GoalSay what virtual labs and interactive maps are and what they are good for.
New words
virtual lab · a pretend laboratory on a screen where you try experimentsinteractive map · a map you can zoom into, change and add information tosource · a place where information comes fromdata · facts and numbers that we collect
Explanation
There are many online learning sources. The free online library has articles, videos and topics to explore. A children’s learning website can answer questions about animals, science, history and geography. A virtual lab is a pretend laboratory on a screen. Pupils and teachers can try experiments in an interactive place, with no spilled liquids and no broken glass. An interactive map can be zoomed and changed: you can pick a topic, add data and see how a place looks. Trusted online tools are very valuable sources of information, and safe ones are good for research and for collecting data. Use them with a teacher or a family member and write down the source. Some experiments can also be tried for real with a grown-up.
Source
What it gives
Good for
Free online library
articles, videos, topics
background reading
Children’s learning site
facts about animals, science, history, geography
quick facts
Virtual lab
experiments on a screen
trying an experiment safely
Interactive map
a map you can zoom and change
places and data
Worked examples
Mina’s teacher shows a virtual lab where a pretend ball rolls down a slope. Each pupil predicts what will happen if the slope is steeper, tries it on the screen and writes down the result.
Karim’s class compares the weather of two countries. With their teacher they use an interactive map to look at rainfall and temperature, and they write the numbers in a table.
Youssef reads about the river Nile in the free online library and watches a short video. Then he writes down the sources.
Class activity
Pretend virtual lab. With a grown-up nearby, lean a flat book on one other book to make a gentle slope. Roll a small ball down it and mark where it stops. First predict what will happen if you put two books under the end. Then try it. Write the prediction and the result in a table. A virtual lab does the same on a screen.
Practice
1
What is a virtual lab?
A pretend laboratory on a screen where you try experiments.
2
What can you do with an interactive map?
Zoom in, change it, choose a topic and add data.
3
Why are trusted online tools useful for research?
They are valuable sources of information, and safe ones are good for collecting data.
4
Which source is best for comparing the rainfall of two countries? Say the letter.
