Merge EDU will help students learn complex science concepts while at the same time increasing technology literacy! Because it’s intuitive and easy to use, you can also share Merge EDU with classroom teachers to showcase AR/VR technology that can help improve learning outcomes of their students. 

With powerful, hands-on digital teaching aids and interactive simulations, standards-aligned activity plans, integrated quizzes, and a large library of science content, Merge EDU provides everything you need to teach science successfully with AR. 

In this article, we will introduce you to concepts that will help you teach science with Merge EDU and share the AR/VR technology that will help prepare students (and teachers) for the future: 

• Setup Learning Stations in the Library
• Teaching lessons in the Classroom 
• Turn teachers into TechStars

Setup Learning Stations in the Library

One great way to teach science using augmented reality is by setting up learning stations in the library where students can interact in pairs or small groups. You can have any combination of the science simulations and digital teaching aids setup as learning stations to teach science with Merge EDU: 

Science Simulations 

There are over 100 science simulations in the Merge Explorer app, so whatever the students are learning in their science classroom, there’s an interactive simulation (or two) to go with it! 

For example, if the students are learning about space, you can use the “Galactic Explorer” topic card at one station, and the “Stars in the Sky” topic card at another learning station. 

Depending on device access, you may have students taking turns interacting with the same simulation at each station. You can have students make their own Merge Paper Cube ahead of time if you don’t have enough real Merge Cubes for each student.

Optional: Print the activity plan that corresponds to the topic card and grade level ahead of time, so students can complete them at each station as they explore the simulations.

Learn more about Science Simulations and Topic Cards.

Learn more about the Activity Plans.

 

Digital Teaching Aids

There are over 1,000 hands-on digital teaching aids in the Object Viewer app! Just like the interactive simulations correspond to what students are learning in science, there are also collections of hands-on digital teaching aids in Object Viewer that students can explore! 

To continue the space learning stations example, you can set up another station where students can explore space-related collections of digital teaching aids from Merge Object Viewer, like the “Our Solar System” collection. 

You can have the students observe, inspect, and explore each digital teaching aid using the Merge Cube, but they can also “place” the object in the real world, and optionally screen record the objects, discussing their properties and how they relate to the topic.

Learn more about using Digital Teaching Aids.

Learn how to Place an Object in the Real World.

Learn how to Screen Record in Merge EDU.

 

 

Teaching a Science Lesson in the Classroom 

Classroom teachers always appreciate when the school librarian, tech coach, or instructional coach comes into their classroom to teach an amazing lesson. 

When you teach a science lesson with Merge EDU, students will be engaged, learn about complex concepts in a concrete way, and will want you to come back to their classroom to teach another lesson again soon! 

Getting your devices ready

To get started teaching a science lesson in the classroom with Merge EDU, you will want to make sure you have enough Merge Cubes and compatible devices. Merge EDU works well in the following device situations:

• Small groups
• Pairs
• 1 to 1 

If you only have one Merge Cube and one compatible device, don’t worry! You can use a smartboard or projector to share the experience with the whole class. 

Teaching the Lesson

Before getting started with the science simulations in Merge Explorer, you may want to provide students with the activity plan that corresponds to their grade level and the topic card they’ll be studying. The activity plan will guide students through the simulations, and will direct them to complete one (or more) assessment options.

You can also select a collection of related digital teaching aids in the Merge Object Viewer app that compliments the lesson and lets the students dive deeper into the content, and will allow students to place digital objects in the real world.

Learn more about Teaching a Science Lesson with Merge EDU.

Learn more about Science Simulations and Topic Cards.

Learn more about Digital Teaching Aids.

Learn more about Placing Digital Objects in the Real World.

Turn teachers into TechStars

Teachers look to you to show them how to use technology to teach better. With easy-to-follow guides and curriculum-aligned activities, you can help the science teachers on your campus turn into Merge EDU experts in no time! 

Here’s how to help classroom teachers get started:

1. Tell them to sign up for a Merge EDU Account and Free Trial at MergeEdu.com.
   
   
2. Make sure they have access to a Merge Cube.
   
   
3. Show them where to download the Merge EDU apps to access the science simulations and digital teaching aids.
   
   
4. Help them set up their classes and students on the Merge EDU dashboard.
   
   
5. Be sure they know where to find all the resources like Activity Plans (and more!) on the Merge Dashboard.

We hope you have a good understanding of the ways Merge EDU can help students learn science while at the same giving them first-hand experience with the technology that will shape their future! And, when you share Merge EDU with other educators, they can learn how it impacts their students' learning today! 

Take a look at this help article for more information about teaching STEM with mixed reality.