Activity 2:  Interactives                                                                                <<Back

The use of interactives enhances a student's understanding of concepts by visualizing subject matter, engaing students in content, and providing continuous feedback.  An "interactive" is any activity that asks the student to click on, add, move and/or manipulate content within the activity to achieve a specific goal.  Online games and simulations are examples.  Generally speaking, these activities are content and topic specific, so the key is knowing where and how to look for them.

Here are some tips: 

1. Search Digital Curriculum Portals:
Some portals include activities for all subject areas while some are subject specific.  

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General:

• Thinkfinity 
  
• Utah Education Network Interactives 

Language Arts:

• EDSITEment:  The Best of Humanities on the Web 
• ReadWriteThink

Science:

• The Concord Consortium
• Nobelprize.org
  
• PBS Teachers 
• National Geographic Education
• National Geographic Xpeditions
• Science NetLinks

Math:

• Math (see Simulations and Interactives)

*I have listed some specific resources under Web Resources by Subject

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2. Google specific topics with one of the following words

• interactive
  
• simulation
  
• visualization
  
• game

       Click link to view example:  Grammar games

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3. Google for "flash" files (these tend to be interactive activities)

• Enter your search terms + filetype:swf
  Click link to view example:  constitution filetype:swf
  

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