Why use online gaming in the classroom?
Students are excited about online games, and integrating online gaming into your instruction can engage students, reinforce learning, provide additional skill practice, and supplement your lessons and units.
Poptropica is…
One of our sister companies, Poptropica, is a free online game that encourages students to problem-solve, learn about specific content like Greek myths and important historical figures, solve mysteries and complete quests.
Created by Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of A Wimpy Kid series, Poptropica is a chain of story-based islands with different themes. Students begin their journey by creating an avatar and then explore an island.
The skills students practice and develop are…
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Focus
- Follow through
The topics students learn about are…
- History
- Science
- Mythology
- Economics
What supplemental resources exist for teachers?
TeacherVision has teaching guides for each island that include lessons, worksheets, related resources, and Common Core-aligned projects and activities.
Why should I try it?
There are certain topics that we teach every year, like Greek myths or important historical events or figures like Susan B. Anthony. Using this game and the teaching guides will supplement your curriculum, and provides students with an engaging way to explore the topics they are learning about in class. Because all of the resources are aligned to the Common Core, using Poptropica in your classroom can ensure that you are supporting your students to work towards and master essential standards.
To Get Started…
First, you'll want to try Poptropica yourself to make sure it is compatible with the technology in your classroom. Then, check out each of the teaching guides below to integrate the game's islands (think: super fun adventures!) with your curriculum.
