Science games

Today I went on a hunt for science games that I could use in my classroom. During this search I came across Sciencekids.co.nz.  This site has a compilation of science simulation games along with other experiments, lessons, quizzes and other activities for teachers and students. The site seems mostly geared towards elementary students and some of the games are better than others. Most of the games could be used as an introductory activity to peek student interest or possibly as a replacement to a live experiment when materials weren't available or time is short. A positive to the games is that most include discussion questions to guide students' scientific inquiry. Here are two games that I liked.

Title: How Plants Grow

Publisher: Science for Kids

Summary: The goal of the game is to create the best environment for the plant to grow tall. Players control the conditions of the room to see how light, water and heat affect the growth of a plant. The game is four weeks long. Players click on the levers to give the plant water and to increase or decrease the heat in the room. Players can also pull down a window shade to take away sun light. Questions at the end of the game encourage players to try out other situations such as no sun light or no heat to see what happens to the plant. If the plant dies, a clear explanation of why is given.

Educational Value:  I think this game is a good way for students to apply what they know about how plants survive. With teacher led discussion, students could be encouraged to make hypotheses and to draw conclusions. I would use this game as an introduction to a "live" plant experiment in the classroom. Students can use the background knowledge they gain from playing the game to hypothesize what they think will happen to the real plants. This could also take the place of the experiment if there was not enough time before a long vacation or summer for students to observe a real plant grow.

Opinion: Overall I would use this game in my classroom. I recommend that teachers play the game ahead of time to familiarize themselves with the game play. Once I got the hang of it, the game was pretty easy to control. In the beginning the directions are not very clear. I do like that the game includes questions and encourages further experimentation.

Link: How Plants Grow

Title: Teeth and Eating

Publisher: Science for Kids

Summary: The purpose of this game is for players to use what they know about animals and what they eat to give each one the correct set of teeth.  Students match three sets of teeth to a sheep, lion, human and a penguin. Players can click on magnifying glasses next to each set of teeth to get more information. The information provided explains whether the teeth belongs to an omnivore, herbivore or a carnivore, has a diagram of the teeth and explains how the animal uses the features of the teeth to consume food. Also once players finish they click eat. Then they are given immediate feed back. If players are correct they are encouraged to read more about the teeth and comparison questions are asked. If players are incorrect, the animals explain why the teeth don't belong to them.

Educational Value: I would use this game as an exploration activity during a study of animals' adaptations that help them survive. This activity could be a good starting point. Students do need to have some background knowledge of omnivores, carnivore and herbivores.

Opinion: I think students will enjoy playing this activity. This game will help students learn more about why animals have different kinds of teeth and how they can help the animal survive. I also like the discussion questions at the end. I could see using those questions with "think-pair-share" where students discuss them with a partner or even having students answer them on a quick exit card so I can see what they've learned.

Link: Teeth and Eating