qK93wfZdmiwiiruMoKA5L2GarEzKr_RVp4iDk14_a2P5_TkT5JoA970tugjnCMOL7P5-EhIKw2xuhua62nqXs/s400/Science+++Interactive+Learning+Sites+for+Education.png" width="270" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Clicking on a topic will take you to a grid of interactive websites and games. Here is the grid of interactive activities for the topic of landforms in science:</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRfpHO6HSTuIOL0fzlQ_nq1NPnxOx9grZNpu6HpxhOORF9Agu6WC5lLj3AlNaoZJhaY3iKpDJ0EBeNQoPbg2_8G6umjfC7oUc1k3z0CxHbIWSwibf97La6N_Hpj6vgdxvkP1uGxlRSMM/s1600/Landforms+++Interactive+Learning+Sites+for+Education+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnRfpHO6HSTuIOL0fzlQ_nq1NPnxOx9grZNpu6HpxhOORF9Agu6WC5lLj3AlNaoZJhaY3iKpDJ0EBeNQoPbg2_8G6umjfC7oUc1k3z0CxHbIWSwibf97La6N_Hpj6vgdxvkP1uGxlRSMM/s320/Landforms+++Interactive+Learning+Sites+for+Education+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></span></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Karen has put together an amazing resource to share with educators and updates the site on a routine basis.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As with any website that could be considered a "game" by our district internet filter, I would recommend you have a student try to access the resource on a Chromebook or other device to make sure they can access it with our internet filters. If you find a resource that is blocked that you would like to use, you can request it to be <a href="http://bit.ly/jcsblock">unblocked by filling out this brief form</a>.</span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks to Karen for her hard work in creating <a href="http://interactivesites.weebly.com/">Interactive Learning Sites</a>!</span></div>

Wednesday Web Tool: Interactive Sites for K-5 Education

This week we are highlighting an awesome resource for all elementary teachers. Karen Ogen has created a clean website filled with inte...

Read more »

Wednesday Web Tool: PhET- Free Online Science and Math Simulations!

<div style="text-align: center;"> This week we are sharing a wonderful free resource for interactive science and math simulations. These simulations cover a variety of topic areas and really help students understand and apply concepts. There is also a teacher area with lesson plans and resources for how to use the simulations in your classroom. The BEST part about this free resource is that the simulations work on ANY device including Chromebooks and iPads by using the HTML 5 version.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> To get started, visit: <a href="https://phet.colorado.edu/">https://phet.colorado.edu/</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaMR2bDw2-WJNkHkaW-tJQfJolJezCZ8RWjX-EdnfMeODbUXyavAi0QjYGG22jtLe_Obq5z-xL93lqk4IPqEKwLqVuGgakQToEASPQbj7JdrNrWqEHtQ2P5AnUUS0TtaEJ2g7o-RP0-0A/s1600/phet+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvaMR2bDw2-WJNkHkaW-tJQfJolJezCZ8RWjX-EdnfMeODbUXyavAi0QjYGG22jtLe_Obq5z-xL93lqk4IPqEKwLqVuGgakQToEASPQbj7JdrNrWqEHtQ2P5AnUUS0TtaEJ2g7o-RP0-0A/s1600/phet+1.png" width="616" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> From the main page, you can see the sections along the bottom of the page that have tech support as well as the teacher support area. To view all the simulations, click on the "Play with sims" button.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLNlnEclnqM8rfpS59LTLvkBkhCmLRyfE-cIIDwpm5hmg9fmv2gmCxCELFRcKOqfBL3hZ5VDVly_ouHA8sZPZkXpRhoGVl99WPS-5etd_e4RQKy1kCtGzkVUA6Ps8IdzQju018kU02OWt/s1600/phet+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLNlnEclnqM8rfpS59LTLvkBkhCmLRyfE-cIIDwpm5hmg9fmv2gmCxCELFRcKOqfBL3hZ5VDVly_ouHA8sZPZkXpRhoGVl99WPS-5etd_e4RQKy1kCtGzkVUA6Ps8IdzQju018kU02OWt/s1600/phet+2.png" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> From this page, I can click on the different subject areas using the menu on the left side to view the simulations by topic area. Let's explore Earth Science.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWfbA93CXpbSb82SVLXR5Zn-pW71AnZ2Ahu8oUFkWa8wRThb8Sbmi1un4pTypC4pFQnTxaD4oMfCdcR1WWbdX-R9KQwG_VUho05qhegbu6jvMGAbObrTCx59gWAEbGQyphdYOX5rF0Rsa/s1600/phet+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEWfbA93CXpbSb82SVLXR5Zn-pW71AnZ2Ahu8oUFkWa8wRThb8Sbmi1un4pTypC4pFQnTxaD4oMfCdcR1WWbdX-R9KQwG_VUho05qhegbu6jvMGAbObrTCx59gWAEbGQyphdYOX5rF0Rsa/s1600/phet+3.png" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Click on a simulation to load the overview page. I'm going to explore balloons and static electricity.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhw1gua95-k483j6bhHhRFHz9A1og_qXc9en8fq_kh8Y8Q0DlxjnNRSsB2prEdxgcAf0_sKKaSmjhyphenhyphen56jvJ8lgPp0yAWCZQDkATcIM-kH8_l4xvZNPxZz9pxXeWqulhXRljmryJBJWt5_y/s1600/phet+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhw1gua95-k483j6bhHhRFHz9A1og_qXc9en8fq_kh8Y8Q0DlxjnNRSsB2prEdxgcAf0_sKKaSmjhyphenhyphen56jvJ8lgPp0yAWCZQDkATcIM-kH8_l4xvZNPxZz9pxXeWqulhXRljmryJBJWt5_y/s1600/phet+4.png" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> The simulation overview page gives you more information about the simulation, direct links to the simulation as well as a link to download the simulation. If you want to run the simulation on Chromebooks or tablets, be sure to click the HTML 5 link as that one does not require Java or Flash. At the bottom of the page you can view the teachers guide and teaching ideas for the simulation.</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Here is what the simulation looks like for me on a desktop:</div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsExcpNn8JlQTPcU8GS_cgUrstkTDRUJGD3a6jhoawiWKoRaeoPI79a_LHKI0giGFBLKlz5xKigL3FwcwD5udlG__49fksDKCkpABpaknCm5cjkKlSdnM1p_RqBGPb_xN8y2U_ef3De2rv/s1600/phet+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsExcpNn8JlQTPcU8GS_cgUrstkTDRUJGD3a6jhoawiWKoRaeoPI79a_LHKI0giGFBLKlz5xKigL3FwcwD5udlG__49fksDKCkpABpaknCm5cjkKlSdnM1p_RqBGPb_xN8y2U_ef3De2rv/s1600/phet+5.png" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> There are a variety of variables that students can turn on and off. Students could use these simulations to complete virtual labs and collaborate on a lab report using Google Docs to explain their observations and findings.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://phet.colorado.edu/" target="_blank">PhET</a> is run by the University of Colorado at Boulder and they update the website on a weekly basis with new simulations and updates to teacher guides and activities. I hope you explore this awesome resource with your students to apply their knowledge in math and science topics.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Questions or Comments?</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> Please email me at: pamelabatchelor@johnston.k12.nc.us</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div>

Wednesday Web Tool: PhET- Free Online Science and Math Simulations!

This week we are sharing a wonderful free resource for interactive science and math simulations. These simulations cover a variety of topic...

Read more »