iPad Apps for School

The Best iOS Apps for Students and Teachers

Mathematics

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.

Design Your Own Practice Missions on Math Blast

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Screen Shot 2014-10-13 at 9.29.39 AM Math Blast (not to be confused with Math Blaster) is an iPad app that elementary school students can use to practice basic mathematics skills. Students answer math problems in order to navigate their rocket ships and earn points. As students earn more points, their rockets gain power to move through the game scenes more quickly.

The Math Blast app offers two modes for students to use. Level mode presents students with progressively more difficult math problems as they move through the game. Custom mode allows students to select a skill to practice. In the custom mode students select a skill (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) and a range of numbers that will appear in the practice exercises.

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Common Core Quest – Quizzes and Video Lessons on ELA & Math Standards

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ccquest Last week OpenEd.io released an Android app called Common Core Quest. This week they have released the same excellent app on the iOS platform. Common Core Quest is a free iPad and iPhone app. The free app gives students access to hundreds of practice quizzes aligned to Common Core standards in math and language arts. Before and after taking a quiz students can watch short video lessons that address the skills needed to master the standards contained in the quizzes.

To use Common Core Quest a student selects his or her grade then selects the math or language arts standards he or she is working toward mastering. (Teachers will probably have to provide directions to students and their parents as to which standards they should be working toward). The student will earn digital badges when he or she shows mastery of a standard through quiz scores.

Common Core Quest currently contains activities for every middle school and high school Common Core math and language arts standard. Coverage of elementary school standards is being added (currently about half of the standards are included). A student can invite his or her teacher to view the progress that he or she is making toward each goal in Common Core Quest. Students can invite teacher either by email or by class code if the teacher has created a class account on OpenEd.io.

Zap Zap Fractions – Tutorials and Games About Fractions

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zap_zap Zap Zap Fractions is a fun and free iPad app designed to help elementary school students learn about fractions. The app contains clear narrated visual lessons about the basics of fractions. After completing the lessons students can test their skills in recognizing fractions by playing the Zap Zap games. The games present students with a series of visuals that represent a fraction. Students have to select the correct fraction to “zap” the oncoming obstacles in the game.

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The lessons in Zap Zap Fractions are rather basic. For more robust lessons you may want to have your students download Fractions Basics. Fractions Basics offers lessons on adding and subtracting fractions, equivalent fractions, and improper and mixed fractions.