Arloon Solar System
© 2015 Arloon
Featuring clear graphics and some clever ways to visualize the objects in the solar system, this app contains a mixture of multiple-choice quizzes, interactive explorations and visualization techniques that include an AR (augmented reality) activity that lets you point your camera at a printed QR code, to see the planet floating as a 3D image, in your room. The app does a nice job helping children visualize some abstract concepts including how eclipses work, the Earth’s trajectory, rotations, orbits and so on. Content includes: the Solar System - its location in the Milky Way; features of the Solar System; identifying different celestial bodies including comets, satellites, asteroids and meteors; the planets in the Solar System and their location relative to the Sun; the Earth and the Moon and their features, movements and the consequences of these; and the Sun and its importance for life. For children interested in astronomy, this is a good addition to the library and teachers will find some of the visualization tools handy for illustrating how the solar system works. Don't miss the animated cut-away cross section of the earth. To print out the card as a PDF, visit www.arloon.com.
$1.99, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch (iOS 8.0 or later), Android, Windows
Teaches: science, astronomy, the solar system, planets, sizes, augmented reality
CTR Rating: 84%