How Elementary Science Teachers use Merge EDU everyday

Elementary school is a magical time where the world is full of wonders waiting to be explored. From life cycles to the solar system, the food chain to body systems (and more!), Merge EDU makes it easy for science teachers to bring these wonders directly into the classroom in an engaging, unique and interactive way.

Bringing Life Cycles to Life with Merge Cube

Elementary teachers can use Merge EDU and the Merge Cube to teach students about life cycles in a way that simply isn't possible with traditional teaching aids. Using the Merge Cube and the "Butterflies" Collection in Merge Object Viewer app, teachers can demonstrate the life cycle of a butterfly from the egg stage to the full-grown butterfly. By turning, tilting, and zooming, students can explore every angle of each life cycle stage in the palm of their hand, fostering a deeper understanding and engagement with the topic.

Butterflies & Moths

Compare and contrast various kinds of moths and butterflies to discover their physical similarities and differences like body shape, antenna, and coloring.

Object Viewer for MERGE Cube

Imagine the excitement on a child's face as they hold a virtual butterfly egg in their hand, watch it morph into a caterpillar, metamorphose into a chrysalis, and finally emerge as a beautiful butterfly! This isn't just learning - it's an immersive educational experience that will stay with them for a lifetime.

Solar System Exploration

Another common way elementary teachers utilize Merge EDU is for teaching about the solar system. With the "Galactic Explorer" activity in the Merge Explorer App, students can take  a virtual tour of the solar system.

Galactic Explorer

Besides the sun and the planets that orbit it, our solar system is home to many other astronomical objects. In this activity, you will rove around the solar system and learn about all the objects found here. This is an upgraded version of our app, Galactic Explorer!

Merge Explorer

This immersive experience allows students to 'visit' each planet, exploring unique features and characteristics. They can even observe the orbit of each planet, and compare the relative speed at which they rotate around the sun. Students get so excited to learn when they can hold the entire solar system in the palm of their hand!

Understanding Basic Physics Concepts

Basic physics concepts like gravity and magnetism are made easier to understand using Merge EDU. In the Merge Explorer apps "Laws of Attraction" activities, teachers can simulate real-world scenarios.

Laws of Attraction

Welcome to Laws of Attraction! Here we’ll look at two invisible forces that pull objects together: the force of gravity and the magnetic force. Put on your imaginary lab coat and get ready to perform some experiments to reveal the hidden workings of these forces!

Merge Explorer

For instance, when teaching about gravity, students can explore how gravity holds objects together in outer space by holding a small planet then a large planet, and noticing the gravitational force each of the planets exerts. Students can also learn about magnetism by using a virtual magnet to see what happens to the positively and negatively charged objects nearby. When students can actually hold and interact with concepts like this, it takes theory and puts it into practice!

Exploring Human Anatomy

You can even bring human anatomy to life using Merge EDU!  With the "Human Anatomy" activities in the Merge Explorer app, students will interact with a life-sized model of the human body.

Human Anatomy

The human body is amazing! It works like an efficiently run machine and even has the ability to fix itself! Did you know that your body is a system of multiple interacting subsystems? These subsystems are made up of groups of cells that work together to form tissues and organs that are specialized f…

Merge Explorer

They will explore different body systems, learning about the function of each organ and structure that makes up the systems, in the palm of their hand or in even their room! When students are actually able to hold and interact with the concepts they're learning about, it makes the learning process one of inquiry and discovery, which is much more impactful overall.

Engaging in Ecosystem Studies

Ecosystems is another subject where Merge EDU comes in handy. With the "Island Diversity" activity in the Merge Explorer app, students will look at an island ecosystem and try to understand how all the components fit together.

Island Diversity

An ecosystem is a community of different organisms together with the environment they live in. Each living and non-living component of an ecosystem plays a part in keeping the entire system functional and healthy. In these activities, you will look at an island ecosystem and try to understand how al…

Merge Explorer

They will first observe life on the island, then change some of the environmental conditions to see what happens! This hands-on approach encourages students to think critically about ecological relationships and environmental conservation.

Benefits of Using Merge EDU in the Classroom

There are so many benefits to using Merge EDU in the classroom for elementary science teachers! Your students will be engaged in the content, because they can interact with the material. Complex concepts will be easier to understand when students can manipulate and explore them in 3D, and students remember information better because of the immersive learning experience. And Merge EDU stimulates students' natural curiosity and encourages them to ask questions.