Best Applications (adapted from: http://www.ala.

org/aasl/standards-guidelines/best-apps/2015)
Loose Strands by Darned Socks Production
Level: Upper Elementary (3-5)
Platform: iOS

| Android

Website

Loose Strands will appeal to fans of Choose Your Own Adventure books. A wry story is created as
readers follow along and choose their desired outcomes. Strands of hair guide the way through the
story and branch off when choices must be made. A fun feature is a map that shows the path that has
been taken as well as outcomes blocked by the choices already made.
Tip: Encourage students to refer to the map when making decisions and in order to keep track of
where they have been.

Seamus Heaney: Five Fables by Touchpress Limited

Level: Upper Elementary (3-5)
Platform: iOS
Website

Scot poet Robert Henryson's adaptations of five Aesop fables are brought into the modern age with
this app. Students will be able to look at the original language, as well as modern English while at the
same time viewing animations of the fables.

Tip: Students can compare Aesop's version of each fable to the Scot version and the modern
language version to learn more about changes due to culture and how storytelling varies from country
to country.
Motion Math Educator Suite by Motion Math

Level: Elementary (1-5)

Platform: iOS
Website
This suite of 6 games covers elementary math skills from addition & subtraction to multiplication &
division, to fractions and decimals. My students current favorite is Motion Math Pizza, where they
build and sell pizzas to hungry customers, setting the prices and seeing how basic economic
principles work.
Tip: Students can adjust the level of the each game to make it challenging but fun. Click on the pause
button and adjust the level. This makes a game like Hungry Fish great for young 1st graders just
learning addition facts and older 3rd graders needing to work on increasing their mental math speed.

WWF Together by World Wildlife Fund

Level: Upper Elementary (3-5), Secondary (6-8)
Platform: iOS | Android | Kindle Fire
Website

WWF Together is beautifully designed app to help teach students about different endangered animals.
It uses high-quality photographs, interesting interactive design elements to help students discover
different information about specific animal species. It provides both a way into launching a study of
endangered species, as well as a way to learn more detailed information.
Tip: Have students explore WWF Together as part of animal research reports. The blend of
multimedia resources will engage many students.

Spider Scribe Jr. by 5pm

Level: Upper elementary (3-5) and Up
Platform: iOS
Website

SpiderScribe Jr. is a mind mapping and brainstorming tool. It lets you organize your ideas by
connecting notes, images and geographic locations in free-form maps.
Tip: The app can be used offline - it does not require internet connection, unless you need to email
your map to someone.

Amazing World Atlas by Lonely Planet

Level: Elementary
Platform: iOS
Website

Amazing World Atlas is created by Lonely Planet to explore and learn about world geography. It
includes flag and capital information in interactive games, quizzes, and exploration tools.
Tip: Use Amazing World Atlas as a more interactive way to do research on world geography, including
continents, countries and cities. You can also use this app to review world geography unit, playing
games and taking quizzes.

Adobe Voice by Adobe Systems

Level: All
Platform: iOS
Website

Simple, elegant tool for creating stories by recording voice over your own images or a library of
themes, images, fonts and music. Anyone can create beautiful presentations with virtually no learning
curve.
Tip: Going on a field trip? Have a big event in the library or at school? Ask students to take pics and
have a camera roll ready for the storytelling to come.

LEGO Movie Maker by The LEGO Group

Level: All
Platform: iOS
Website

Create your own stop-motion movie with this intuitive app that makes it easy to stage LEGOs and
other objects, take multiple pictures and bring them to life as a sophisticated animation.
Tip: Have your students use this app to set up stop motion films. Have students place characters in
historic or book character scenes.

Remind by Remind 101 Inc.

Level: All
Platform: iOS | Android
Website

Remind offers teachers a free, safe and simple way to instantly text students & parents. Teachers,
coaches, or administrators can send reminders, assignments, homework, assessments, or
motivational messages directly to students' & parents' phones. Including: regular text messages,
voice clips and attachments. You can also schedule texts. Messaging is safe because phone numbers
are kept private
Tip: Use Remind daily to brief parents on whether their children did well in class and what their
homework is for the night.