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= Flash Games: =

What are they?
Flash games are online games that run on [|Adobe's Flash Software.] Overall they are very simple and quick for anyone to access if they have a cable, DSL or T1 internet connection. Entire sites, such as [|AddictingGames.com]make huge advertising dollars providing a location for many flash artists/writers to market these simple games.

How can they help us?
As teachers, there are a few great educational sites that offer flash games with learning either embedded or blatantly obvious. These games are simple, but challenging and include opportunities for students to interact with knowledge in an entertaining way. The [|NobelPrize.org] was the first site I found with a great literature game, where students must unpack their knowledge of the novel [|Lord of the Flies] to complete a visually appealing [|quiz game]. It also has a flash map that shows all of the [|major conflicts]between 1900 and 2002. Most games are up to date with the latest research and would work as a great homework assingment or supplement to a world history course. [|The Problem Site] has extensive resources for Elementary Teachers, especially in areas of math, logic, and language. This site would be a great supplement for a student who needs help (and has internet access at home or uses the public library) or needs to be pushed after finishing their assingments early. [|Sheppard Software] provides an incredible wealth of games, quizzes, and resources of all types for students K-12. As a social studies teacher, I appreciate the [|geography]and [|history] aspect of this site, but there really are resources for every subject at every grade level. I will definitely be utilizing this site and all of its resources.

Using entertainment to inform kids about our subjects will be something they will want to do and will help them retain the information long term.