SMART Board Goodies A Resource Blog by Amber Coggin 

Here is a really cool snowflake maker called Snowflake Workshop that works great on the SMART Board. Just click on the pencil and draw the cutting lines. Then click on the scissors and watch your snowflake generate. You can save your snowflake for it to be shown in the gallery or even send it to your friends. Check it out! It has some snazzy holiday background music as well.

Learningmedia.co.nz has 8 interactive resources for students that include science, literacy, and math topics. The one I’d like to highlight is Flitting with Fractions. Flitting with Fractions is a great way to show students how fractions work. You will be asked a question, such as “Catch all of the butterflies with long legs.” Then, simply drag the correct butterflies to the top of the jar and release them. Close the lid, then enter the correct numerator and denominator by touching the numbers. You can then check your answer and move to the next problem. This is also a multi-lingual game! Check it out.

The Primary Interactive site contains links to games and activities that are suitable for younger students. All of the resources can be found at http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/, but the site design at Primary Interactive is more suitable for children if working independently. There are a variety of activities and subjects to choose from, including science, math, english, and other fun activities like a virtual keyboard and singing birds. Here is a preview of the Order the Numbers activity. Students place the hats in order by dragging them to the top of the correct person’s head. They can then check their work and receive a round of applause if correct. The numbers get harder as they go along.

While browsing the SMART Board tagged Delicious bookmarks, I ran across iboard.co.uk. This is a GOLD MINE of interactive resources for all subjects to be used on the SMART Board or any interactive whiteboard. There are 15 free sample activities offered, but there is also a special going on right now for schools. Create a school account and have full access to *all of the resources for 6 months (along with a link to your account to share with your teachers). Once the trial period is over, there are several options that you can read about on the site. This is the perfect time to create an account, as in 6 months most schools will be out for the summer and you can then evaluate the need to continue the service. *Note: The site says once you register you will have access to all of the materials; however, only the Numeracy activities are showing in my Library. I have contacted the site about this and will let you know what I find out.

Another cool thing about these activities is that you can download the thumbnail and direct link to the activity so it can be launched from your own website or SMART Notebook file! You can also print the activity once completed. If you are in the United States like me, please know that these activities use “pounds” instead of “dollars”, among other variations. Here is one of the Year 2 Geography sample activities that I know lower grade teachers will like: What’s the Weather? Please check out the resources and leave a comment about any goodies you find within the site!