iPad Apps for School

The Best iOS Apps for Students and Teachers

Math

Math Vocabulary Cards – A Math Review App in English and Spanish

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math vocab Math Vocabulary Cards is a free iPad app designed for elementary school students. The app offers exactly what its name implies, a series of flashcards of mathematics vocabulary terms. Each card contains a term, a diagram, and a definition. By default the term is hidden and students have to guess the term based on the definition and diagram. Students can also use the cards with the definitions hidden and the terms revealed.

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Math Vocabulary Cards can be used in Spanish or English. Simply select a language at the bottom of each card. Students can browse through the entire gallery of flashcards or choose a specific category of terms to study.

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Penguin Jump Maths – A Fun Game for Practicing Basic Math Skills

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penguin jump Penguin Jump Maths is a free iPad app that offers a fun game for students to play to practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills. Students play the game in the role of a penguin trying to jump from iceberg to iceberg. The object of the game is to be the first penguin to make it across all of the icebergs without falling into the water. In addition to measuring success by being the first to cross the icebergs players also earn points for speed and accuracy.

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Penguin Jump Maths isn’t a revolutionary app by any means. But if you’re looking for a fun and free app for your students to use to practice their basic math skills, the app could provide just what you need.

Rugged Rovers – Design and Test Space Rovers

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rugged rovers Rugged Rovers is a free iPad app in which students can create simple designs for space rovers. Students draw a design for their rovers then add up eight wheels to it before taking it for a virtual test drive. Students test their rover designs by driving them across a Mars spacescape. To help their rovers over obstacles students can use a small power booster. The power booster must be used in moderation because it cannot instantly recharge. The object of the activity is to design a rover that can travel as far as possible. When students get their rovers stuck, they can go back and try a new design.

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Rugged Rovers could be a fun little app for students to use to see how balance and engine strength work together to influence how Mars rovers travel.

A Visual Math Glossary for Your iPad

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Screen Shot 2014-11-03 at 6.47.30 PM For years Jenny Eather’s A Maths Dictionary for Kids has been a favorite resource of mine and many other teachers for years. Maths Charts by Jenny Eather is the iPad companion to the website.

Math Charts by Jenny Eather provides simple and clear definitions of math terms. Each definition includes a diagram to illustrate the term’s definition. You can print any and all of the visuals included in the app.

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The first few charts in each section of the app are free. You do have to buy the full version of the app in order to unlock all of  charts in Math Charts by Jenny Eather.

Explain 3D for iPad – Visual Explanations of Machines and Systems

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Screen Shot 2014-10-24 at 10.48.19 AM A few years ago Explain 3D launched as a website to showcase 3D animations of simple machines. Later the site expanded to include 3D animations of elements of the universe. This week Explain 3D launched a new iPad app for the same purpose as the website.

Explain 3D’s iPad app includes the same animations that you can find on the website. The animations allow viewers to zoom-in, zoom-out, and rotate animations 360 degrees. Students can manipulate animations of simple machines like elevators and hand pumps. The app also offers models and animations of space shuttles and the International Space Station. To help students learn about electricity Explain 3D offers 3D models nuclear power plants, wind turbines, and hydro-electric dams.

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Explain 3D could be a good source of models to include as part of a larger lesson that you’re constructing for your students to view online. To get the most out of the models your students will probably need you to explain what is happening and or the connections to the larger lesson.