Teaching Science with Interactive Simulations
by: Ashley Miller
The PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder is well known for their free interactive math and science simulations. PhET simulations engage students using an intuitive and game-like environment where students are encouraged to learn by exploration. There are over 100 simulations that can be ran online or downloaded to a computer. The goal is for students to engage with the content like a scientist would.
Gizmos is a paid subscription service that offers over 400 math and science simulations. Each simulation includes teacher instructions, vocabulary sheets, editable student exploration worksheets answer keys and short assessments. Teachers can search Gizmos curriculum topic, academic standard or textbook series. Gizmos are designed for elementary, middle and high school students. Using Gizmos helps students practice for the tech-enhanced items on many standardized science tests.