Two Cool Applets for 3D visualization

I recently stumbled across these two applets for helping students with 3D visualization. The first one gives you a 3D object, and you have to manipulate it so that you are viewing the appropriate side view. The second one is slightly more complex. In it you have to build a 3d object based on its top, front, and side views. This is a perfect example of what I like to see in a virtual manipulative: the content is truly interactive, it is much easier than doing the same thing with pencil and paper, and although it does have a component of repetitve practice it is in the context of student manipulated content. I would suggest using them in the following order:

1) Rotating 3D shapes to see a particular side view: http://www.fi.uu.nl/toepassingen/00247/toepassing_wisweb.en.html

2) Building 3D shapes based on side and top views: http://www.fi.uu.nl/toepassingen/02015/toepassing_wisweb.en.html

Project Interactivate

Project Interactivate is from Shodor Interactive, and contains a very large number of java applets for use in math education. The quality of the applets vary from very good and inventive, to fairly limited. Browsing the "Activities" as a learner will show you all of the 100+ applets available, while browsing "Lessons" as an instructor will list only the applets that have lessons included with them. http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives is a a collection of math applets for k-12. The quality of the applets is very good and strengthened by the inclusion of structed lessons for many of them. The only limitation of the site is that while it does contain a large number of applets they don't go beyond the level of about Algebra I or early Geometry. Applets can be searched for by grade level and subject area, but you will soon find a lot of overlap between adjoining grade level areas. http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

Geogebra Tutorial

As promised, here is a video tutorial of how to create a simple virtual manipulative in GeoGebra. You can watch the embedded video below, or follow the link to a higher quality version on my site.

Link to video: http://plaza.ufl.edu/youngdj/geogebra_tutorial/geogebra_tutorial.html (Full Quality 5Mb Flash movie)

Link to the java applet created in the tutorial: http://plaza.ufl.edu/youngdj/geogebra_tutorial/linegraph.html