Draw 3 D Junior

 The other day, I stumbled across a very nice app for students aged 6 to 12 called Draw 3D Junior: Learn Geometry & Create 3D Models.

This app does cost $2.99 but it is different from many other geometry apps in that it teaches students to draw 2 dimensional shapes in a world where you can move the shape around and examine it in 3 dimensions.

The  app offers three options beginning with the learn section, create, and browse.  The first option, learn, takes the student through 30 different polygons from triangles and squares to 3 dimensional shapes such as cylinders and spheres.

The app is set up so the student works through the shapes slowly.

The app leads the student through creating the shapes step by step by causing the dots to shine.  This way it is easy to follow the apps lead.  At the end, the student has created the shape.

The shape moves around as each segment is put in so the student see all sides.  When its done, it moves around or you can move it around to examine all 3 dimensions.

In addition, once the polygon is finished, the app shows the name of the polygon, the number of faces, vertices, and edges.

According to the app, the tetrahedron has four triangular faces, six straight edges and four vertices.

The create allows the student to make their own design.  I made a house but it took a bit of maneuvering to get it right in all three dimensions. I had to move the perspective around a few times to make sure segments were the correct length.

The browse feature shows you other shapes which have been made.

This app could be used in high school for students who are quite visual and need to see the shape from various directions.  It would be appropriate in an English Language Learner classroom, or with students who need extra scaffolding.  I actually enjoyed playing with it.

Pythagorea

Front page

 The other day I searched Geometry apps that could be used in class.  Unfortunately most of the apps I found were either games or made for early elementary.

Occasionally, I found an app that could be used to either reinforce learning or used in a flipped classroom but they were far and few in between.

I stumbled across Pythagorea: Geometry on Squared Paper which is a Geometry app that tests student understanding of certain geometric topics by having them construct it.

Levels

 Rather than focus on individual topics, it reviews a variety of topics in each level. The topics range from squares, parallelograms, perpendicular bisectors, midpoints, angle bisectors, etc.

Although the first level is labeled elementary, it really is a way for anyone to become with familiar using the app.  Each level has at least 10 problems and you must complete each problem before on to the next.

Furthermore, the student must complete all the problems in a level before moving on.

Problem from Very Easy Level

What I find most interesting about this app is that it does not provide the correct answer if a student is wrong.  If an answer is correct, it flashes yellow at the top about the level and problem number while the right arrow on the problem turns red.  If the answer is wrong, nothing happens and the student is expected to keep trying until its right.

In addition to learning what each item is, students are required to develop vocabulary so they know the terms and definitions.  I played the first two levels of this and there were a few questions that made me think and I had to try two or three times.  

Once a level is finished, the app creates a fractal tree based on squares and triangles.  You never know what its going to look like until you are finished.

You do have to have a basic knowledge of geometry to use this app but it would be possible to have students use this with a book so they can look up the material as they use it, otherwise use it once students are at least one quarter into the year.

I like this and I enjoy playing it myself.  I love the fractal trees formed at the end.