IXL Releases Adaptive Middle School Science and Social Studies Curriculum for 6th through 8th Grade

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Jan 18, 2017, 11:00 ET

SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IXL Learning, the K–12 learning program used by 1 in 9 U.S. students, announced the introduction of adaptive science and social studies content for grades 6–8. Each skill in the curriculum leads students through a series of concepts using multi-stage challenges, which they complete by answering interactive questions. This progression helps students build mastery of complex topics, while the challenges make the learning process engaging. With this release, IXL now offers science and social studies for grades 2–8 and math and English language arts for grades pre-K–12.

IXL Science for middle school covers topics such as molecules and atomic composition, cells and genetics, ecosystems, plate tectonics, engineering design and the scientific method. Skills are aligned to NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and state standards.

IXL Social Studies for middle school includes standards-aligned history, civics, geography and economics content. Topics include ancient Egypt, countries of Africa, the American Revolution, the Bill of Rights, supply and demand curves and more.

IXL's science and social studies content is structured so that each stage in a skill teaches one piece of a larger concept. As they move through the stages, students gain factual knowledge about scientific and social phenomena, then apply their knowledge by analyzing visual and written primary sources and real-life examples. One of IXL's science skills, for example, helps students understand the engineering-design process through a narrative about the Apollo space missions. Students learn the steps of the process, match the decisions made by NASA scientists to the parts of the engineering method and draw conclusions about why those choices were made. By pausing at every step to think critically and actively engage with what they've learned, students gain a deeper understanding of these subjects.

"Science and social studies are much more than facts and dates to be memorized—they help us make sense of the rich, vibrant world we live in," said Kate Mattison, senior director of curriculum at IXL Learning. "IXL gets students excited about this connection and empowers them to inquire about, explore and make educated judgments about their world."

IXL creates a captivating learning experience by presenting a different challenge at every stage, such as answering a streak of questions correctly or collecting a certain number of tokens. A fun graphic shows students how close they are to reaching their goal, motivating them to keep working. IXL's content also features intriguing—and sometimes humorous—information, to cultivate curiosity. For example, in a social studies skill about the Civil War, students learn that outnumbered Confederate armies used logs painted to look like cannons, called "Quaker guns," to fool Union commanders. In a skill about the Constitutional Convention, students see a photo of quirky doodles drawn by delegates during long debates.

IXL Science for middle school covers topics such as molecules and atomic composition, cells and genetics, ecosystems, plate tectonics, engineering design and the scientific method. Skills are aligned to NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and state standards.

IXL Social Studies for middle school includes standards-aligned history, civics, geography and economics content. Topics include ancient Egypt, countries of Africa, the American Revolution, the Bill of Rights, supply and demand curves and more.

In addition to science and social studies, IXL covers K–12 math and language arts, and is aligned to the Common Core and all state standards. Teachers and parents can use IXL Analytics' real-time data to analyze student performance and diagnose trouble spots. IXL features 10 free practice questions each day for students not subscribed to IXL; subscribers may practice unlimited questions across all grade levels. IXL is available online and as an app for iPad and Android tablets. For more information and to subscribe to IXL, please visit www.IXL.com.

Media, please note: Screenshots of IXL's science and social studies content may be downloaded at www.ixl.com/press. Demos and access to IXL are available upon request by contacting [email protected].

About IXL Learning
IXL Learning is an educational technology company that delivers an immersive learning experience—for all students, in all grades, across all subjects, including math, language arts, science and social studies. Used by 1 in 9 U.S. students and with 30 billion questions asked and answered around the world, IXL is helping schools successfully use technology to improve teaching and learning. Our team of teachers, researchers and technologists crafts unique, high-quality content and uses strategically mapped progressions to provide unprecedented depth, breadth and challenge for each specific skill. From pre-K to 12th grade, IXL's content and technology enable fresh, engaging and personalized experiences that spark curiosity and build confidence. To learn more about IXL, visit www.ixl.com, facebook.com/IXL and twitter.com/IXLLearning.

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SOURCE IXL Learning