Software Recommendations for Use in Social Studies

Software must be tested for CCSD server compatibility before it is purchased. Please contact the Department of Educational Technology for information on software purchasing information.
Elaine_Berry@charleston.k12.sc.us

Photo Editor
This software is available on most CCSD computers. It is a simple photo editing software that allows students and teachers to crop, enlarge, and edit digital pictures to use for the web, for PowerPoint presentations, on bulletin boards, and in many other ways in the classroom.

Netscape Composer
This software for creating web pages is available within the Netscape browser. Students can create web pages on any given topic they have researched. These web pages can be attached to eChalk class pages, in addition to a teacher’s web site.

Microsoft Publisher
This desktop publishing software comes with CCSD computers as part of Microsoft Office. In this application students can create newsletters, brochures, flyers, and more.

Microsoft Word
This software is available on all CCSD computers. Students can word process all written work, adding clip art, digital images an more. Check out the standard templates for letters, memos, and other written works.

PowerPoint
This presentation software, available on all CCSD computers, allows students to develop presentations for many subjects. Many of the language arts standards have to do with research and oral presentations. PowerPoint is a must for meeting those standards.

Access
The data base, which is an application in the Microsoft Office suite on CCSD computers, can be used in language arts for collection of all kinds of data. The data can be organized into forms and tables for easy access, management, and querying.

Excel
The spreadsheet program in Microsoft Office is useful in language arts for creating charts and graphs with collected data. These graphs can be inserted into PowerPoint presentations or Word documents.

HyperStudio
This authoring program allows students to create slides with student created animations, pop up windows, scroll boxes, and programmed buttons. Student reports and presentations can contain these added features.

Inspiration
This organizational software allows students to create their own organizers to help clarify thinking, deepen understanding of content, and increase retention in a creative way.

Kidspiration
This is a user-friendly, open-ended graphic organizer program for students in grades K-3. It allows students (and teachers) to create their own graphic organizers for any content area. It develops organizational skills, helps clarify thinking, deepens understanding of content, increases retention and taps into creativity.

Kid Pix
More than just an art program, Kid Pix is also a powerful, easy-to-use multimedia program. With the slide show feature, students can prepare animated reports and create slide shows with special effects including sounds and screen transitions. This powerful feature lends itself to applications all across the curriculum, from book reports, to science projects, classroom documentaries, and more. As students interweave text, sounds, and graphics, they expand their sense of narrative from static images to storytelling sequences.

Timeliner
This easy-to-use software allows students to visually organize any type of sequential information into multimedia timelines. The timeline can be published in several formats: print, web, or as a slide show.

eChalk Email
eChalk allows all students to have an email account. This service is provided by CCSD to enable teachers to meet the standard of electronic communication for students.