K12 Global Art Connection - for Art or Classroom Teachers

Image from creativitysymposium.pressible.org

Creativity is one of the four pillars of 21st Century Learning.  Engage your students in an art project and share with other classrooms around the world!

The AwesomeSquiggles Project is simple.  All students receive the same 4 "squiggles" and create whatever they want with it.

Image from http://awesomesquiggles.weebly.com/

Any materials, physical or digital, can be used.  Photos of student art are shared online using the hashtag #awesomesquiggles, and students are able to view what was created around the world.

If desired, classes can additionally choose to be paired with one other class somewhere else in the world, to specifically communicate about the project, to share culturally, and to connect at least once via videoconferencing in April.

Visit the official website for this project to sign up by March 25.

Image from enableeducation.com

Interactive US History for Upper Elementary - High School

Image from www.mission-us.org

Attention Social Studies Teachers

Grades 3-12

Mission US is an interactive online game that could be thought of as an online "choose your own adventure" which places the student in a time period of Early American History.  The student makes choices and watches how they impact what happens to the character.

Image from www.mission-us.org

My own children (2nd and 4th grade) became hooked on this learning game - wanting to play for hours and exchanging information with one another on how to be successful.  This inspired great dinner conversation about why certain decisions were helpful to the character in the historical context, and why others weren't.

Your students will love learning through gaming and your curriculum will take on new life.

Image from www.mission-us.org

As the Mission US site cautions, history is messy and difficult.  Some topics may only be appropriate for older children, so be sure to preview the game before exploring it with students.

Additionally, students do need to create a username and password.  This is not connected to any email address, so the student simply needs to remember their unique login info in order to "pick up where they left off" when playing again.  If you want to try this with your students and would like assistance setting up usernames and passwords in advance, contact Beth here.