Edubuntu builds to be a complete and ready to use educational environment. As such, Edubuntu comes pre-installed with a complete office suite, teaching and learning programs, pre-school resources and much more across a range of categories. Here is a brief summary and some screenshots for the most popular Edubuntu packages, and if you need more, Edubuntu has thousands of additional applications ready for you to install.
Office Suite
OpenOffice.org is a complete office suite similar to other, commercial office suites. It features a word processor, as well as spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, database, and mathematical formula applications. OpenOffice.org can open and convert most documents from other commercial office suites and has support for many different languages.
Internet
Firefox is the incredible successor to the hugely popular Mozilla browser. Amongst its many features are tabbed browsing, which makes viewing multiple sites a breeze, pop-up blocking, live bookmarks and great accessibility support. Combine these with its fantastic customization engine and you have the most powerful web browsing at your fingertips.
Moving beyond the simple web browser, Edubuntu also comes with an email client and personal information manager, Evolution. Video conferencing with Ekiga as well as instant messaging and chat with Gaim provide communications tools that teachers and students need in an Internet age.
Graphics
In the graphics department, diagrams and flowcharts are a breeze with Dia. Xsane provides an easy to use scanner interface. 3D modeling and animation are Blender's speciality. Image editing similar to other professional photo editors is done using the GIMP. Scribus provides layout and publishing capabilites.
Sound and Video
For all your video and audio play and editing needs, Edubuntu provides several programs including Rhythmbox for music playing and Serpentine for burning audio CDs. Sound Juicer rips audio CD tracks to your computer. Totem is an excellent video and movie player and you can use Kino to edit video clips. Sound Recorder can be used to record audio clips to your computer.
Science
Explore the stars
KStars is a Desktop Planetarium that provides an accurate graphical simulation of the night sky. The program includes details for 130000 stars, 13000 deep-sky objects and all of the planets. KStars has an easy to use interface, so it can be used by everyone, from amateurs through to astronomy experts. You will also find a great deal of general information regarding telescopes and other astronomy related matter.
Research the periodic table
Kalzium is a package for discovering and researching information about the periodic table and the elements. It includes pictures for most of the 111 elements present, along with more detailed information including atomic models, spectrum analysis, chemical data and energies.
Test your chemistry skills
Atomix is a puzzle game, the purpose of which is to make up the molecule displayed from the pieces scattered throughout the level. You can only move them up, down, left and right and they don't stop moving until they hit something.
Mathematics
Program in Logo
KTurtle is a Logo programming language interpreter. The Logo programming language is very easy to learn and thus it can be used by young children. A unique quality of Logo is that the commands or instructions can be translated, so the 'programmer' can program in his or her native language. This makes Logo ideal for teaching kids the basics of programming, mathematics and geometry. One of the reasons many children warm to Logo is due to fact that the programmable icon is a small turtle, which can be moved around the screen with simple commands and can be programmed to draw objects.
Create geometric constructions
Kig is an application that allows teachers and students to create high precision geometrical constructions. These can be built on and used to explain concepts like perpendicular bisectors, tangents and arcs.
Plot mathematical equations
KmPlot is a mathematical function graphing and plotting package. KmPlot has a built in powerful expression parser and you can plot different functions simultaneously and combine their terms to build more complex mathematical functions. It supports functions with parameters and functions in polar coordinates. Plots may also be printed with high precision.
Calculate percentages
KPercentage is a mathematical application that helps pupils improve their skills in calculating percentages. Percentages are split into three types and KPercentage tests pupils on these in three training modes. In addition to this, there is a random mode which will pick questions from each of the three percentage question variations.
Practice Fractions
KBruch is a small program to help pupils practice calculations involving fractions. There are four different types of fraction exercise:
Exercise Fraction Task; where pupils have to solve a given fraction task.
Exercise Comparison; where pupils have to compare 2 given fractions sizes.
Exercise Conversion; where pupils have to convert an already given number into a fraction.
Exercise Factorization; where pupils have to factorize a given number into its prime factor.
Play at Math
TuxMath is an educational arcade game starring Tux, the Linux mascot! Based on the classic arcade game "Missile Command," Tux must defend his cities by solving arithmetic problems.
Drawing
Tux Paint
Tux Paint is a free drawing program designed for young children. The program provides an easy to use interface with fun sound effects and an encouraging cartoon mascot that gives help to children while they are painting.
Generate Fractals
Xaos is a fractal generator with a whole host of extra features for teaching pupils about fractal patterns.
Language
Practice Spanish verbs
With KVerbos you can practice Spanish verb conjugation. The program comes with a large set of over 9,000 Spanish verbs that you can choose from to begin your verb training. The package also keeps track of previous scores so that pupils can identify where their strengths and weaknesses are. Some exercises also have a time limit to raise the level of difficulty for more advanced users.
Play Hangman
KHangman is the classic hangman game with pupils try to guess a word, letter by letter. At each miss, the picture of a hangman is added to. After 10 incorrect tries the game is over.
Basic Skills
Generate and give tests
KEduca is an educational testing package, allowing teachers to create tests for pupils to take. KEduca includes a module for constructing and saving new tests, as well as a separate module for loading and running the exams. Questions can be enhanced with images, multiple choice answers with varying grades, and time limits.
Learn touch typing
KTouch helps pupils to learn to type quickly and correctly. With many different modes and detailed reporting, KTouch truly makes learning touching typing easily.
Gcompris
Gcompris is a suite of over 80 educational games and activities for kids age 4 to 10 to learn with. These include:
Science: the canal lock, the water cycle, the submarine, electric simulation.
Geography: place the country on the map.
Games: chess, memory, connect 4, oware, sudoku.
Reading: reading practice.
Other: learn to tell time, puzzle of famous paintings, vector drawing.
Ofris (Deepfreeze for Linux)
Ofris is the free "deepfreeze" for Linux - it is a program that restores your computer to your initial setting, no matter what is done to it!
For the program to be run, it needs to be downloaded. First access terminal: click applications -> accessories -> terminal is at the end of the list.
Then type in the following:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:tldm217/tahutek.net
then type in
sudo apt-get update then sudo apt-get install ofris-en
Afterwards, type in
ofris-en
Then ofris will be running in the terminal box. Make your selection (I would suggest creating another user first such as "student" and applying ofris from the administrator. Please note only the admin. can run ofris from terminal, not another user). Watch the video on how to run.
Kanagram
Subject Area: Literacy, Language
Recommended Grade Levels: 1 - 6
Kanagram is a program from the KDE project - this program mixes up the letters of a word (creating an anagram), and you have to guess what the mixed up word is. Kanagram features several built-in word lists, hints, and a cheat feature which reveals the original word.
Figure 1 : Kanagram Screenshot
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006) Grades 1 – 8
*note: this is based on the 2006 Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language*
Spelling Familiar Words
3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly
Spelling Unfamiliar Words
3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, and word meanings
Vocabulary
3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using one or two resources
Kanagram is a word game that provides opportunities to students to use words naturally in a variety of contexts, to connect new words to those that they already know, and to practice spelling. Playing word games develops student awareness of rhyme and word patterns, and stimulates inquisitiveness about the meaning of words. Word anagrams have been effectively used before to support Ontario student success in literacy, and Kanagram brings this success to the computer lab.
Khangman
Subject Area: Literacy, Language
Recommended Grade Levels: 1 - 6
Khangman is the classic hangman game, where the child should guess a world letter by letter. AT each miss, the picture of a hangman appears. After 10 tries, if the word is not guessed, the game is over and the answer is displayed. Hints can be given to help you guess the word, and there are at least 4 categories per language: easy, medium, hard and animals which contain only animal nouns.
Figure 2 : Khangman Screenshot
How can KHangman help?
KHangman, like Kanagram, is a word game that provides opportunities for students to practice word association and spelling. Playing word games develops student awareness of rhyme and word patterns, and stimulates inquisitiveness about the meaning of words. Word games like hangman have been effectively used before to support Ontario student success in literacy, and KHangman brings this success to the computer lab.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006) Grades 1 – 8
*note: this is based on the 2006 Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language*
Spelling Familiar Words
3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly
Spelling Unfamiliar Words
3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, and word meanings
Vocabulary
3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using one or two resources
Ktuberling is a simple constructor game suitable for children and adults alike. The idea of the game is based on a once popular doll making concept, but the program has extended to include other settings such as a Christmas setting, Ancient Egypt, Pizzeria, Train Valley, and The moon! Students can save the image and print it out as well!
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Arts (2009), Grades 1 - 8
Visual Arts D1 - apply the creative process to produce art works in a variety of traditional two- and three-dimensional forms, as well as multimedia art works, that communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts as well as current media technologies.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006), Grades 1 – 8
Writing: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience.
KTuberling is an activity that inspires creativity, where students can use their imagination to create a character as the protagonist of their story. Allowing students to illustrate their own scenes of a story using software displays their feelings, ideas, and understandings as well as introduces them to basic art software. Afterwards, students can use their artistic creation to draft a story and revise it, creating a work that incorporates both the graphic and written element.
GCompris
Subject Area: Literacy, Numeracy, Arts, Science and Technology, Social Studies, Games
Recommended Grade Levels: 1 – 6
Figure 3 : GCompris Screenshots
GCompris is a high quality educational software suite comprising of numerous activities for children between the ages of 2 to 10. Some of the activities are game oriented, but nonetheless still educational. Below you can find a list of categories with some of the activities available in that category:
· Computer discovery: keyboard, mouse, different mouse gesture, ...
· Other: learn to tell time, puzzle of famous paintings, vector drawing, cartoon making
It is recommended that GCompris be used for leisure and free time for students, but a dedicated lesson plan to GCompris will be constructed.
Here's a video introducting GCompris!
TuxPaint
Subject Area: Visual Arts, Literacy
Recommended Grade Levels: 1 – 6
Figure 4 : Tux Paint Screenshot
TuxPaint is a paint program for ages 3 to 12 – it combines an easy-to-use interface, fun sound effects, and an encouraging cartoon mascot who guides children as they use the program. Kids are presented with a blank canvas and a variety of drawing tools to help them be creative. The drawing canvas is a fixed size, so the user doesn’t need to worry about “pixels” or “inches” when making a new picture.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Arts (2009), Grades 1 - 8
Visual Arts D1 - apply the creative process to produce art works in a variety of traditional two- and three-dimensional forms, as well as multimedia art works, that communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts as well as current media technologies.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006), Grades 1 – 8
Writing: draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience.
TuxPaint is an activity that inspires creativity, where students can use their imagination to create a character as the protagonist of their story. Allowing students to illustrate their own scenes of a story using software displays their feelings, ideas, and understandings as well as introduces them to basic art software. Afterwards, students can use their artistic creation to draft a story and revise it, creating a work that incorporates both the graphic and written element.
Blinken
Subject Area: Games
Recommended Grade Levels: all grades
Figure 5 : Blinken Screenshot
Blinken is the KDE version of the well-known game Simon Says. Follow the pattern of sounds and lights as long as you can! Press the start game button to begin. Watch the computer and copy the pattern it makes. Complete the sequence in the right order to win.
KTouch
Subject Area: Literacy
Recommended Grade Levels: 1 – 8
Figure 6 : Screenshot for KTouch
KTouch is a program for learning how to touch-type, and is an easy way to learn how to type quickly and correctly on a keyboard. KTouch indicates the keys you need to press and the finger you need to use for that key on the screen. Starting with only a few keys, KTouch allows students to remember more as they advance through additional levels where other keys are introduced.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006), Grades 1 – 8
Publishing
3.7 use a range of appropriate elements of effective presentation in the finished product, including print, script, different fonts, graphics, and layout
Producing Finished Works
3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the expectations related to content, organization, style, use of conventions, and use of presentation strategies
The ability to type has shown to increase children’s reading, spelling, grammar, punctuation and creative writing abilities. It is a valuable tool in itself, one that more and more children require as the computer begins to be a necessity in any occupation. With KTouch, students can not only learn to type but practice to increase typing speed so that they can be comfortable completing and composing documents on word editors.
KStars is a planetarium program which provides an accurate graphical representation of the night sky, from any location on Earth, at any date and time. This display includes up to 2.5 million stars, 130 000 deep sky objects, all 88 constellations, all 8 planets, the Sun and the Moon, and thousands of asteroids and comets.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Science and Technology, Grade 6 (2007)
By the end of Grade 6, students will:
3.1 identify components of the solar system, including the sun, the earth, and other planets, natural satellites, comets, asteroids, and meteoroids, and describe their physical characteristics in qualitative terms
3.2 identify the bodies in space that emit light (e.g., stars) and those that reflect light (e.g., moons and planets)
KStars allows educators and students to have their very own planetarium; complete with the option of tracking how the night sky would look like in their very own city! Having KStars will help students learn about the major constellations, the legends associated with each, other heavenly bodies and comets and even plan for late night trips to track the night sky.
Kalzium
Subject Area: Science
Recommended Grade Levels: Secondary, 9-12
Figure 8 : Kalzium Screenshot
Kalzium (German for Calcium), is a periodic table of the elements. It contains information about 103 chemical elements, including mass, charge, picture, discovery information, chemical and energy data, and a model of the atom. The table itself can be configured to display numeration, state of matter, and color coding in various ways. Additionally, a date index is available, allowing only elements discovered up to a defined year to be shown.
Ontario Elementary Secondary Curriculum Expectations for Science and Technology (2008)
Grade 9:
Demonstrate an understanding of the properties of common elements and compounds, and of the organization of elements in the periodic table.
Grade 10:
C1. analyse how chemical reactions are employed in common products and processes, and assess the safety and environmental hazards associated with them;
C2. investigate, through inquiry, the characteristics of simple chemical reactions;
C3. demonstrate an understanding of simple chemical reactions and the language and ways to represent them.
A Periodic table is a necessity in any chemistry course – with Kalzium, students are given an interactive table of elements that can help develop an understanding of common elements with interactive molecular diagrams, tabulated information, and historical facts with each element card. This program also comes with an equation solver for chemical reactions, a data plotter, and a molecular editor to bolster comprehension and visualization of molecular interactions.
KmPlot
Subject Area: Mathematics
Recommended Grade Levels: 6-12
Figure 9 : KmPlot
KmPlot is a mathematical function plotter, with a powerful built-in parser. You can plot different functions simultaneously and combine them to build new functions. KmPlot supports several different types of plots, including Cartesian plots of the form y = f(x), parametric plots, and explicit differential plots. KmPlot also provides some numerical and visual features like finding max and min values, plotting derivatives and integral functions. These features help in learning the relationship between mathematical functions and their graphical representation in a coordinate system.
Ontario Elementary Secondary Curriculum Expectations for Mathematics (2005)
Students can use calculators or computers to perform operations, make graphs, and organize and display data that are lengthier and more complex than those that might be addressed using only pencil-and-paper. Students can also use calculators and computers in various ways to investigate number and graphing patterns, geometric relationships, and different representations; to simulate situations; and to extend problem solving. When students use calculators and computers in mathematics, they need to know when it is appropriate to apply their mental computation, reasoning, and estimation skills to predict and check answers. The computer and the calculator should be seen as important problem-solving tools to be used for many purposes. Computers and calculators are tools of mathematicians, and students should be given opportunities to select and use the particular applications that may be helpful to them as they search for their own solutions to problems.
KmPlot is a simple, easy-to-use graphing tools that both teachers and students can use for their graphing needs. With KmPlot, teachers can visually demonstrate different types of functions and allow students to experiment with various parameters and find important values such as the maximum and minimum.
KBruch
Subject Area: Mathematics
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Figure 10 : KBruch
KBruch is a small program to practice calculating with fractions and percentages. Five different exercises are offered as well as a learning mode:
· Arithmetic: in this exercise you have to solve a given fraction task – you have to enter the numerator and the denominator. This is the main exercise.
· Comparison: in this exercise you have to compare the size of 2 given fractions, using the symbols >, < or =
· Conversion: in this exercise you have to convert a given number into a fraction
· Factorization: in this exercise you have to factorize a given number into its prime factors
· Percentage: in this exercise you have to calculate percentages
Ontario Elementary Secondary Curriculum Expectations for Mathematics (2005)
Grade 1: read, represent, compare, and order whole numbers to 50, and use concrete materials to investigate fractions and money amounts;
Grade 2: investigating fractions of a whole; use concrete materials to represent fractions and money amounts to 100¢
Grade 3: investigating fractions of a set
Grade 4: representing and comparing fractions using fractional notation; adding and subtracting three-digit numbers in a variety of ways; multiplying and dividing two-digit whole numbers by one-digit whole numbers; relating halves, fifths, and tenths to decimals
Grade 5: relating simple fractions to decimals
Grade 6: decimal numbers to thousandths, proper and improper fractions, and mixed numbers;
Grade 7: representing and ordering decimals (to hundredths), fractions, and integers; representing squares and square roots; dividing whole numbers by simple fractions and decimals; adding and subtracting simple fractions and integers; multiplying and dividing decimal numbers to thousandths by one-digit whole numbers; applying order of operations in expressions with brackets; relating fractions, decimals, and percents; solving problems involving whole-number percents and unit rates
Grade 8: solve problems involving whole numbers, decimal numbers, fractions, and integers, using a variety of computational strategies
Kbruch allows students to practice and get increasingly comfortable with calculating fractions, according to their respective grade level. The program has a lesson mode, where it explains the concept of a fraction, guiding the student along calculations. It is also interactive, where it checks the answer and provides feedback to the student. KBruch counts how many tasks were solved at all and how many tasks were solved correctly. The statistics are shown to the student and the teacher, but this part of the main window can be hidden. Not only does Kbruch allow extra practice, but teachers can now also track progress in this particular area of the mathematics curriculum. With Kbruch, there is less homework to take home!
Kig
Subject Area: Mathematics
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Figure 11 : KIG screenshot
Kig is an interactive geometry software which allows students to interactively explore mathematical figures and concepts using the computer, serving as a WYSIWYG tool for drawing mathematical figures and including them in other documents. With Kig, students can translate objects, find and display angles between vectors, display distances, and a whole lot more!
Ontario Elementary Secondary Curriculum Expectations for Mathematics (2005)
Spatial sense is necessary for understanding and appreciating the many geometric aspects of our world. Insights and intuitions about the characteristics of two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures, the interrelationships of shapes, and the effects of changes to shapes are important aspects of spatial sense. Students develop their spatial sense by visualizing, drawing, and comparing shapes and figures in various positions.
Grade 7 - Mathematics
Geometry and Spatial Sense
· Describe location in the four quadrants of a coordinate system, dilatate two-dimensional shapes, and apply transformations to create and analyse designs.
· construct related lines, and classify triangles, quadrilaterals, and prisms;
· develop an understanding of similarity, and distinguish similarity and congruence;
Grade 8 – Mathematics
Geometry and Spatial Sense
· Represent transformations using the Cartesian coordinate plane, and make connections between transformations and the real world.
· develop geometric relationships involving lines, triangles, and polyhedra, and solve problems involving lines and triangles;
· demonstrate an understanding of the geometric properties of quadrilaterals and circles and the applications of geometric properties in the real world
With Kig, students from any grade and educators can work side-by-side to create, explore and understand the characteristics of two-dimensional and three dimensional figures. Kig also meets the Ontario ministry requirements for exploring areas of spatial sense, shape interrelation, the Cartesian plane, and other geometric properties. As an added activity, Kig can be used to create mathematical drawings using shapes for features (for ex. Eyes, nose, legs, etc.).
KWordQuiz
Subject Area: Literacy, Native Languages
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Kwordquiz is a tool that gives you a powerful new way to master new vocabularies. It may be a language or any other sort of terminology, and you will be able to create flash cards to help students study. It is very easy to use, there are five different practice modes, flashcard and quiz types, and several vocabulary document are supported.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006) Grades 1 – 8
*note: this is based on the 2006 Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language*
Spelling Familiar Words
3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly
Spelling Unfamiliar Words
3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, and word meanings
Vocabulary
3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using one or two resources
With KWordquiz, students from any grade and educators can work side-by-side to create flash cards to emphasize practice with terms and vocabulary with virtually any subject! KWordquiz can especially help for native languages courses, as it is able to create cards with syllabic text. It can also help to develop good study habits for students, a bank of terms for quizzing during class, and even be used as a testing module! The possibilities for Kwordquiz are endless!
Parley
Subject Area: Literacy, Native Languages
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Parley is another great tool, similar to Kwordquiz that gives you a powerful new way to master new vocabularies. Parley supports many language specific features but can be used for other learning tasks just as well. Creating new vocabulary collections with Parley is easy, but of course it is even better if you can use some of our premade files. Have a look at the KDE-Files.org page or use the "Download New Collections" feature directly.
Features
· Different test types
· Mixed Letters (order the letters, anagram like) to get to know new words
· Multiple choice
· Written tests - type the words (including clever correction mechanisms)
· Example sentences can be used to create 'fill in the gap' tests
· Article training
· Comparison forms (adjectives and/or adverbs)
· Conjugations
· Synonym/Antonym/Paraphrase
· Fast test setup with all options in one dialog
· Find words (also by word type) quickly
· Easy lesson management
· Premade vocabulary files ready to use
· Share and download vocabulary using Get Hot New Stuff
· Open XML file format (shared with KWordQuiz, Kanagram and KHangMan) that can be edited by hand and is easily usable with scripts
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006) Grades 1 – 8
*note: this is based on the 2006 Ontario Curriculum, Grades 1-8: Language*
Spelling Familiar Words
3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly
Spelling Unfamiliar Words
3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, and word meanings
Vocabulary
3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using one or two resources
With Parley, students from any grade and educators can work side-by-side to create flash cards to emphasize practice with terms and vocabulary with virtually any subject! It can also help to develop good study habits for students, a bank of terms for quizzing during class, and even be used as a testing module! Unlike KWordquiz, it has multiple additional features such as creating a multiple-choice quiz and creating example sentences. It can also be used for Native languages such as Ojibway and Oji-Cree. The possibilities for Parley are endless!
Marble
Subject Area: Geography, Social Studies
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Marble is a Virtual Globe and World Atlas that you can use to learn more about Earth: You can pan and zoom around and you can look up places and roads. A mouse click on a place label will provide the respective Wikipedia article. Of course it's also possible to measure distances between locations or watch the current cloud cover. Marble offers different thematic maps: A classroom-style topographic map , a satellite view , street map , earth at night and temperature and precipitation maps . All maps include a custom map key, so it can also be used as an educational tool for use in class-rooms. For educational purposes you can also change date and time and watch how the starry sky and the twilight zone on the map change. In opposite to other virtual globes Marble also features multiple projections: Choose between a Flat Map ("Plate carré"), Mercator or the Globe.
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Social Studies (2004) Grades 1 – 8
Students acquire skills of inquiry and communication through field studies and other research projects; through the use of maps, globes, and models; and through the consideration of various forms of historical evidence. Students apply these skills to develop an understanding of Canadian identity and democratic values, to evaluate different points of view, and to examine information critically in order to solve problems and make decisions on issues that are relevant to their lives.
In the study of geography, students learn to gather, organize, analyse, and present information obtained from fieldwork, models, simulations, aerial photographs, satellite imaging, maps, and computers.
Marble is a better alternative to Google Earth for users who have either a very slow or no internet connection at all. Marble allows students with a map that they can use to explore different concepts such as latitude or longitude, as well as exploring magnitude of distances from one place to another. Educators can also change the date and time and watch how the starry sky and the twilight zone on the map change.
Step
Subject Area: Science, Physics
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Step is an interactive physics simulator. It works like this: you place some bodies on the scene, add some forces such as gravity or springs, then click "Simulate" and Step shows you how your scene will evolve according to the laws of physics. You can change every property of bodies/forces in your experiment (even during simulation) and see how this will change the outcome of the experiment. With Step you can not only learn but feel how physics works!
Features
· Classical mechanical simulation in two dimensions
· Particles, springs with dumping, gravitational and coulomb forces
· Rigid bodies
· Collision detection (currently only discrete) and handling
· Molecular dynamics (currently using Lennard-Jones potential ): gas and liquid, condensation and evaporation, calculation of macroscopic quantities and their variances
· Units conversion and expression calculation: you can enter something like "(2 days + 3 hours) * 80 km/h" and it will be accepted as distance value (requires libqalculate )
· Errors calculation and propagation: you can enter values like "1.3 ± 0.2" for any property and errors for all dependent properties will be calculated using statistical formulas
· Solver error estimation: errors introduced by the solver is calculated and added to user-entered errors
· Several different solvers: up to 8th order, explicit and implicit, with or without adaptive timestep (most of the solvers require GSL library )
· Controller tool to easily control properties during simulation (even with custom keyboard shortcuts)
· Tools to visualize results: graph, meter, tracer
· Context information for all objects, integrated wikipedia browser
· Collection of example experiments, more can be downloaded with KNewStuff2
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Science and Technology, Grade 6 (2007)
SCIENCE
Elementary Science and Technology Curriculum Overview
Step allows students to modify the bodies and forces and see how the outcome of the simulation is affected. All the bodies and forces can also be modified in real time. This allows educators to provide a visual model of concepts such as mass and velocity, gravitation, forces and springs. Physics has never been easier to understand!
Kalgebra
Subject Area: Math, Numeracy
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
KAlgebra is a calculator with symbolic and analysis features that lets you plot 2D and 3D functions as well as to easily calculate mathematical expressions.
Ontario Elementary Secondary Curriculum Expectations for Mathematics (2005)
Students can use calculators or computers to perform operations, make graphs, and organize and display data that are lengthier and more complex than those that might be addressed using only pencil-and-paper. Students can also use calculators and computers in various ways to investigate number and graphing patterns, geometric relationships, and different representations; to simulate situations; and to extend problem solving. When students use calculators and computers in mathematics, they need to know when it is appropriate to apply their mental computation, reasoning, and estimation skills to predict and check answers. The computer and the calculator should be seen as important problem-solving tools to be used for many purposes. Computers and calculators are tools of mathematicians, and students should be given opportunities to select and use the particular applications that may be helpful to them as they search for their own solutions to problems.
Kalgebra is a simple, easy-to-use graphing tools that both teachers and students can use for their graphing needs. With KmPlot, teachers can visually demonstrate different types of functions and allow students to experiment with various parameters and find important values such as the maximum and minimum.
Tux Math
Subject Area: Math, Numeracy
Recommended Grade Levels: 1-8
Tux, of Math Command (TuxMath, for short) is an arcade-style activity for learning mathematics. Th game pay is based loosely on that of the arcade game Missile command, but with comets falling on cities rather than missles. Like Missle Command, players attempt to protect their cities by solving math poblems that label each comet which causes a laser to destroy it. It also includes a multiplayer mode and Factor-fraction activiy called Factoroids.
Multiple user support (useful for schools)
On-screen tutorials
High score table
Training mode - over 50 bundled lessons ranging from simple number typing up through all four basic arithmetic operations with negative numbers and "missing number" questions (e.g. "3 x ? = 12").
Multiplayer mode
Missions
Factoroids: clone of classic Atari video game "Asteroids", modified to be an activity to train factorization
Ontario Elementary Secondary Curriculum Expectations for Mathematics (2005)
Number Sense and Numeration. Number sense refers to a general understanding of number and operations as well as the ability to apply this understanding in flexible ways to make mathematical judgements and to develop useful strategies for solving problems. In this strand, students develop their understanding of number by learning about different ways of representing numbers and about the relationships among numbers. They learn how to count in various ways, developing a sense of magnitude. They also develop a solid understanding of the four basic operations and learn to compute fluently, using a variety of tools and strategies. A well-developed understanding of number includes a grasp of more-and-less relationships, part-whole relationships, the role of special numbers such as five and ten, connections between numbers and real quantities and measures in the environment, and much more.
TuxMath is a great activity to teach mathematical operations in a fun, effective way. Not only does it provide a gaming format that kids are certain to enjoy, it allows them to also practice and challenge themselves to understand and explore higher levels of operations. To see an example of how TuxMath can be used in the classroom, please go to:
TuxTyping is an educational typing tutorial game starring Tux, the Linux Penguin. The player guides Tux to eat fish which are falling from the top of the screen. Each fish has a letter written on it. When the player presses the corresponding key, Tux will position himself to eat the fish. The game is intended for children learning to type, though it does have higher difficulty levels which even experienced typists may find challenging.
On-screen tutorials
High score table
Training mode on how to type included
Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations for Language (2006) Grades 1 – 8
Spelling Familiar Words
3.1 spell some high-frequency words correctly
Spelling Unfamiliar Words
3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, and word meanings
Vocabulary
3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using one or two resources
Typing is now a skill that is necessary for any future occupation. TuxType not only offers an enjoyable and entertaining environment, but it also teaches students proper typing technique as well as spelling and vocabulary. To see how teachers and students can use tuxtype together, please go to:
Vym is a mind mapping program. It is useful to organize thoughts and do structure work. In addition to that it has a lot of helpful shortcuts.
A mindmap is a multicolored and image centered radial diagram that represents semantic or other connections between portions of learned material. For example, it can graphically illustrate the structure of a thesis outline, a project plan, or the government institutions in a state. Mindmaps have many applications in personal, family, educational, and business situations. Possibilities include note-taking, brainstorming, summarizing, revising and general clarifying of thoughts.
Inkscape
Subject Area: Art
Recommended Grade Levels: Higher Grade Art
Inkscape is an open source, SVG-based[ 1 ] vector drawing program. It is useful for drawing:
Illustrations for the Web
Graphics for mobile phones
Simple line drawings
Cartoons
Complex works of art
Figures for articles and books
Organization charts
The file format that Inkscape uses is compact and quickly transmittable over the Internet. Yet it is powerful and can describe complex drawings that are scalable to any size. Support for the format has been added to web browsers and is already included in many mobile phones.
Inkscape supports the drawing of regular shapes (rectangles, circles, etc.), arbitrary paths, and text. These objects can be given a wide variety of attributes such as color, gradient or patterned fills, alpha blending, and markers. Objects can be transformed, cloned, and grouped. Hyperlinks can be added for use in web browsers. The Inkscape program aims to be fully XML, SVG, and CSScompliant.
