Student Resources

SOL Practice

Test Taking Tips for Parents and Students:

Before the Test:

  1. Mark test dates on both of your calendars or agendas.
  2. Establish a routine and a quiet place at home for homework and studying.
  3. Schedule review time into your child's weekly schedule. Cramming is not an effective strategy.
  4. Make sure your child gets enough sleep on nights before the tests.
  5. Review any material your child has- old tests, homework, class notes, etc. Make sure he or she understands the materials (not just memorizes the materials).
  6. Help your child build a memory bank. Use a variety of mind images, mind "pictures", or mind maps (graphic organizers) to help remember facts when studying.
  7. Quiz your child on material studied.
  8. Help your child with relaxation techniques to use when preparing and when taking the test by taking a couple of deep breaths and then "visualizing" him or herself doing well on the test.

Day of the Test:

  1. Bring two sharpened #2 pencils with erasers.
  2. Arrive at school on time.
  3. Listen carefully when directions are given and read all directions. Be sure to ask questions if something is not clear.
  4. For multiple choice questions, read the question stem carefully and read all answer choices before selecting the "best"answer. On reading comprehension tests, it is recommended that students validate their answer choice by rereading.
  5. Mark answers clearly. To change an answer, be sure to erase the wrong answer completely before marking another answer.
  6. Don't spend too much time on any one problem. Answer obvious questions first, then go back and answer all other questions.
  7. Keep a positive attitude by taking deep but quiet breaths, stretching and refocusing.

Textbooks & Research

English

  • Fun English Games:  Free interactive English games. Topics include reading, writing, grammar, spelling, poetry, debating, punctuation, dictionary use, sentence structure and much more.
  • Grammar of Doom:  You are an adventurer trying to find the secret to the Mystical of the Doomed Temple.  Use correct English grammar and vocabulary to go through the 10 rooms.
  • GameZone: This website contains English games that are free and that your students can play online. Some are basic and others are at an intermediate level.
  • Which Writing is Write: Expository writing is a style used to present facts and ideas.  Click the clipboard to reveal some writing samples and decide whether or not they fit the category of expository writing.
  • Wacky Web Tales: Create a funny story by filling in the blanks with random words that correspond to the appropriate part of speech or prompt.
  • Trailblazing Introductions: It's normal to sometimes feel lost while writing an introduction to your essay or story.  Practice 'marking the trail' of these introductory paragraphs and learn what clues to put in your introduction that will how to hold your readers' interest.
  • Trailblazing Conclusions: This exercise helps writers 'lasso' the skills needed for writer a strong conclusion.
  • Prefix Mix: Learn the difference between the prefixes 'pre' and 'post' by completing the sentences with the correct word.  Feedback for all answers is given.
  • Robo Bee: Will your language skills blossom or wilt? Control the flight of the Robo-Bee through a garden of synonyms, antonyms, spelling and word usage puzzles!
  • TeacherVision: This website contains a variety of English games that are categorized by grade level. Each link on the site takes you to a funbrain.com game.
  • Utah Education Network:  Middle school English games that focus on the following topics: Vocabulary, Grammar, Writing, and Spelling.
  • It's Greek to Me: Represent your country in the Olympics. Play €œIt's Greek to Me € and learn about Greek influences on our English language.
  • Reading Ring: Garfield comic strips are used as students practice sequencing and reading comprehension with this fun game.
  • Peatnick Mysteries: So, you want to try solving a mystery or two? Welcome to Clutterbuck Valley - a quirky town full of oddballs and oddities. The strange and mysterious. Regular and irregular people.
  • Mrs. Nussbaum's Language Games: A collection of Language Arts games. Some can be played on an iPad.

Math

  • Tangled Web: Maneuver a spider through gears of a grandfather clock to help him rescue his family. This game looks at angles, complementary and supplementary angles, and measuring angles.
  • Battleship Numberline: The classic Battleship game with a twist: this all takes place on a number line. If the ship is at 7/10, click where you think that would be. The game gets harder as you are successful. This game gives students opportunities to practice ordering fractions and decimals on a number line.
  • Ice Cream Truck: Financial math. Try to keep your ice cream truck in business. The game tells you how much money you have to spend; players purchase supplies and try to sell ice cream to make $25 which will move them to the next city.
  • Dublox: Create a path for a set of blocks from the start point to the end point. Lots of problem solving in this one -and it's harder than it appears.
  • Deep Sea Duel: Battle an octopus to see who can make the target number first using at least 3 cards. Players can choose number of cards, and if Okta the Octopus's skill level is easy to HARD!
  • Primary Krypto: Arrange the cards and choose the operation to make the target number. This is hard!
  • Treefrog Treasure: Match fractions on a number line to get the tree frog through to the golden bug. Really, that's what you do.
  • Lure of the Labyrinth -Mine Shaft: Players use knowledge of patterns, factors, and multiples go guide bots along to blow holes in the mine shaft.
  • The Factor Game: Score points according to the number you assign your opponent and the factors of the number your opponent assigns you. Can be played with 2 players or player against computer.
  • Villany Inc.: In Mission 1, players battle Dr. Wick as he attempts to cover the Gulf of Mexico to create a golf course which suits his €œunique swing style €. Practice area, perimeter, calculating costs and least and most expensive options. In Mission 2, players try to thwart Dr. Wick's plot to wreak fast-food havoc, and will practice percentages and negative numbers. Helpful to have ear buds or earphones.
  • Angle Asteroid: Space Invaders meets Angle Estimates! Players estimate the angle measure and fire to destroy asteroids. Also has a mode where students learn to tell time on an analog cloc.

Science

  • Science Fair Powerpoint Template
  • Science Fair Project Planner
  • 6th Grade Science Review
  • Life Science Review
  • Physical Science Review
  • PhET - Online science simulations to help you understand scientific laws and properties.  
  • SOL Pass -Study guides, games, content review listed by SOL strand, SOL released tests
  • SOL Tutorial Site -A variety of resources to help you review for the SOLs; earth science resources here as well  
  • Fact Monster -Here's a fun place to read-up on the information that just might be covered on an SOL test.
  • Physical Science Review -Games and hand-outs to help you review the 8th grade content
  • Life Science Review -Games and hand-out to help you review 7th grade science content
  • Sixth Grade Science Review -Click on Interactive underneath each strand to go to games and review activities
  • Science Monster:  A variety of science games from the makers of CoolMath.com.
  • CSI:    Join the CSI Investigators and use forensic science to solve mysteries. Varying levels, problem solving, and loads of fun!
  • Reconstructors: In the  Reconstructors  series, you become a member of a team of scientists who investigate substances that have both harmful and helpful effects.
  • Med Myst: Join a team of scientists to solve mysteries involving infectious diseases.
  • Energyville: Online game that allows players to control the energy mix of a virtual city and to discover the economic and environmental impacts of their decisions.
  • Physics Games: Online physics- based games.
  • Microbes: Microbes challenges players to isolate a single microorganism that is causing a plague while supporting understanding of scientific inquiry and life sciences.
  • Electro City: ElectroCity is an online computer game that lets players manage their own virtual towns and cities.
  • Science Kids: There's a range of free online activities to try with something for everyone whether you're interested in animals, plants, chemistry, biology, physics, space, magnets, electricity, forces, light, sounds, gases or other science related topics.
  • I Know That Science: This website contains a variety of learning games in life, general, and physical science.
  • NASA Games:  Explore this website to find fun games that focus on Earth and Space science.
  • Simple Machines: Help Twitch do his late-night work in the Museum workshop by creating simple machines.
  • Food Chain Game: Food chains come to life! When a chain is correctly put together, it turns into an animated working chain!
  • Crazy Plant Shop: Tinker with genetics and breed exotic plants as a young botanist. Learn about hereditary traits, Punnett square, and more!
  • Matter Sorter: Sort falling objects (using the arrow keys) based on their state of matter.

Bacteria

Biomes and Habitats

Social Studies

  • SOL Pass -Study guides, games, content review listed by SOL strand, SOL released tests
  • SOL Tutorial Site -A variety of resources to help you review for the SOLs; history, civics, economics and geography
  • Social Studies Skill Tutor -Need to study how to read a map or analyze a picture? Come here for practice!
  • Fact Monster -Sections on US History, Government, Geography, all in kid-friendly language
  • SOL Civics and Economics Quia Games -Teacher-made games to help you study and review for the CE Test
  • US II Review Games -Under each SOL, click on Interactive to take you to games you can use to review
  • Poquoson SOL Review Site -US II and C/E -Interactive games and practice tests. Scroll down to see all that's here.
  • Missing Bill of Rights -Play a game to help restore the Bill of Rights after the National Computer crashes!
  • Railroad Mystery -Play a simulation game the understand how railroads impacted towns over time
  • iCivics -Choose a game to play -totally interactive. In "Do I have A Right?" you become a lawyer using the Bill of Rights to defend clients.  
  • Mission U.S.: An early American history-era role-playing game. In one scenario, the player is an apprentice in Boston in 1770. In the other, take on the role of a slave in 1848 Kentucky. High quality graphics and engaging story-lines make this a hit with players of all ages.
  • Go West! With Lewis and Clark. In this interactive game, the player joins the Lewis and Clark expedition and makes decisions along the way that help determine the success -or failure -of the mission.
  • Cast Your Vote!: Follow candidates as they debate key questions and then vote for the candidate of your choice. An iCivics game.
  • We the Jury: Have fun deciding a tough case while learning about what jurors discuss in the deliberation room. Choose from different civil cases, analyze evidence, weigh testimony, and use the right arguments to reach a fair and impartial verdict. An iCivics game.  
  • Quandary: When the human colonists on Planet Braxos can't resolve their dilemmas, they ask their captain (the player) to help. Identify facts, opinions and solutions and work to solve problems using a moral point of view.
  • Hold the Fort: The fate of Baltimore -and perhaps the young United States -is in your hands. This interactive game guides players through the first battle of the War of 1812: the Battle of Fort Henry.
  • Branches of Power: Do you like running things?  Branches of Power allows you to do something that no one else can: control all three branches of government! You'll have the power to write any laws you want about issues you choose. Careful, though, there's a lot to juggle when you're playing all three branches. Good luck!
  • Do I Have A Right?:  In Do I Have A Right?, you'll run your own firm of lawyers who specialize in constitutional law. You'll need to decide whether potential clients have a right, and if so, match them with the right lawyer. The more clients you serve and the more cases you win, the faster your law firm will grow! Can you think on your feet? You're going to have to!
  • Budget Hero: Do you ever want to decide where your tax dollars go? In this game, you get your chance. In this game, players test their own budget policy and see the effects of those cuts or increased expenses on the federal budget.

Apps for your phone or iPod Touch -free unless otherwise noted

  • Modality - Search for good educational apps for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch    

In the iTunes App Store, search for:

  • Governomics
  • Pass the Past
  • History: Maps of the USA
  • History: Maps of the World
  • Westward Expansion
  • Touch Physics Lite (also an HD version for the iPad but it costs)
  • 101 Science    

General/Multi-subject Resources

  • Quizlet--Flash cards for a variety of subjects; you can even make your own!
  • Brain Pop - Ask your teacher for the log-in and password. Available from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m
  • Science Simulations - Click a topic, play a game, solve a mystery

Music

Civil Rights  

Politics  

Timeline    

Sports  

P.E. & Related Arts  

  • See-Saws: Create collage scenes of the ocean with various pieces of scrap and then animate it to see it come to life. Good for looking at composition and how motion plays a part in a picture.
  • BRUSHter: is a painting machine for all ages. This interactive has more than forty brushes and many customizable size, transparency, and stroke options. A rainbow palette, along with a toolbox of special effects that blur, ripple, smudge, blend, and fragment your designs make BRUSHster a full-feature painting program. Designs can be saved as jpgs.
  • JUNGLE:  Create an imaginary landscape online. Mix and match the colorful characters, control the environment by changing weather and lighting conditions, or construct flowers, trees, and plants using special tools.
  • Neave Interactive: A website with a variety of games including ones involving webcams and fractals. Even has a classic version of the old Snake game that we used to play on our phones along with a version of Tetris.
  • Jackson Pollack: Explore the abstract expressionism of Jackson Pollack with your own online canvas.
  • Baseball Reaction Time: How fast do you have to be to hit a major league fastball? In this game, the computer tests your reaction times to see how you'd score in the big leagues.
  • Quintricious: A game for health class where kids learn about which foods belong together in which food groups.
  • Fueled for Fun: Take a walk in the neighborhood eating snacks that appear, and then run a lap on the track. See how food choices change how well fueled your body is for exercise and fun.
  • Hand-Eye Coordination: Click, hold and drag the red block to see how long you can keep it out of the way of the moving blue blocks. If you can keep the red block going for 18 seconds, they say, you're brilliant!
  • The Music Lab: Arrange measures to create tunes, add harmony to Yankee Doodle, see how different pieces will sound with different instruments playing the melody, change the tempo, all sorts of musical exploration in this San Francisco Orchestra site.
  • Beethoven Major Scales: Can be used as an individual tutorial or as an introduction to the major scales. Click on a key, then click on Beethoven's bust and he will play the scale using the do-re-mi tones.
  • Tony B Music Machine: Explore rhythm, tone, pitch, beat and lots of other aspects of creating music with this very interactive and creative website.
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