NOVA Elements: This entertaining and educational app brings the periodic table to life. It is appropriate for students in middle school through high school, and can be used during introductory lessons or as a refresher. The app includes an interactive periodic table, a molecule-building game, and a video of an entire NOVA program, “Hunting the Elements.”
The interactive periodic table of the elements is highly engaging. Students simply tap any element to view an image of the element and learn more about it. Students can then build the elements by adding the correct number of protons, neutrons and electrons. This can be done independently, but if students need more support, they can use the use auto-build function. Some elements, such as gold, include video clips.
Another motivating part of the app is the “My Essential Elements” game. This game also allows students to build elements to create the molecular make-up of various items, from a banana to DNA. When students build these molecules, they can see why certain base pairs fit together. This is a particularly valuable aspect of the game, since DNA is part of the science curriculum for all eighth-grade students.
The excellent graphics and interactivity make this an extremely appealing app. It is also a high-utility app in that it can be used at multiple grade levels, and can help in differentiating instruction. It provides students with additional opportunities to view and interact with the elements. Teachers of both biology
and chemistry will find NOVA Elements a useful teaching tool. . . by Sheila Tobin Cavooris
The interactive periodic table of the elements is highly engaging. Students simply tap any element to view an image of the element and learn more about it. Students can then build the elements by adding the correct number of protons, neutrons and electrons. This can be done independently, but if students need more support, they can use the use auto-build function. Some elements, such as gold, include video clips.
Another motivating part of the app is the “My Essential Elements” game. This game also allows students to build elements to create the molecular make-up of various items, from a banana to DNA. When students build these molecules, they can see why certain base pairs fit together. This is a particularly valuable aspect of the game, since DNA is part of the science curriculum for all eighth-grade students.
The excellent graphics and interactivity make this an extremely appealing app. It is also a high-utility app in that it can be used at multiple grade levels, and can help in differentiating instruction. It provides students with additional opportunities to view and interact with the elements. Teachers of both biology
and chemistry will find NOVA Elements a useful teaching tool. . . by Sheila Tobin Cavooris