Updated May 2014
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PBS KIDS Lab: Games ages 6-8

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Quality TV show-based games offer early-elementary learning

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • English Language Arts
  • Math
  • Social Studies
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Creativity
  • Character & SEL
  • Critical Thinking
Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
1–3
Common Sense says
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Privacy rating (How we rate)
84%| Pass
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

5 images
The menu can be filtered by age, skills, device, or show.
The "Fizzy's Lunch Lab"-based game steers kids towards money mastery by counting up to two decimal places.
Puzzles add challenge with a rotation feature and extra pieces.
"The Electric Company" activities entertain and challenge with data analysis skills.
The "Martha Speaks" mini video-lesson highlights vocabulary and teaches citizenship skills.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

For students in the 6-8 age range, PBS Kids Lab has a collection of more than 60 games, stories, and activities based primarily on popular PBS TV shows. Learning content is consistent and appropriate, and tends to weave together academic skills with fun activities and practical everyday knowledge. The voice-overs are enthusiastic and spot-on for the target ages. Some games are stronger than others, and some of the narratives are a bit fluffy at first, but kids will start learning relevant material before they know it.

Teachers could assign or recommend sets of games to strengthen specific skills. For math, some games emphasize four-digit decimal addition (money), while others are strong with deductive reasoning and analysis ("Escape from Greasy World!" and "Find Freddy"). The Martha Speaks section is a fantastic lesson in journalism for students interested in creating a class periodical. There's a Newspaper Builder where kids can create a front page by entering headlines, captions, bylines, drawings, articles, and other elements. As all of these activities can stand alone, the site is also a great recommendation for parents. And teachers looking for math activities to use with hearing-impaired students can use the Fizzy's Lunch Lab games, all of which have an easy-to-find closed caption button (displaying text for the audio instructions).

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Standards:

Key Standards Supported

Geometry

  • 1.G.1

    Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

Measurement And Data

  • 1.MD.1

    Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.

  • 1.MD.4

    Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

  • 2.MD.1

    Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.

  • 2.MD.4

    Measure to determine how much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length unit.

  • 3.MD.1

    Tell and write time to the nearest minute and measure time intervals in minutes. Solve word problems involving addition and subtraction of time intervals in minutes, e.g., by representing the problem on a number line diagram.

Number And Operations In Base Ten

  • 1.NBT.4

    Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten.

  • 2.NBT.4

    Compare two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.

Number And Operations—Fractions

  • 3.NF.1

    Understand a fraction 1/b as the quantity formed by 1 part when a whole is partitioned into b equal parts; understand a fraction a/b as the quantity formed by a parts of size 1/b.

Operations And Algebraic Thinking

  • 1.OA.1

    Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.2

  • 2.OA.2

    Fluently add and subtract within 20 using mental strategies.2 By end of Grade 2, know from memory all sums of two one-digit numbers.

  • 2.OA.1

    Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem.1

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Key Standards Supported

Language

  • L.1.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

  • L.1.4a

    Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • L.2.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

  • L.2.4a

    Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

  • L.3.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.3.4a

    Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Reading Informational Text

  • RI.1.4

    Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

  • RI.2.4

    Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.

  • RI.3.4

    Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or subject area.

Writing

  • W.1.6

    With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

  • W.2.6

    With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

  • W.3.6

    With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

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Data Safety
How safe is this product?
Users can interact with trusted users and/or students.
Unclear whether users can interact with untrusted users, including strangers and/or adults.
Profile information is not shared for social interactions.
Data Rights
What rights do I have to the data?
Opt-in consent is requested from users at the time personal information is collected.
Users can control their information through privacy settings.
Users can create or upload content.
Ads & Tracking
Are there advertisements or tracking?
Data are not shared for third-party advertising and/or marketing.
Traditional or contextual advertisements are not displayed.
Behavioral or targeted advertising is not displayed.
Continue reading about this tool's privacy practices, including data collection, sharing, and security.
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