25 iPad Apps for Junior High Science

Jessie Canaday

Star Walk

• Cost: $4.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Exceptional classroom resource. Shows where the planets and the constellations are for any given day and time. I used this for the Astronomy Club field trip on Nov 5 and the kids loved it. The best app I've seen so far!

Show Me

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Exceptional tech resource. I really like this app! It is a smartboard that comes with a recording capability. You can import pictures or draw your own and then upload to Show Me (like SOM or YouTube). You can then play the video on any computer. Imagine a teacher who is home sick, but can send a recorded lesson to the substitute to show in the classroom.

Video Science

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Dan Menelley demonstrates a variety of experiments to use in science class. I wish I would have watched his chromatography experiment before my students did this in class a couple of weeks ago. They did not get good results and the video showed a better way to prepare the leaves.

Science 360

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent classroom resource. A collection of streaming videos discussing current science topics by the National Science Foundation. Spectacular graphics, but takes a long time to download, with the limited bandwidth capability in my classroom.

NASAAmes Research

Center

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Provides a variety of information on the NASA Space Program and the astronauts. Includes videos and photos from space. I will use this app when my science classes study space exploration next semester.

Periodic Table

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements that shows detailed facts about each element. Although, this works great showing it on a screen to the whole class, it could also be used as a student resource if a teacher had student iPads in the classroom.

Astronomy Picture of Day

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. NASA publishes a high definition picture of the day with an explanation of the picture. I use this all the time with my Astronomy Club and will use it in my science classes when we study space exploration.

• Cost: $1.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Shows the organells inside both animal and plant cells in 3-D videos, plus has interactive items. Reminds me of the old 1960s movie Fantastic Voyage. I plan to use this next semester when we start the unit on cells.

Cell and Cell Structure

Air Sketch

• Cost: $9.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent tech resource. Acts as a wireless smartboard/tablet. You can import pictures or PDF files and then make notes on the document, while walking around the room. I have not used this yet, but one of the other science teachers uses this all the time in his class.

Go Sky Watch

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Another great astronomy tool. Uses red light to preserve night vision and very easy to use. Point your iPad at the sky and it tells you what stars/constellations you are looking at. I can use this with my Astronomy Club.

Coaster Physics

• Cost: $.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Provides interactive roller coaster tracks to demonstrate kinetic and potential energy, speed and acceleration, and g-force. You can change the track design and then witness the changes in energy. A great tool to demonstrate when teaching force and motion.

NASA Visualization

Explorer

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Superb photography from space-based satellites. Analysis of the Earth science research is detailed with videos showing the changes over time. I plan to use the above story when I talk about the human effect on ground water next week.

Brain Pop

• Cost: Free, but subscription cost $1.99/month

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Excellent teacher resource. Animated videos and information on various science and other subjects. Includes a quiz after the video. I plan to use the video on DNA when my science classes study genetics next semester. This would also be a great student resource, if you had a classroom set of iPads.

iLearn Solar System Hd

• Cost: $1.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good student resource. Entertaining graphics and avatars guide students through the solar system. Includes an interactive game. This would be great to use in the classroom, if you had a classroom set of iPads. I may use this in my focus class and/or with my special needs/ESL students.

Molecules

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher resource. Shows a 3D model of molecules you can download from a database. You can manipulate the model in any direction. The different atoms are color-coded so students can easily see the bond structure. I can use this to show the glucose and DNA molecules.

3D Digestive System

• Cost: $.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher resource. Shows the digestive system in 3D with information on each part. You can rotate the image so you can see how all the different parts fit together. I will use this in my science classes when we study the human body.

Science Lab

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good student resource. Provides information on five different science objectives, and includes a good vocabulary quiz using pictures. This would be a great tool to use with special needs or ESL students if you had a classroom set of iPads.

Human Body Facts 1000

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher resource. Gives facts about the human body. I plan to use this app in my science classes when we learn about the human body. I can also use these short facts to tweet my students on Twitter.

3D Arm and Leg Bones

• Cost: $.99

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher resource. Shows a 3D model of both the arm and legs bones. You can rotate the model and also get a definition of the different bones. I will use this when my science classes study the human body.

The Elementals

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher resource. Shows a color-coded periodic table and the properties of each element. Has some cute animation. I will use this app for my next focus class on the elements. These students struggle with how to read and use the periodic table.

Best Science Facts

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher resource. Provides a variety of short interesting science facts. I use these to gain the attention of my students and also to tweet interesting science facts on Twitter.

Newsstand

• Cost: Free, but individual magazines cost money to buy

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher/student resource. You can subscribe to magazines on line and then read them. Although, I have the hardcopy subcriptions to the above magazines, I may subscribe electronically next year.

Science Books

• Cost: Free, but individual books have additional costs

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher/student resource. Provides 634 science books to read on line (similar to kindle). Some interesting topics that could be used for research. The sample feature provided for each book, allows you to read the intro and first chapter to see if you want to buy the whole book.

Air Board

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good tech resource. Allows you to draw a concept or take notes on your iPad. Other users, on the same WiFi network, can also interact at the same time. Teachers will need to connect their iPad to a projector in order to show to a classroom. This could also have other applications, if you have a classroom set of iPads.

Dictionary

• Cost: Free

• Info Link

• My Assessment: Good teacher/student resource. Provides an online dictionary to look up definitions or spelling. The is a good tool to use for instructional material development.