"Cyberchase Fractions Quest" Now Available for Purchase!

Blast your students’ fractions skills into Cyberspace with Cyberchase Fractions Quest, now available for classroom play! After a successful summer beta launch, FableVision is thrilled to invite educators to experience the world of PBS KIDS’ popular math series Cyberchase. Third and fourth-grade students embark on an immersive journey that integrates an interactive adventure with a research-based approach to fractions contexts. The game (complete with educator dashboard for student performance tracking) and corresponding Teacher Guide are available for purchase now on FableVision Games. 

The villain Hacker and his henchbots Buzz and Delete have captured the CyberSquad and it’s up to your students to save the day. In order to save the Motherboard from his dastardly plot, students step into the role of the hero and use their mathematical sequences and problem-solving skills to outsmart Hacker. As they explore Ecotopia, Castleblanca, Aquari-Yum, and Radopolis, students play through a series of minigames and make leaf parachutes for chameleons using their knowledge of fair shares, make tacos for underwater friends by practicing adding fractions, and more!

In collaboration with THIRTEEN and Education Development Center (EDC), FableVision created this game-based learning and assessment tool to offer a holistic view of fractions as parts of a whole and ensure fractions and future STEM learning success! Cyberchase Fractions Quest makes learning fun and challenges common teaching methods by using the latest research surrounding the best ways children learn fractions. The game follows the sequence and scope of fractions learning aligned with the Common Core Standards for Grade 3 and 4 mathematical structure. As they progress through the game, students explore different contexts of fractions including area, set, and number line. Combining research-based fractions teaching methods with an engaging narrative context, this game motivates students and increases their confidence in the classroom by improving their understanding of complicated math.

Cyberchase Fractions Quest is a result of a 2.5-year-long research project as part of the IES Department of Education SBIR program. The game also features additional professional development and game integration resources that are fully customizable to each classroom’s needs, allowing for maximum fractions learning fun and success. Formative assessment and cumulative review are also embedded in the game through the problem sets that students encounter. In the state-of-the-art teacher dashboard, educators can track students’ progress through the four CyberSites, how they performed in mini-games (out of three stars), and scores in the formal assessment pieces of the game.

Curious to learn more about using Cyberchase Fractions Quest in this time of blended learning? Check out our recorded edWeb webinar here.

National Bullying Prevention Month Spotlight: Galaxia

Whether it’s online, on a playground, or on a planet far, far away, bullying has a serious, often long-lasting, negative impact and creates an unsafe environment, especially for children. In order to change the culture around bullying, prevention and intervention are key. In addition, we need to start conversations surrounding this issue to make a difference in communities everywhere.

This National Bullying Prevention Month, as part of FableVision’s mission to move the world to a better through positive media, we are proud to highlight a new interactive game: Galaxia. This resource, created by National Health Promotion Associates (NHPA)’s Botvin LifeSkills Training and FableVision, is aimed at middle school students and designed to help prevent bullying in all its forms.

Galaxia introduces students to a fantastical, extraterrestrial world where all the characters are aliens, but their problems are surprisingly similar to their teenage counterparts on Earth. Students select one of two customizable avatars and interact with their fellow alien students and teachers at their outer space boarding school. With the National Health Promotion Associates’ evidence-based Botvin LifeSkills Training prevention curriculum integrated seamlessly into gameplay, students encounter various conflicts centered around peer pressure, bullying, communication, social skills, and substance abuse, and learn important coping mechanisms and skills for dealing with anger, anxiety and building resilience.

An EdTech Awards 2020 Cool Tool Finalist, Galaxia allows students to learn and practice how they would react to real-life challenges and see the consequences of their actions and decisions in a safe (outer) space. The gameplay options span three years of middle school (grades 6-8), and players use their social-emotional skills and understanding of the Botvin LifeSkills Training to respond to each situation and progress through the story. Depending on how they choose to handle different situations, players get different outcomes for the storyline to creates a uniquely personal experience.

While National Bullying Prevention Month reminds us all that we have more work to do in bringing awareness to the issue and supporting those affected, educating and sharing resources that work to prevent bullying and empower people to stand up for others, are things we can all do every day of the year. 

Visit the Botvin LifeSkills Training website to purchase Galaxia and integrate it into your in-class and distance learning curriculum today.

Get Your Classroom “Ready Now” for the School Year

The start of this school year has presented a unique set of complications and adjustments for classrooms around the world. And as with everything—creative educators and students have risen to the challenge. To ease the transition into a new era of classroom routines, FableVision joined a group of over 70 federally-funded researchers and developers to produce a series of guides to support in-class and remote teaching and learning.

The Guides to Education Technologies that are Ready Now cover topics in early learning, math, science and engineering, social studies, and special education. FableVision is proud to feature three resources: Cyberchase Fractions Quest (Mathematics Guide), Civics! An American Musical (Social Studies Guide), and FabMaker Studio (Science and Engineering Guide). All of our resources—and the other incredible resources from other organizations—were developed through an iterative process involving multiple rounds of testing and feedback from teachers and students. They are web-based and accessible on a number of devices, with a mix of free and paid content.

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Click the above image to download the guide.

Cyberchase Fractions Quest (free for a limited time)

Guide: Ready Now Math Tools
Age range: grades 3-4

CyberSpace is in trouble, and it’s up to your students to help defeat the villain Hacker! In Cyberchase Fractions Quest, students join the CyberSquad from the popular PBS KIDS series Cyberchase and play through a series of mini-games, picking up fractions knowledge and problem-solving skills along the way. Created in partnership with THIRTEEN and the Education Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology, this FableVision-developed math learning game combines an engaging storyline with a research-based approach to teaching and learning fractions that aligns with the Common Core Standards for Grade 3 and 4 mathematical structure. 

The game is a result of a 2.5-year-long research project as part of the IES Department of Education SBIR program. The beta version of Cyberchase Fractions Quest is free and available to play for a limited time on FableVision Games.

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Click the above image to download the guide.

Civics! An American Musical (free)

Guide: Social Studies Distance-Learning Resources
Age range: grades 6-7

What better way to teach middle school students U.S. history and the power of the everyday citizen in creating change than through producing their own hit Broadway musical? Created in partnership with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ CIRCLE, Civics! An American Musical was inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton composition notebook and teaches civics as students analyze primary sources from the Library of Congress archives to adapt true events from U.S. history to the stage. Students select the subject matter for their musical from four different history topics—the desegregation of public schools, the National Parks, the FDA, and the Chinese Exclusion Act—and must observe, reflect, and question primary sources to ensure the historical accuracy of every aspect of the show, including scripts, costumes, and song lyrics.

Civics! An American Musical is a part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program and is available for free on FableVision Games.

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Click the above image to download the guide.

FabMaker Studio ($200 classroom subscription)

Guide: Ready Now: Science and Engineering
Age Range: grades K-8

Turn any classroom or learning environment into a maker space—and you won’t even need a 3D printer! Inspire engineering in your classroom with FabMaker Studio, a web-based fabrication tool specifically designed for the classroom. With this affordable, research-based online tool, students can engineer, design, and fabricate any project, including designing their own Operation game board, a paper city that lights up, popup cards, and more.

The tool was developed by FableVision and the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity, with initial funding in 2010 by ED/IES SBIR. To purchase your copy now and to learn more tips on how to use FabMaker with distance learning, visit FableVision Learning’s website.

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For more details and to learn more about the other resources in the guides, check out the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)’s blog.

You're Invited to FableVision's Virtual Summer Picnic

FableVision is waving hello to summer! Though summer break may look different to many students this year, FableVision has put together a list of resources and activities for your kids to enjoy and keep their minds sharp.

As more camps, schools, and families continue to be affected by the global pandemic, our studio is proud to provide resources for both you and your child in order to provide fun, exciting and new ways to take this summer to the next level! Whether you’re looking for some fun coloring pages, challenging and engaging educational games, or craft and activity-filled new shows and films to watch, we gathered our favorites to spice up this summer for you and your family. 

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Summer Banner

Soak in the summer fun with our new summer banner, designed by FableVision director of art and animation Bob Flynn. Celebrating the first day of summer and all the wild adventures with friends the season can bring, this banner is now also available as a printable coloring book page. Release your inner artist, and be sure to share your artwork and tag FableVision through our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram channels for a chance to be featured on our social media pages! 

Click on the black and white image to your left to download and print your own FableVision summer 2020 banner coloring page.

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Cyberchase Fractions Quest 

Brain power to the rescue! FableVision is proud to present Cyberchase Fractions Quest, our newest game that integrates a story-based setting with a research-based approach to fractions learning! Combining research-supported teaching methods with an engaging narrative context to motivate students, players embark on a quest to save Cyberspace from the villain Hacker and his henchbots Delete and Buzz. Stepping into the role of the hero, players travel through a series of minigames to deepen their understanding of fractions and tap, jump, and solve their way to success!

Aligned with Common Core Standards for Grade 3 and 4 mathematical structure, this game grounds students' conceptual understanding of fractions and practice math while on summer break!

The public beta version is available for free for a limited time on FableVision Games.

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The Paper Girls Show

Are you ready to let your imagination run wild? In partnership with Global Tinker, FableVision created a new STEAM-powered animated series that encourages girls to find innovative solutions to everyday problems. Follow best friends and makers Caily and Reese as they discover the fantastical paper world of Confetti and find inspiration to solve their real world dilemmas. 

Each episode provides corresponding activities and curriculum that introduce viewers to a different type of accessible technology. From paper circuitry to 3D printing, viewers are able to learn about the world around them through relatable characters, creative storytelling, and magical art and design as they explore Confetti.

Empowering young girls to create, play, and imagine, this STEAM-based series allows for children to experience science, art, engineering, and programming in a whole new way that shows them: “If you can dream it, you can make it!”

Season one is available to stream now on YouTube.

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Quandary

Planet Brazos needs your help! Playing as the captain of a new space colony, players must help their settlers solve ethical dilemmas by considering each viewpoint and making the best decision for the community as a whole. A Learning Games Network and FableVision-created game for the classroom and at home, Quandary develops and trains students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills and uses character development and story to help  players understand the difference between fact and opinions, and apply the skills they gain to real world problems.

A multi-award winning ethics learning game, Quandary is available for free on the Quandary website.

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Go Wild! With Ranger Rick

Learn more about your favorite animals in Go Wild! With Ranger Rick, a FableVision-created app for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)’s Ranger Rick magazine series. Engaging kids ages 4-9, this app features three activities: Mystery Animal, That’s Wild!, and Rick’s Pix. In Mystery Animal, players are given a range of clues and prompted to guess the animal they think it is! In That’s Wild!, children read and laugh along to riddles, jokes, and fun facts based on all of their favorite animals. In Rick’s Pix, children and parents can either take or select a photo and create a whole new image to save and share using stickers, nature backgrounds, and fun frames. Designed to immerse young players in the natural world, this app leverages real wildlife information provided by the NWF.

The app is free to download with a Ranger Rick magazine subscription, providing young children a whole new digital experience of nature!

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Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science 

Debunk myths in your classroom with the Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science animated series. Created by FableVision for the Smithsonian Science Education Center, the series provides teachers with opportunities to learn how to best adhere to next generation science standards, perfect for summer professional development! Each episode offers insightful pedagogical ideas that educators can explore across a large range of subject-matter. From topics like natural selection to energy and gravity, Good Thinking! is a useful tool for teachers to learn how to best deliver heavy content in an approachable fashion.

With a new lesson and demonstration on how to engage with students every episode, this series is research-proven and vetted by experts, helping to deepen understanding of STEM topics for both teachers and students.

Good Thinking! is housed on the Smithsonian website, YouTube channel, and on PBS Learning Media.

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The Word Collector

Discover the magic of words that can connect, transform, and empower! Written and illustrated by FableVision founder and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, The Word Collector is an empowering book centered on celebrating the power of words. Published by Scholastic and named as a 2019 Outstanding Literary Work for Children by the NAACP, this book marks the importance and journey of finding your own unique voice in the world.

FableVision also created an accompanying animated film of The Word Collector to bring the story of a young boy who collects words that inspire and move him and the people around him to action to life.

Visit wordcollector.org to learn more about the book and purchase your own copy! And to stream and listen to Michelle and President Barack Obama read the story aloud for the Chicago Public Library’s “Live from the Library” storytime sessions, check out the Obama Foundation’s YouTube channel. To watch the animated film, visit the Scholastic website.

FableVision Resources for Distance Learning

With many of us working from home or learning remotely these days, it can be difficult to find fun, quality, engaging activities to pass the time and keep us in good spirits. And now that students of all ages—from kindergarteners to high schoolers and beyond—are home during the school day, you can help them continue to learn with this list of games, animated shows, and more that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Naturally, we’re biased, but here are some of our favorite educational resources we developed with our amazing partners to get you started. Who knows—you may learn something yourself as you follow along!

You can also check out our friends at iCivics, Pinna, BrainPOP, GoNoodle, and Common Sense Media for more quality content. Virtual elbow bump!

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Game-Based Learning

Gasha Go! (free)

Age Range: grades K-3

Help the lovable Gasha Go! characters fill an arcade machine with toys! In this cute and colorful math game from FableVision and Georgia Public Broadcasting, players learn number sense, numeracy, and literacy skills while earning virtual toy rewards along the way.

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Quandary (free)

Age Range: middle school

As the captain of the new space colony Braxos, it’s up to you to use your moral decision-making skills to keep the peace. In Quandary, an online card and story-based game we developed with the Learning Games Network, players assume the role of captain in a futuristic society. In this role, players must make difficult—and important— decisions to help build their colony and strengthen their community.

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Zoombinis ($2.99 on App Store and Google Play, $4.99 on Kindle, $9.99 for Broderbund and Steam)

Age Range: middle school

Join the Zoombinis on a logical journey! In this relaunch of the classic ‘90s game, players use their algebraic thinking, data analysis, and theory formulation skills (also known as Computational Thinking) to solve puzzles and help the Zoombinis find a new home. The game was re-released in 2015 in partnership with TERC and Learning Games Network.

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Read to Lead (free)

Age Range: middle school

The citizens of the fictional city of Fort Douglas are struggling to grapple with the aftermath of a hurricane. In this trio of games FableVision developed with Classroom, Inc.—After the Storm, Community in Crisis, and Vital Signs—players assume the role of a newspaper editor, community center director, and medical clinic manager to help the town rebuild and pick up literacy and career readiness skills along the way.

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Lights, Camera, Budget! (free)

Age Range: middle and high school

Welcome to Hollywood! Can you manage a budget of $100 million to create the horror, comedy, or action movie of your dreams? This online financial literacy game is a collaboration between FableVision, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and the Georgia Council on Economic Education that teaches personal finance and money management in a way that is engaging and aligns with Common Core standards.

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Animation

Digital Citizenship Music Videos

Age Range: grades K-2

Online safety and balance  are crucial, especially in our increasingly digital world. To teach children how to be safe, responsible, and respectful in their digital lives, FableVision created three fun and educational music videos for grades K-2 as a part of Common Sense Education’s K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. While the music videos are perfect for young children to learn the importance of digital safety, online privacy, and more, you may find yourself singing and dancing along!

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Different Kinds of Hurt: Isaac's Story

Age Range: elementary school

Now is an especially important time to have open and honest discussions with children about mental health, and to remind them that it’s okay not to feel okay. FableVision partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, the Walker School, and Express Yourself to tell the story of Isaac, who shares his experience of going to the hospital for mental health reasons with his friend Mia. The warm and friendly animated film draws parallels between mental health and physical health using Isaac’s experiences and Mia’s recent stay in the hospital for a broken leg to normalize conversations about kids’ mental health without relying on harmful stereotypes.

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Go! Go! Cory Carson

Age Range: preschool

Navigate childhood with kid-car Cory Carson! In this charming Netflix series from Kuku Studios, and with help from FableVision’s VP of Creative Tone Tyne, viewers follow Cory Carson on his epic adventures, from a field trip to the firehouse to his very first sleepover! The first two seasons are now streaming on Netflix.

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The Paper Girls Show

Age Range: 6-8

Meet Caily and Reese, curious best friends and makers, as they use STEAM to solve problems with help from their friends in the fantastic paper world of Confetti! This animated series from FableVision and Global Tinker empower viewers through creativity and exploration, and shows young girls that “if you can dream it, you can make it!”

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Good Thinking!: The Science of Teaching Science

Age Range: adults

How do students develop new conceptual understandings? Are “learning styles” out of style? In this animated series for K-8 science educators, FableVision and the Smithsonian Science Education Center tackle common misconceptions students have on a variety of topics, from gravity and inertia to weather and the water cycle, and show how educators can debunk these issues in their classrooms—even if that classroom is now online!

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Dodo Sing Dodo Dance

Age Range: preschool and up

Sing and dance along with the beloved animals from The Dodo, now on a platform designed just for kids! Visit the Dodo Kids YouTube channel for kid-friendly content, including five catchy, cute critter-filled music videos. With original music created in partnership with musical group The Wilders and lyrics from FableVision VP of Creative Tone Thyne, Dodo Sing Dodo Dance features cute animals, colorful graphics, and upbeat music and lyrics that will have people of all ages joining in!

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FableVision Learning Resources:
The Creativity Maker Suite

FabMaker Studio

Age Range: grades K-8

Let’s make something! (And you don’t even need a 3D printer!) With FabMaker Studio, a research-based digital fabrication tool from our sister company FableVision Learning, students can design and fabricate any project—including designing a solar car or modeling a snow fort—using digital tools, including scissors, electronic cutters, and more!

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Get Published!

Age Range: grades K-8

Curious about how to publish a book? Learn from award-winning children’s book author and illustrator—and FableVision founder—Peter H. Reynolds in this web-based digital publishing platform from FableVision Learning. Through videos and hands-on activities, users will learn all about what it takes to make a book, from developing a plot to formatting pages to creating an actual book that you can put on your bookshelf!

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Animation-ish

Age Range: grades K-12

Animation-ish is an easy-to-use, web-based animation program that inspires creativity, and allows students in grades K-12 to "show what they know." Animation-ish includes three levels that provide students and teachers from K-12 with a fun, rewarding experience that fosters the ability to animate across the curriculum with confidence.

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FableVision is an educational media production studio on a mission to move the world to a better place. If you're looking for a production partner for online or distance learning solutions, reach out to us here.