Learning Magic, Inc

Curriculum Area: Language Arts


Instructions: Click on any activity's purple underlined title for more information and a chance to download the activity.


A Snowy Zoo Adventure

This activity provides eight different paths through the zoo in fifteen pages. On each page the student can read about and see how the animals deal with the snow left on the ground after a storm. On each page the child also gets to choose which of two animals they want to see next.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts


If I Owned An Odd-itorium

This activity is a whimsical reading book which outlines what I might own if I owned an Odd-itorium. The odd-itorium includes attractions such as a Cyclops, a fire-breathing dragon, a wizard and a green cross-eyed snake to name just a few.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Hoover's New Wheels

This activity is based upon a true story of a dog whose back portion of his body was paralyzed in a freak accident. Hoover’s New Wheels relates how Hoover went from slowly hopping along on his front legs, to being able to chase the pesky squirrels in his yard again by using his new wheelchair. Students not only get to read about and watch movies of the transformation but they also get to write about their understanding of what happened to Hoover.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts


Hoover's Newest Wheelchair

This activity was built in one of “The Writing Bin” CD’s scaffold-ed templates. It provides photographic images showing both Hoover’s first wheelchair which was introduced in the activity “Hoover’s New Wheels” and the improvements that were made by going to a second model. Students get to both read about both chairs and Hoover’s involvement and they also get to write about their understanding of how the new wheelchair was better for Hoover.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts


Spring Things

This activity was developed in one of “The Writing Bin” CD’s scaffold-ed templates. Developed originally in a third grade classroom, it uses clipart to provide students with things associated with the Spring season. This activity does not include any initial content piece up front, so teachers should provide some content about the subject before the students are asked to write about it.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts & Science


Signs of Spring

This activity was developed in one of “The Writing Bin” CD’s scaffold-ed templates and provides children with eight pages of photographic images of things associated with Spring. Originally developed in a classroom with older students who were functioning at or around a second grade level of literacy, the activity gives students the ability to both read and write about different Signs of Spring.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts & Science


Easy Writing Activities

The Easy Writing subcategory includes a group of activities that are built in the IntelliTalk 3® Easy Writing template. These errorless writing activities provide a sentence beginning and seven endings, all accessible by clicking buttons.


Flooding

This activity provides both a detailed description of how and why flooding occurs and the damage it can do to both property and people. The photographs that are included in this activity were taken during the floods that hit Western Washington during late 2007. This activity is built in a template from The Writing Bin CD.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts & Science.  


Things In The Sky

This activity was built in one of "The Writing Bin" CD’s scaffolded templates and provides photographic images, sound effects etc. of different things you might see in the sky. Repetitive text along with the photographic images introduces each object to the student initially. Later in the writing portion the student then has the opportunity to write about each object using their own words.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts & Science.  


Modern Art

This activity was developed in one of "The Writing Bin" CD's scaffolded templates and takes children on a virtual field trip to a museum where they are introduced to modern art paintings. In the writing portion of the activity the student has the opportunity to choose different paintings to write about and what they thought the artist was trying to depict.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Winter Is

This activity was developed in one of "The Writing Bin" CD's scaffolded templates and provides children with a photographic set of images about winter. Students then have the opportunity to write about their impressions of the different images using the scaffolded writing support built into the activity.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts & Science.


Winter Things

This activity was developed in one of "The Writing Bin" CD's scaffolded templates and provides clipart images of different winter occurrences. Students get to click on an image to insert it on the page and then write about it using their own words and the scaffolded writing supports built into the activity.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts & Science.


Fishing the River River

In this activity students take a narrative based virtual field trip to a fast flowing river where they learn some of the basics about fishing in a river. As they enter the river, students are able to watch a fisherman navigate the river in "waders" while fishing with a combination of lures and flies. Students also experience the sounds and feel of the river through a series of high quality movies and short videos. This activity is built in a template from The Writing Bin CD.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Sharing the Hay

This activity was specifically developed to aid an elementary school child who was having trouble sharing food in his classroom and in a lunchroom setting. One of the student's favorite things to do was to go a local farm where he loved to watch, pet and be around the large farm animals. We developed the "Sharing The Hay" activity, which shows the different animals on the farm "eating and sharing hay", using one of the templates from the recently released The Writing Bin CD to provide writing support.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5.     Curriculum area: Life Skills and Language Arts.  


Crawfish Festival Adventure

In this activity students have the opportunity to visit and enjoy the various activities at a crawfish festival, including Cajun music, food, and rides. The activity includes fifteen pages and students get to choose which way they explore the festival. There are eight different paths through the environment.

We suggest that teachers ask the students to take notes as they travel through the festival, as they will have an opportunity to write about their adventures in a follow-up journal, also available to download from Goodies.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


Crawfish Festival Journal

In this activity students have the opportunity to document their visit to the Crawfish Festival through their own journal. Students get to choose from pictures on a pop-up toolbar that includes twelve of the pictures they saw and read about in the Crawfish Festival Adventure activity, also available here for download.

When students click on a picture, it is automatically inserted onto the page, and they then get to write about what they remembered or learned. Pop-up toolbars of sight words, plus nouns, verbs and adjectives that were used in the Crawfish Festival Adventure activity are also available to assist students in their writing endeavors.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


The Antagonist

This activity explores the subject of what an antagonist is. In the first chapter the word 'antagonist' is defined and then students are informed that in the following three chapters they will meet two characters and have an opportunity to watch them interact.

The two antagonists are a cat, Jake, and a dog, Cooper, who are next door neighbors and interact through a gap in the fence. At the end of the story the student has the opportunity to make a final determination as to who was the biggest antagonist throughout the encounter.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


Hubble Telescope

After reading about the Hubble Telescope in the first five pages of the book, students are then given the opportunity to click a button to open a toolbar of photographs taken by the Hubble Telescope.

When the student clicks on a picture, it is automatically inserted on the page. The students are then asked to name the object they are looking at, and to describe it in the textbox provided on that page.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Butterfly House Adventure

In this activity, which is based upon the adventure template available on the Learning Magic, Inc.'s "Adventures in Reading" CD, children get to navigate through a tropical rainforest and a tropical butterfly house. On each of the fifteen pages high quality photographs along with short videos are used to show the tropical plants, ponds and butterflies in a pseudo-native environment. Students determine their course through the adventure. When they are finished, they can write about their experience in either of two journals, Butterfly House Writing or Butterfly House Writing - Supported, both of which are also available for download from Goodies.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Butterfly House Writing

This activity was developed in one of the new templates that will be available on the Learning Magic, Inc. Writing Bin CD later this year. It is a companion activity to be used after students complete Butterfly House Adventure. Two introductory pages explain the writing assignment. Then the child is provided with a button which when clicked will display eight pictures to insert of images that they have seen in the adventure activity. Children choose and insert a picture and then have the opportunity to write about their recollections and knowledge of the butterflies and their environment in the textbox provided on each page.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Butterfly House Writing - Supported

This activity was developed in one of the new templates that will be available on the Learning Magic, Inc. Writing Bin CD later this year. It is a companion activity to be used after students complete Butterfly House Adventure. Two introductory pages explain the writing assignment. The child is provided with eight pages of pictures and textboxes that enable them to write about their recollections and knowledge. A toolbar with sixteen words they have encountered during the adventure provides additional writing support.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Vehicles CE&B

This activity was developed in one of the two-button templates from Learning Magic, Inc.'s Cause & Effect And BEYOND CD in conjunction with a fifth grade special education teacher who wanted to introduce new language in and around the subject of vehicles and provide quick classroom assessment of her students' knowledge in this subject area. A simple modification, displaying the button names, optimized this template to produce an activity that accomplished both goals.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts, Cause and Effect, and Life Skills.  


State Fair Adventure

The State Fair Adventure takes children through two common areas of the fair, the section with a large number of rides and the section where animals are on display. The red and yellow buttons on each page allow the child to choose which way to go next. Thus students decide in what order to explore, and as a result they become active participants in the fair. Besides the photos, movies of the rides and the animals make this a very realistic experience.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5, Middle School.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


State Fair Writing

The State Fair Writing activity is a companion activity to State Fair Adventure. After exploring the State Fair Adventure activity, the State Fair Writing activity first provides children with reminders of what they saw and experienced at the Fair. The child then chooses eight out twelve photographs of the fair from a toolbar to write about regarding their remembrances of the fair.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


Firefighters Writing

Susan Norwell is the author of this writing activity, which provides background on firefighters and what they do on a day-to-day basis to keep us safe, followed by pages where children can write. Clicking an "Insert Pictures" button in the template provides eight firefighter-related photos on a toolbar, which children can insert into the pages to illustrate their story.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


On The Farm Writing

The On the Farm Writing activity is based upon one of the new Learning Magic Picture Writing templates that we are developing. On the first writing page, students can click on the Insert Pictures button, which will open a toolbar with eight photos of different animals that may be found on a farm. They can then click on any animal to insert the picture onto the page. Then they can write about the animal in the textbox provided.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


Fort Clatsop Writing

Fort Clatsop Writing is an activity that begins with nine pages of basic information regarding the Lewis & Clark expedition and their experiences at Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Ocean. The children then get to write about what they have learned. On the next ten pages they choose pictures in any order they like from a toolbar of pictures and then write about each photo. Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Fall Leaves

There are actually 6 activities in this Goodie, three books and three writing activities. The books and writing activities are on three levels, from a simple animated story and errorless writing set (easy level) to a discussion of photosynthesis, chloroplasts, and why leaves change colors coupled with a conventional level writing book with photos to describe.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


The Great Storm of 1900

A reading comprehension activity relates the events of September, 1900, when a hurricane as powerful and destructive as Katrina came ashore on the Texas coast. Photos and music from the era carry students back a century. The imaginative solution this city came up with to prevent future devastation is a good discussion starter for what today's cities along the Gulf Coast might do to cope with hurricanes.

Grade level: 3-5, Middle School.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Amusement Park

Kids take a virtual trip to an old-fashioned amusement park in this activity. They can choose any or all of five rides from the map that makes up the menu page. The narrative, animation, and movies make this a realistic and fun exploration.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


Plant A Garden

Here is an activity that lets you plant a garden without getting hot, sweaty, and sunburned. Best of all, it is switch accessible, and comes with its own IntelliKeys® overlay, so that all students can participate. Students are cued to pick the correct garden implement or materials for each step, and IntelliMation® carries out the action as they loosen the soil, rake it smooth, shake out the seeds, cover them with dirt, water carefully, and wait for the sun to cause the seeds to sprout. Then they see the flowers grow and bloom, and get to color the flowers. They finish by writing about their garden and printing it out.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts, Science, and Life Skills.  


Space Junk

This activity tackles a way-out pollution problem, junk in space. Through NASA photos, original art, and animations, students learn that an amazing assortment of debris is in orbit around the earth, including old broken down satellites, pieces of exploded rockets, and even ordinary household trash. The Space Junk activity then links to a second IntelliPics Studio 3® activity, Space News. Here students can set up a scene using clip art derived from NASA photos to illustrate space junk in orbit along with the International Space Station, the Space Shuttle, and/or various satellites. When their scene is finished, a picture of the scene goes onto a newspaper page where the student can write about it.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Baton Rouge Zoo Adventure

The Baton Rouge Zoo Adventure is an activity built upon one of the templates found on the Learning Magic, Inc. "Adventures in Reading" CD. In this adventure children get to explore the wonderful Baton Rouge, Louisiana Zoo at their own pace, choosing their route through the story much like they would explore a zoo in the real world. Close-up photos and exciting videos of the animals bring a vivid sense of realism to this exploration.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Bluebonnet Swamp Adventure

The BlueBonnet Swamp Adventure is an activity built upon one of the templates found on the Learning Magic, Inc. "Adventures in Reading" CD. In this adventure children get to take a virtual walk along pathways into a swamp where they get exposure to both the plants and animals that live there. Children will learn about the general environment in the swamp and encounter animals along the way including but not limited to dragonflies, alligators, raccoons and owls.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Parts of a Butterfly

"Parts of a Butterfly" is an activity developed in the "Parts of a..." template created by Learning Magic. In this activity the child will be able to move a magnifying glass around the various parts of a motorcyle as highlighted by colorful circles and squares. Once the child places the magnifying glass inside a circle or square it will take them to a page where they can read about that part of the butterfly.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Parts of a Motorcycle

"Parts of a Motorcyle" is an activity developed in the "Parts of a..." template created by Learning Magic. In this activity the child will be able to move a magnifying glass around the various parts of a motorcyle as highlighted by colored circles. Once the child places the magnifying glass inside a circle it will take them to a page where they can write about that part of the motorcycle.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Nikki's Adventure

Nikki's Adventure is an open ended writing exercise where children are given a book which includes a photograph and textbox on each page. The photos depict the experiences of two dogs, Nikki being the star.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Follow The Easter Bunny

"Follow the Easter Bunny" is an activity that uses clickable invisible buttons to guide children through the story as they pursue the Easter Bunny to his final destination. As the Easter Bunny hops through the pages, the child is asked to click on where the Easter bunny is "hiding" or "where you last saw him". We will be using this activity to assist in visual tracking and to also help teach the concepts of "in" and "behind" for early learners.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Holidays.  


Paint the Egg

"Remember how much fun it was to color Easter eggs? Remember how un-fun it was to clean up the mess? Avoid the mess by coloring a digital Learning Magic egg instead! "Paint The Egg" is a switch accessible activity that allows your students to paint multiple stripes on an egg by choosing colors from a toolbar with twelve distinct colors available.

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Holidays.  


If I Owned An Elephant

f I Owned An Elephant" is a book written in the Learning Magic Electronic Book template and it tells the story of Ordell who imagines what it would be like to have his very own pet elephant.  

Grade level: K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Bugs in My Computer

Bugs in My Computer" is an electronic book written in one of Learning Magic's electronic book templates. In "Bugs In My Computer", children (and teachers) will see vividly the effects of installing a software release that has "bugs" in it. You will be able to witness the behavior of various bugs as they crawl, dance and cause havoc within the computer. 

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Parts of Skateboarding

In this activity, we provide a short opening video of kids skateboarding and doing various tricks at a local skate park. The activity then provides three pages which show photographs of different tricks. Then the child will be presented with a picture of the skate park and its various components. By moving a skateboard graphic to different components of the park, the child will move to a page with a closeup picture of that part of the park. The page also has a text box in which the child can write.

Grade level: 3-5 and Middle School.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


News Flash

This writing activity provides a series of photographs and movies surrounding the subject of a fire in an apartment house complex and the involvement of fire fighters as they respond to an eight alarm fire. The narration for the scene is provided by a fictional local television newscaster (Lynn) as he or she reports on what is happening live. Once the photographs, movies and narration are complete, the children are told that they are reporters for the local newspaper. They have to recreate the scene using photographs and clipart and then write an article for the newspaper.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


A Stormy Day

A Stormy Day is an activity developed in the Learning Magic Electronic Book template. In this activity children are presented with five pictures/movies of a stormy day as seen through window panes, by opening the window slightly, by opening the window further or going outside, and then watching as the storm passes and rainbows appear.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Bread Recipe

This sequencing activity is based upon the IntelliTools Fairy Tales template, which was developed in IntelliTalk 3®. Students are challenged to arrange sentences presented in random order from a toolbar to form the correct sequence of steps for making bread.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


Baking Bread

The activity "Baking Bread" was developed using the Learning Magic Electronic Storybook template. This reading activity introduces students to an old-fashioned skill, breadmaking. Movies and animation combine with the narrative to create a real life experience.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills.  


The Mayflawer

This activity is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and related text box , and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. After reading this activity, students will know many new things about the Pilgrims, starting with the fact that their ship's name was originally "Mayflawer", not the Mayflower as we know it. Get into the mood for Thanksgiving with a story about ship itself, its route, and what it was like traveling to America to start a colony

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Blackbeard the Pirate

This activity is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and related text box , and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. Students read about the scariest pirate of all, Blackbeard. Find out about the exploits of a man who commanded an entire pirate fleet of twenty-five ships before he met his gruesome end in battle.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Jean LaFitte

This activity is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and related text box , and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. This activity traces the life of a real pirate of the Caribbean, Jean Lafitte. Students read a fascinating account of a man who committed acts of piracy yet was a hero in the Battle of New Orleans, and later mysteriously vanished.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Vasco Da Gama

This biography sketch and book on Vasco Da Gama is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and related text box , and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. This activity traces the life and travels of Vasco Da Gama. This Portuguese explorer took command of an expedition to India upon the death of his father, and successfully completed the journey back to Portugal. His travels opened important trade routes that established Portugal as a major force during the Age of Discovery.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Ferdinand Magellan

This biography sketch and book on Magellan is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and a text box with one to three paragraphs of information regarding the subject, and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. This activity traces the life and accomplishments of Ferdinand Magellan. Although Ferdinand Magellan died along the way, it was his crew and expedition that first proved that you could sail around the world. As a result Magellan is remembered to this day as the first sea explorer to circumnavigate the globe.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Genghis Khan

This biography sketch and book on Genghis Khan is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and a text box with one to three paragraphs of information regarding the subject, and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. In "Genghis Khan" we retell the story of one of the greatest military leaders in history. Although his army was vicious, Genghis Khan always set up a new government in the conquered cities, often using local people to run the cities.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Hannibal

This biography sketch and book on Hannibal is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. In this template, the child is presented with a graphic and a text box with one to three paragraphs of information regarding the subject, and that page is then followed by a page with a multiple choice question to ascertain the student's comprehension of the previously read materials. The activity covers the life of Hannibal Barca, the great Catheginian general who brought elephants over the Alps to attack Rome.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Who Has Antlers

In the collaborative development process of "The Exploring Nature Collection" with Pati King DeBaun, we developed a series of books for varying levels of emergent readers. In the final compilation process some of the books we had developed were not incorporated into the final shipping version of the product. Who Has Antlers is one of those extra books, written at the Easy level on the subject of who has antlers. Each animal is shown in a high quality photo.

Grade level: K-2      Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science.  


Halloween Night In The News

It's Halloween Night and you have to report upon the happenings of the evening in your local newspaper. This activity utilizes the IntelliTools Classroom Suite® "Science in the News" template but with all-new resources. This includes two background pictures, a 1850s graveyard and a dilapidated house to use, and appropriate clip art including, bats, dracula, witches, ghosts, a skeleton, a werewolf and frankenstein to create your initial scene. Then insert the picture into the newspaper and write the article.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Delicate Arch in the News

With the end of summer vacation around the corner, we know that children may have gone on a trip. In this activity, they create a newspaper account of what tourists would experience if they visited Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. We have used the IntelliPics Studio 3® Science in the News template, in which children can create their own scenes, snap a photograph of the scene, and then write a newspaper article about their scene.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Davy Crockett

This brief biography sketch and book on Davy Crockett is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR5Q template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. After children read a one page biographical narration on Davy, they are presented with five multiple choice questions to answer.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Helen Keller

This brief biography sketch and book on Helen Keller is written using the Learning Magic, Inc. TGCR5Q template that was made popular in our Comprehension CD. After children read a one page biographical narration on Helen, they are presented with five multiple choice questions to answer.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


The History of Mount Rushmore

This sixteen page activity which recounts the history of the sculpting of Mount Rushmore is developed in the Learning Magic Text & Graphics click to read template which was made popular in the Learning Magic "Comprehension" CD.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Mount Rushmore Presidents

The Mount Rushmore Presidents activity is built in the Learning Magic, Inc. Electronic Storybook template which includes an on-screen keyboard. Students are presented with two pictures of each of the four presidents that are depicted on Mount Rushmore. Their writing assignment is to research each of the presidents and determine why they were chosen to be honored on this national monument.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart is remembered as one of the greatest aviatrices of our time. In the activity the child will get to listen to and read a recounting of Amelia's life. Their comprehension of the content provided is tested by answering the five multiple choice questions which follow the reading selection.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Cochise

Cochise was one of the leading chiefs of the Chiricahua Apache tribe from the 1840s through the early 1870s. This activity briefly recounts Cochise's life. Children have an opportunity to read and/or to click on the text and have the text read to them. Their comprehension of the content provided is tested by answering the five multiple choice questions which follow the reading selection.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History.  


Musical Instruments

This activity provides children with a picture and a short video of six instruments and lets them research and write, potentially about the various instruments, their origins, the way they are played (bow, fingers, hammers/mallets etc) and the various sounds they make. The instruments available include the banjo and fiddle together on one page, followed by the hammer dulcimer, the harp, the steel pan and finally the marimba.

Grade level: 3-5, Middle School.     Curriculum area: Language Arts.  


Marine Mammals

In this activity we provide children with close up photos of six marine mammals, along with short videos of each of the animals in the water. The marine mammals in the activity include the harbor seal, the northern fur seal, the walrus, the sea lion, the sea otter and the beluga whale. The template then provides the children with the opportunity to write about what they have observed.

Grade level: 3-5, Middle School.     Curriculum area: Language Arts, Science.  


If I Had To Name This Animal

In this activity the children are told that there is a problem in that we don't know the names of the animals presented on the pages. They are asked to make up a name for each animal and give the reasons why they are naming it. Animals included in this activity include: A fennec fox, a striped hyena, a red panda, a gila monster, a scarlet ibis, a tapir, a whiptail lizard, a gemsbok, a sloth bear and a Japanese serow.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts, Science.  


The Migration

A bald eagle is migrating north along the west coast of the Untited States. Photos of well-known mountains and other landmarks provide a basis for students to write about both the landscape and the bird's movements. The activity was created using the Animated Stories Toolkit.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language Arts, Science.  


Rosa Parks

"Rosa Parks" was developed in the Learning Magic Text & Graphics 5Q template, which is one of the eleven templates and 36 finished activities found on our latest CD, "Comprehension". It provides a historical account of Rosa Parks and the impact she had on the American civil rights movement in the 1960s. It also provides five questions to check the child's comprehension on the material they have just read.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language, Social Studies and History.  


Charles Lindbergh

"Charles Lindbergh" was developed in the Learning Magic Text & Graphics 5Q template, which is one of the eleven templates and 36 finished activities found on our latest CD, "Comprehension". It provides a historical account of Charles Lindbergh's life and accomplishments as a pilot and American hero, including his trans-Atlantic flight in his plane, "The Spirit of St. Louis". It also provides five questions to check the child's comprehension on the material they have just read.

Grade level: 3-5.     Curriculum area: Language, Social Studies and History.  


Can You Name This Bird?

"Can you name this bird", is an activity developed in the Learning Magic Electronic Storybook template. This activity provides a look at ten unique birds, both in the form of close-up photos and as a brief description each one. The text provides one or two facts about each bird and in some cases "word rhymes" were used to try to fix the name of the bird in the child's mind (i.e. people might "gawk" at the "auk".)

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science  


Monsters Under My Bed

"Monsters Under My Bed" is an original poem/book developed in the Learning Magic Electronic Storybook template. The poem was written by Byron and the artwork/illustration was done by Ann. We both believed as young children that there were monsters hiding either under our beds or in the closet, so we had to bring them to life again in our second childhood.

Grade level: K-2 and 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Roscoe in the Desert - Template

"Roscoe's Desert Trip" is an activity based upon the Animated Stories Toolkit template developed by Ann Brundige and Patti Rea. Each page provides a photograph of the various encounters as an animated Roscoe walks by. A text box is then provided for children to write about the trip and the picture they are looking at.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Roscoe in the Desert - Jimmy's Story

This activity is the result of a fourth grader using the Roscoe's Desert Trip Activity/Template to describe his impressions and thoughts about Roscoe the Goose's trip.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Grandfathers

The activity takes a quick look at the attributes and characteristics of grandfathers from a child's perspective and hopefully brings back fond memories of grandfathers you have known.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Captain Bernard

This activity is based upon the IntelliTalk 3® Writing in Science Template. It provides children with an opportunity to write about far away worlds. Characters available here include Captain Bernard and various aliens, who also can be found in a story on the the Adventures in Reading CD. Additional art work including scenes from Captain Bernard's travels are from the Nardidian Thanksgiving story which is included on the Cause & Effect and BEYOND CD.

Grade level: 3-5 and K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts   


Medieval Kingdom

This activity is based upon the IntelliTalk 3® Writing In Science Template. and provides images pertaining to a medieval kingdom. Images include the castle, a dragon, an archer, a prince, a king, a knight, a princess and a queen. A word bank of appropriate words to possibly use within the story is also provided.

Grade level: 3-5 and K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts   


The Giant

This activity is based upon the IntelliTalk 3® Writing In Science Template. It provides children with characters with which they can write their own stories about make-believe kingdoms. The characters include a king, a princess, a wizard, a prince, an elf, a giant, peasants and a jester. A word bank of appropriate words to possibly use within the story is also provided.

Grade level: 3-5 and K-2.     Curriculum area: Language Arts   


The Swimming Hole

The Swimming Hole was created in the "Text Only TOCR5Q" template, one component of a new CD available from Learning Magic entitled "Comprehension". This original story is presented as a book with a cover and a single page of text. After the story is read, the child is then presented with five separate questions to test the child's comprehension of the story. Questions not only test recall of the text but also inferred meaning within the story.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills  


The Circulatory System

The activity provides a detailed description of the human body's circulatory system inclusive of the arteries, veins, capillaries, bone marrow, and the heart and its parts. A review of the components of our blood i.e. red and white blood cells, and platelets is also provided. This activity was created in the Learning Magic "Text and Graphics TGCR" template, one component of our newest CD, "Comprehension". After each reading page there is a related page containing a multiple-choice question which tests and assesses the child's comprehension.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Science  


The Titanic

The activity opens as a book with a picture of the Titanic on the cover and then eight pages of text describing the Titanic and the disaster that occurred on April 14, 1912. After each page of text, the child is presented with a multiple choice question which tests for comprehension. The Titanic was created in the Learning Magic "Text Only TOCR" template, one component of our newest CD, "Comprehension".

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History  


George Washington: First U. S. President?

While Washington was certainly the first President under the current U.S. Constitution, this activity documents the fact that under the Articles of Confederation, seven presidents of the United States preceded George Washington. This activity was built in the Learning Magic "Text and Graphics TGRO" template, one component of our newest CD, "Comprehension".

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts and History  


Where Does Sadie Sleep?

"Where Does Sadie Sleep?" is an activity designed in the original IntelliPics Studio® Electronic Book template. It is a nine page book that explores where Sadie (Byron's 19 year black tabby) sleeps during the day.

Grade level: K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Chain Reaction

This activity is built in IntelliPics Studio 3® and utilizes the original Electronic Storybook template created by Karen Sheehan. The story is a simple one: the story of a mosquito, a frog, a heron, a lion, a big game hunter and another mosquito. The kids we have worked with have gone back multiple times to "read it" and it continues to hold their interest and laughter.

Grade level: K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Prepositions

This activity was built in IntelliPics Studio 3® in conjunction with a group of teachers who were wanting to teach prepositions to children who were struggling with learning these concepts. The activity includes 24 digital pictures, one short video, and IntelliMations to draw the student's interest.

Grade level: 3-5 and K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Chocolate

This unit on Chocolate is actually five activities in one. The main unit recounts the history of chocolate from the days of the Mayans through its discovery and transport to Europe by Hernando Cortez and explores the cultivation and production of chocolate today. Subsequent to working through the initial unit there are four more activities for children to participate in.

Grade level: 3-5 and Middle/High School     Curriculum areas:History, Math, Science, Language Arts  


Water

The primary activity "WATER" was developed with three specific goals in mind. First we wanted to build an activity that encompassed both the four steps of the water cycle (evaporation, transpiration, condensation and precipitation) and then secondly explore water as it exists on earth. The second goal was to provide a basis for building an extensive vocabulary as it pertained to these two subjects.The third goal was to provide a contextual basis for kids to read about the subject.

Grade level: 3-5 and Middle/High School     Curriculum area: Science and Language Arts  


Insects

This activity has lots of reading in context and is inclusive of discussions regarding phylum, classes, orders, and species. We review the physical characteristics of beetles, butterflies, crane flies including discussions on exoskeletons and compare insects to a tarantula and other arachnids.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Science and Language Arts  


Legends of the Blues

The Legends of the Blues is an activity that discusses the evolution of the Blues and its original sources to the Blues music of today. In the activity profiles and background information is provided along with original music from fourteen of the most influential Blues singers and musicians. PLEASE note that this activity will only function on PC based computers

Grade level: 3-5 and Middle/High School     Curriculum area:History and Language Arts  


Ice and Icicles

The ice and icicles activity was developed after having a discussion with a second grade class wherein we were asked what makes ice freeze. Doing some initial research on materials that were already at the school, I found there was little available. As a result, the first time it got cold enough for ice to freeze on the local ponds, out I went with my camera and the activity and resulting extra photos are now available for your use.

Grade level: K-2 and 3-5     Curriculum areas: Science and Language Arts  


A Zoo Adventure

John and Clarice are visiting the local zoo. Should they go to the primates area first, or start out observing the animals of the savanna? Choices made by the student reading this story determine what will happen next. On each page of this activity, students read a paragraph and then make a choice between two buttons to decide what they want to do next.

Grade level: K-2, 3-5, and Middle/High School     Curriculum area: Science and Language Arts  


Henry's Beach Adventure

Henry is walking along the beach when he sees an old crate floating in the water. Does he open the box or continue walking? Choices made by the student reading this story determine what happens next. On each page of this activity, students read a paragraph and then make a choice between two buttons to decide what they want to do next.

Grade level: K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


2 Button Prepositions

On each page of this activity, students hear a recorded question asking them which of two prepositions apply to a situation. Pictures and in some cases IntelliMations illustrate the preposition, and the student clicks one of two buttons to indicate the correct answer. This activity advances after each answer.

Grade level: K-2 and 3-5     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


2 Button Which

On each page of this activity a text box asks a question beginning with "which". The question is read out to the student, and the student has a choice of two pictures to click on in order to answer the question. The pictures consist of pairs of familiar objects, such as a table and a desk, and the exercise tests if the student can distinguish which one the question is asking about.

Grade level: K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts and Life Skills  


Saint Patrick's Day

The activity "Saint Patrick's Day" is based upon the IntelliTalk 3® Writing in Science template and provides children with eight images relating to Saint Patrick's Day. A corresponding word bank provides appropriate words to write about Saint Patrick's Day and the items associated with the Irish. Images include the four leaf clover, green hats, shamrocks, leprechauns etc.

Grade level: 3-5 and K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


Peter Pan

This download is a combination of three simple activities. The first one was developed in IntelliPics Studio 3®, and includes a photograph of Peter Pan's statue in Kensington Gardens, London on the first page, followed by the history of the book Peter Pan. The second activity uses the IntelliTalk 3® Fairy Tales Template to provide the basis for children to resequence the story. The third activity is a short review written in IntelliTalk 3® with answer fields to test the children's comprehension and memories of both the story's history and the story itself.

Grade level: K-2     Curriculum area: Language Arts  


American Bald Eagles

This IntelliPics Studio 3®- based activity provides lots of photos of the birds in their natural habitat, along with information regarding their history in North America, their feeding, their nesting, their mating habits, and their physical characteristics. At the end of the 20+ page activity, the children also get to write about the American bald eagle in a linked IntelliTalk 3® activity.

Grade level: 3-5     Curriculum area: Science and Language Arts