Student Resources
SOL Practice
Test Taking Tips for Parents and Students:
Before the Test:
- Mark test dates on both of your calendars or agendas.
- Establish a routine and a quiet place at home for homework and studying.
- Schedule review time into your child's weekly schedule. Cramming is not an effective strategy.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep on nights before the tests.
- 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).
- 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.
- Quiz your child on material studied.
- 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:
- Bring two sharpened #2 pencils with erasers.
- Arrive at school on time.
- Listen carefully when directions are given and read all directions. Be sure to ask questions if something is not clear.
- 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.
- Mark answers clearly. To change an answer, be sure to erase the wrong answer completely before marking another answer.
- Don't spend too much time on any one problem. Answer obvious questions first, then go back and answer all other questions.
- 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.
- 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 It's Greek to Me and learn about Greek influences on our English language.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
Science
- 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
- Fact Monster -Here's a fun place to read-up on the information that just might be covered on an SOL test.
- 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.
- Physics Games: Online physics- based games.
- 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.
- NASA Games: Explore this website to find fun games that focus on Earth and Space science.
- Matter Sorter: Sort falling objects (using the arrow keys) based on their state of matter.
Biomes and Habitats
Social Studies
- SOL Pass -Study guides, games, content review listed by SOL strand, SOL released tests
- Fact Monster -Sections on US History, Government, Geography, all in kid-friendly language
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
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
Politics
Timeline
Sports
P.E. & Related Arts
- 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.
- 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.
- Tony B Music Machine: Explore rhythm, tone, pitch, beat and lots of other aspects of creating music with this very interactive and creative website.
