TeachersFirst's Simulation Resources
Educational simulations offer immersive learning experiences that bridge the gap between theory and practice for students across various disciplines. These resources allow students to explore, experiment, and problem-solve in risk-free settings. Science simulations enable virtual lab experiments, while historical simulations transport students to pivotal moments in time, and language simulations create authentic conversational scenarios. By providing immediate feedback and encouraging active learning, simulations help students develop critical thinking skills, improve decision-making abilities, and gain deeper insights into various topics. Simulations offer great differentiation options for students who may need extra support.

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OER Project's The Silk Roads - OER Project's The Silk Roads
Grades
6 to 10In the Classroom
Students can watch the video, read the articles, and complete the stimulation activity. Students can video record themselves doing the stimulation activity, showing others how the Silk Roads goods and services traveled. Students can share their experiences and debate the value of the Silk Road to trade. Finally, students can compare the Silk Road to other ancient civilizations' trade.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Virtual Science Teacher - Virtual Science Teachers
Grades
K to 12tag(s): charts and graphs (170), genetics (81), scientific method (48), simulations (14), STEM (288), water (101)
In the Classroom
Assign students the Virtual Heating Ice Lab when teaching states of matter or phase changes. Use the Punnett Square Squares Simulation to predict the traits of offspring by filling in Punnett squares to determine whether peas will be yellow or green, round or wrinkly. Use the Water Filtration Challenge during environmental science lessons focused on water conservation and management. Have students compare their virtual filter designs, then transition to a hands-on lab where they build a simple water filtration system. Introduce students to the scientific method by using the Design an Experiment tool. This activity encourages students to design and conduct experiments that test people's ability to complete tasks under different conditions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MultiSim Live Circuit Simulator - National Instruments
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): circuits (21), electricity (62), engineering (127), simulations (14), STEM (288)
In the Classroom
Organize a challenge where students must design a circuit that meets specific criteria, such as creating a basic amplifier or a light-activated switch. Have students research a real-world electronic device and identify its key circuits. Assign students to explore different electronic components available in Multisim, such as capacitors, inductors, and diodes. After designing and simulating a circuit in Multisim, students can collect data on its performance and represent their findings on graphs and charts on a resource such as Canva Infographic Creator reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: Engage & Inspire with Simulations - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12Learn how to integrate...more
Learn how to integrate learning simulations like Quandry and MissionUS into your classroom! During this engaging session, participants will learn to distinguish between simulations and learning games, explore the unique benefits of each, and discover strategies to inspire and engage students through interactive learning experiences. Whether you're new to educational simulations or looking to deepen your understanding, this free workshop offers valuable insights and practical techniques that will enhance student learning. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Differentiate simulations and learning games, noting their benefits. 2. Integrate simulations to meet learning objectives. 3. Reflect on ways simulations can enhance learning. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): professional development (373), simulations (14)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Find additional information and links to tools at the session resource page. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Humy - Humy.ai
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): american revolution (82), art history (93), artificial intelligence (169), authors (106), black history (130), chat (41), civil rights (201), civil war (138), DAT device agnostic tool (146), environment (246), great depression (30), greeks (41), presidents (135), religions (89), renaissance (38), space (216), Teacher Utilities (183), women (146), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (160)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free account provided by Humy to generate conversations on your interactive whiteboard with historical figures to introduce new lessons and units and engage students in upcoming activities. For example, before reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, select her name from the Humies to have a conversation to learn about her inspiration for writing the book and allow students to ask questions about her writing style and how she developed her storytelling skills. Use the chat conversations as a starting point for research projects on historical figures or periods. Ask students to share their projects by creating websites with Google Sites, reviewed here or by using Google My Maps, reviewed here to create an interactive story based on locations on the map.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Scale City - The Road to Proportional Reasoning - Kentucky Educational Television
Grades
5 to 8tag(s): baseball (32), dinosaurs (42), geometric shapes (135), measurement (123), musical instruments (50), painting (55), time (91)
In the Classroom
Be sure to include this site on your class web page for students to access both in and outside of class for further practice. Have students create maps using Zeemaps, reviewed here, displaying information from roadside attractions found on Scale City. Zeemaps allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location on a map where the attraction takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MIT Project Management Game - MIT Sloan School of Management
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): careers (141), gifted (66), Project Based Learning (23), STEM (288)
In the Classroom
Use this simulation as a project-based learning activity to teach students about management careers, software development, and similar careers. Have students create individual projects or groups to work on a single project. Extend learning by asking students to generate progress reports throughout the process, including screenshots of their progress, reflections upon choices made, and possible changes to make within projects to increase success. Have students use Google Sites, reviewed here or another free website creation tool to share their journey throughout the project, which includes a final review document.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SchoolAI - SchoolAI, Inc.
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (169), assessment (143), chat (41), churchill (8), darwin (13), Formative Assessment (71), leonardo davinci (3), lincoln (66), martin luther king (45), newton (21), shakespeare (99), Special Needs (53), Teacher Utilities (183), washington (28)
In the Classroom
Use SchoolAI to create and share engaging activities with all students and for all subjects. For example, differentiate text easily to fit the abilities of all students, generate a list of engaging activities for any topic, or quickly create a worksheet or multiple choice quiz as a formative assessment. As students engage in chats with historical figures or choose your own adventure activities, ask them to use the information learned as a starting point for additional research. Use Symbaloo, reviewed here or another curation tool to collect and share additional resources with students, such as videos, online articles, and book suggestions. As a final extended learning activity, ask students to share their learning using Sway, reviewed here, Genially, reviewed here, or Adobe Creative Cloud Express, reviewed here to create multimedia presentations. This tool would also be great to share with gifted students. As always, use best practices when sharing AI tools with students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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iThrive Sim- Digital Simulation Games - ithrive games
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): collaboration (90), flipped learning (8), game based learning (187), Online Learning (36), simulations (14), social and emotional learning (95)
In the Classroom
Teachers can find links to individual games, downloadable curricula for various video games, lesson plans, and teaching resources. These game simulations are designed to build skills in decision-making, understanding bias, compromise, advocacy, and collaboration among students. The games support face-to-face interaction and can also be adapted to the needs of online and hybrid learning environments.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Geo-fs Flight Simulator - GeoFS
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): aviation (40), virtual field trips (119)
In the Classroom
There are various uses for this flight simulator, from a simple flight for exploring the land below to learning more advanced aviation skills. Your students can experience different parts of the world using the Geo-fs flight simulator. Use this site to learn the geography of a region or study various landscapes. Teachers can create a virtual field or lit trips by making a flight plan for their students to follow. Create a challenge or virtual race for your students to complete; the possibilities are endless!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Economic Games - Nicolas Gruyer and Nicolas Toublanc
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): business (52), financial literacy (91), game based learning (187), simulations (14), stock market (11)
In the Classroom
Include games from this site as part of economics and financial literacy lessons. This site is perfect for use with gifted students for independent study with peers. After completing games, ask students to use a digital storytelling tool like Book Creator, reviewed here, to explain complex financial concepts in an easy to understand manner.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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LOOPY - Nick Case
Grades
9 to 12In the Classroom
Share LOOPY with students then have them explore the features included on the shared models. LOOPY would work well in classes with gifted students as an exploration project of different cause and effect relationship influences. Use the embed code to share student examples and explanations on your class website.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Physics Lab - Erik Neumann
Grades
8 to 12In the Classroom
Since My Physics Lab requires Java software to run the interactives, be sure it's installed on your classroom computers before students try to use it. Introduce activities on an interactive whiteboard to explore physics concepts together. Allow students to investigate the site on their own, then have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Infogram, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Stock Market Game - Securities Industry and Financial Markets Assoc Foundation
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): business (52), DAT device agnostic tool (146), game based learning (187), investing (8), money (114), stock market (11)
In the Classroom
Participants who register as "Teachers with Classes" receive extensive teacher support, including a searchable library of standards, curriculum materials, and assessments. While providing real-world practice, SMG engages students in the core academic subjects, such as math, English, and economics. Lesson plans include Teacher Background and materials to implement the lesson with students. Find more information by perusing additional publications, links, and other resources. Contact a local SMG Coordinator for additional assistance. Use the game in individual classes, school-wide, in after school clubs, or with home-schoolers. Encourage families to play at home together or collaborate with others. Additional benefits include higher math and financial literacy scores on tests by students who play SMG. Also, teachers report that the program even taught them about financial planning, research, and investing wisely. Because this is ongoing activity, enhance learning with the use of technology throughout. Have students share financial resource sites using a bookmarking tool like Papaly, reviewed here. In addition to curating and sharing bookmarks, Papaly allows you the opportunity to add notes and comments to sites shared. Have students use a video creation tool like Powtoon, reviewed here, to make explainer videos of financial concepts. Ask groups of students to produce and share podcasts (perhaps weekly or bi-weekly) to discuss their learning and progress within the Stock Market Game. Buzzsprout, reviewed here, is a free tool for creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Interactives & Simulations: Weather, Climate & Atmosphere Education - UCAR Center for Science Education
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): arctic (40), atmosphere (22), carbon dioxide (10), climate (82), climate change (94), hurricanes (32), solar energy (34), sun (71), trees (18)
In the Classroom
Introduce Interactives & Simulations on an interactive whiteboard or projector then allow students to explore on their own. Be sure to provide a link on your class website or blog for students to explore at home. Enhance learning by having students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links to demonstrate information learned from this site. Use a tool such as Image Annotator, reviewed here, for younger students, or Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Alternatively students could create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as WordItOut, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NationStates - Max Barry
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): foreign policy (12), money (114), politics (117), sociology (23)
In the Classroom
Students can use this interactive individually, making connections to their choice, results, and connections to actual world events, present and past. Additionally, students can join a region and see how their decisions affect other nations. A great lesson is to allow students to run their nation according to their political views and see the results as they unfold through play. Be sure to treat this seriously as the issues presented here are actual issues that governments must deal with daily. Even making a decision within your political viewpoint can lead to results that are not anticipated. Require students to discuss their viewpoint, why they believe they are right, the resulting consequence, and how it has changed what they believe. Following the play, give time for students to research an initiative or action a country made and the resulting consequences that have resulted. Present, discuss, or debate these with the class. Allow every student in class to have a voice by using a student response system such as Infuse Learning, reviewed here, or GoSoapBox, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Killer Asteroids - Space Science Institute
Grades
6 to 12In the Classroom
This site is excellent for enrichment or to engage interest in space science. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage reviewed here. Include links to the interactive activities on classroom computers. Although the educators link has a somewhat limited amount of resources, be sure to check them out for classroom materials and links to benchmarks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Quandary - Learning Games Network
Grades
3 to 9tag(s): creativity (86), critical thinking (121), ethics (21), game based learning (187), social and emotional learning (95)
In the Classroom
Try this activity on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Create a quick poll (with no membership required) using Poll Everywhere, reviewed here, to view students' choices of actions to take throughout the game. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos using Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, explaining what they learned and sharing them on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here, to explain the decision-making process for different scenarios.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CK-12 - CK-12 Foundation
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): atoms (44), cells (83), charts and graphs (170), decades (7), energy (131), equations (118), fractions (159), genetics (81), inequalities (25), landforms (37), measurement (123), oceans (147), organisms (15), periodic table (46), probability (98), pythagorean theorem (18), rocks (35), scientific method (48), seasons (37), solar energy (34), solar system (108), statistics (120), STEM (288), test prep (69), variables (14)
In the Classroom
Introduce CK-12 to your students (and parents) on your interactive whiteboard and demonstrate ways to use the site at home. Be sure to create a link to the site on your class website or blog for easy access at any time. Create an account and upload your own resources and activities to create your own flexbooks for use with students. CK-12 is available in many languages. Use this site with your ESL/ELL students as a supplement to classroom resources.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Solar System Scope - Sunaeon
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): earth (184), map skills (59), moon (72), planets (111), seasons (37), solar system (108), sun (71), time zones (7)
In the Classroom
The change in seasons is a difficult concept for students to understand. Use this interactive tool to show the sun's position at various times of the year and how the sunrise and sunset times change. This is terrific to share on an interactive whiteboard or projector, then have elementary (or even middle school) students "act out" the roles of sun. moon, and earth by moving about the room. Turn down the music to avoid distraction. Show how sunrise and sunset are also different at various points on the globe. Allow students the opportunity to play with the tool first and ask them what they notice and what questions they have. Inquire together to understand the various concepts. Share on an interactive whiteboard or projector with a student emcee to run the inquiry. Be sure to include this site with your study of map skills, longitude, and latitude so students can see how our maps and nature's actions fit together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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