Creator: WGBH Educational Foundation | visit site
Grade Range: K - 2
Join Plum, an alien video game designer from another planet, and explore the natural world through interactive games, videos, adventures, and real life activities. Live videos feature kids exploring different biomes and recording data for Plum. Before each game, learn about the environmental focus that will help you win the game. Ideas for exploring and investigating outside bring environmental concepts to your own community. Post images, thoughts, and ideas to share with Plum in the gallery. A parent section offers activities to do online and outside. The educator section provides curriculum for Afterschool programs, Clubs, or Camps. Lesson plans designed for after school enrichment, clubs, and camps give curriculum topics, standards, video links, conversation starters, and related activities.
In the Classroom
Capture student interest in environmental science, zoology, conservation, and ecology with Plum and her human friends! Use this site in science as a way to introduce the study of the Earth, biomes, or food chains. Share the videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Add to computers for center time. Use Plum’s adventures to inspire further adventures involving the students. Use videos as a multimedia resource to supplement the science textbook. Use the adventures to inspire either narrative or expository writing. During Earth Day, students can explore your school community. Explore other science topics and modify student learning by challenging them to create comics using a tool such as Write Comics, <a href="/single.cfm?id=12484">reviewed here</a>, or a digital storytelling project with their own images, observations, and stories using UtellStory, <a href="/single.cfm?id=14414">reviewed here</a>. UtellStory allows narrating and adding text to a picture. ESL/ELL and learning support students will find this site useful with reading support, video, and demonstrations. Have students research topics mentioned in the videos for deeper understanding. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, replace pen and paper by having students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Seesaw, <a href="/single.cfm?id=16443">reviewed here</a>. Share research and stories with other classes in your school, students’ families, and on your class website or wiki.
At Home
Share in the excitement of the wonders of planet Earth with the scientists in your family. Discover what is hiding in your own back yard!
Tags
game based learning, conservation, environment, earth day, earth,
Subjects
ESL/ELL, Mind Stretchers, Reading, Science, Special Education, Writing,