Oregon Trail QR Code Scavenger Hunt

I was so excited when one of our teachers requested that I teach an iPad lesson for his fourth grade class! The class is currently engaged in a unit on the Oregon Trail, so I decided to design an Oregon Trail QR Code Scavenger Hunt. After a lot of searching, I located multiple sites with interesting facts about the Oregon Trail that were appropriate for fourth grade students. I then designed 16 different stations for the students to visit. Each station had a short paragraph for the students to read with a question at the end, a photo that related to the topic, and a QR Code for the students to scan. Once the students scanned the QR Code, they were directed to a website where they could locate the answer to their question.

Due to the fact that we only have 17 iPads at this time, we had the students work through the activity in pairs. I posted the stations throughout the room, and after a short lesson on QR Codes, the pairs began working through the various stations to complete the answer sheet together. I was so impressed with this class. They worked extremely hard and were very engaged throughout the entire activity. After watching the students work so collaboratively, I would definitely organize the activity with partners again. We structured the activity so that one student operated the iPad, while the other student recorded the answer on the paper. The pairs rotated responsibilities after each station. The stations did not have to be completed in sequential order which worked nicely because the pairs worked at different paces. As a result, if a station was occupied, the pair skipped the station, went on to the next station, and returned to the skipped station when it became available.

As the students completed all of the questions, the teacher and I checked the answers for accuracy. If the pair missed a question, we sent them back to attempt the question again. We found that there were very few pairs that did not answer every question correctly the first.time. Like I said, these students were great! Once they finished we allowed the students to play The Oregon Trail app on the iPad. The app costs $0.99, and the students thought that it was a lot of fun.

I thought that this activity was extremely successful. The students were very engaged and interested in the content. The beauty of this activity is that it can be adapted for any subject. By taking a little time to create the stations, QR Codes, and accompanying worksheet, this would be an excellent activity to complement any topic! I created the QR Codes using Kaywa; it was easy and free! I had the students scan the QR Codes using i-nigma. I have included Question 1 below so you can see how the stations looked. Feel free to download the PDF version of the activity complete with the stations and accompanying worksheet by clicking on the Question 1 image!

Click on the image to download a PDF file complete with the stations and accompanying worksheet!

iPad 101: iPad Quick Reference Card

I am so excited to share this iPad Quick Reference Guide with you! This guide is an excellent resource to have at your fingertips when you cannot remember how to perform an operation on the iPad. I would recommend printing the two-page resource and laminating it for quick access and durability. If students have access to iPads, it would also be beneficial to create a large poster out of the guide and post it for students to view. Simply click on one of the images below to access a PDF of the iPad Quick Reference Guide.

Apps: Touch and Write

Touch and Write is an excellent app to help students practice their hand writing and letter recognition skills. It is currently $2.99, and I have found this app to be an excellent tool to introduce my two year old to the process of forming letters. In addition, I have used the app to provide elementary students with more practice in forming and recognizing letters. The app comes with six word lists, including high frequency words! In addition, an unlimited number of customized word lists can be added (such as spelling lists). Once a list has been created, the students can select their list from a drop down menu. The app then presents the student with the words from the list, and student is guided by the little monster to form the letter correctly. The app will not allow the student to move to the next letter unless the previous letter has been formed correctly. Once the letter is formed by the student, the app reads the letter aloud to the student to reinforce letter recognition. 

Touch and Write "integrates visual, kinesthetic, and simulated tactile modalities to enhance learning - and fun!" You can observe Touch and Write in action by clicking on the video below:

Apps: Common Core Standards

Common Core State Standards are currently a hot topic in education, and it is essential that teachers are familiar with the rigorous content that students are required to master. Wouldn't it be nice to have a platform where one can quickly view Common Core State Standards by subject and grade? The Common Core Standards app allows you to do just that. This app is an excellent tool for teachers to utilize when lesson planning and assessing student mastery. By downloading this app, you will have access to K-12 math and language arts standards at your fingertips!

Apps: Stack the States

Stack the States was one of the first apps I downloaded when I received my iPad. I initially downloaded Stack the States lite, but in hindsight I would not even bother downloading the lite version again. Within minutes, my children were asking me to purchase the full version of the app, as the lite version does not provide access to all of the states. The full version is only $0.99, and it was well worth the investment. 

Stack the States teaches students about state capitals, state shapes, state abbreviations, bordering states, location on the map, nicknames, flags, and more. Stack the States is designed to provide students with hours of fun in an engaging and educational format. With five different games to choose from within the app, children are never bored. I highly recommend this app!

If you are looking for more of a challenge, try Stack the Countries!