PBS Kids: Plum Landing is not designed for traditional learning environments, but can be used as a supplemental resource for classroom educators. The after school pathway already has him set up as a one hour standalone session. Many of these can easily be done in one class. Club Pathway has his five one-hour sessions set. This can be applied to a one-week science session, or it can be rolled out over a longer period in a classroom where he does science only once or twice a week.
Some videos, like those included in the Sound Safari Introduction, help educators see examples of how the lessons work. However, be aware that showing this to the children before the activity can lead the learner in a very narrow direction. Probably best for educators, just because they can be removed.
PBS Kids: Plum Landing offers a good balance of digital and real-world activities for kids learning science. In Roots and Shoots, children use sponges to build models of plants and explore their adaptations to conserve water. This activity is fun and clearly deals with the concepts of adaptation and structure and function. The site also includes fun and challenging games like Feed the Dingo that encourage children to look for patterns to figure things out for themselves.
Plum Landing pathways are linked to the next generation of scientific standards, but the lessons themselves don’t always align well with the core ideas of the discipline. Sound Safari he has linked to core ideas in three different areas, but none of them match the learning objectives on animal sounds. This lesson is also linked to the structure and properties of matter. These ideas could use deeper investigation. Better alignment supports educators better, but overall, the site offers children new and exciting perspectives from which to explore their own world.
Website: https://pbskids.org/plumlanding/
User’s overall consensus about the app
student involvement
Despite the lack of variety, the games keep children engaged. Cartoons are funny, but my real interest lies in outdoor activities and scientific research.
Curriculum and instruction
Interwoven with surveys, games, and videos, children learn in many different ways. Better alignment with next-generation science standards could help educators find more ways to implement resources in their classes.
customer report
Lesson plans provide clear direction and videos show lessons being taught with real learners. Dissemination activities are prepared for each route.
