As the school year draws to a close, you may be looking at some creative ways to engage your students in meaningful discourse. The three activities on this page are guaranteed to invoke creative thinking, passionate debate, and engagement for all students.
Fidget spinners--the bane of many teachers across the country. Nearly everyone has an opinion on this new toy that has swept the nation by storm!
Nicole Beardsley created an excellent hyperdoc that allows your students to research, analyze, and debate fidget spinners and their value in the classroom. This is a topic many of your students are very interested in and this great hyperdoc is sure to spark some great conversations in your classroom. Assign it in Google Classroom to allow students to work on it online (with Chromebooks or computers) or use it as a class activity on your SMARTboard. The directions you need to get started are listed on the hyperdoc itself, and you can get a copy of it here:
The Great Fidget Spinner Debate Hyperdoc (Please note, you need to click File>Make a Copy)
Looking for a great way to spark an interest in geography in your classroom? Use SmartyPins, Google's trivia game based in Google Maps. This fun online game will help your students learn geography, history, and internet search skills. Use the game on your SMARTboard, or allow students to sign in to the game using a Chromebook or computer. You'll be amazed at how engaged your students will be while learning geography--and you'll be amazed at how interested YOU are in learning geography as well! Don't forget to choose a category at the start of the game. Access the game here:
Hyperdoc Activity (Debate)
Fidget spinners--the bane of many teachers across the country. Nearly everyone has an opinion on this new toy that has swept the nation by storm! Nicole Beardsley created an excellent hyperdoc that allows your students to research, analyze, and debate fidget spinners and their value in the classroom. This is a topic many of your students are very interested in and this great hyperdoc is sure to spark some great conversations in your classroom. Assign it in Google Classroom to allow students to work on it online (with Chromebooks or computers) or use it as a class activity on your SMARTboard. The directions you need to get started are listed on the hyperdoc itself, and you can get a copy of it here:
The Great Fidget Spinner Debate Hyperdoc (Please note, you need to click File>Make a Copy)
Vocabulary You May Need to Know
- Hyperdocs are simply Google Docs with links, videos, instructions, tasks, and other great ways to spark critical thinking in students.
- Fidget spinners are stress-relieving toys that are currently being advertised to enhance focus and reduce fidgeting. Many parents are currently purchasing them to help their children with ADHD; other parents are buying them because it is the latest craze in toys.
Smarty Pins
Looking for a great way to spark an interest in geography in your classroom? Use SmartyPins, Google's trivia game based in Google Maps. This fun online game will help your students learn geography, history, and internet search skills. Use the game on your SMARTboard, or allow students to sign in to the game using a Chromebook or computer. You'll be amazed at how engaged your students will be while learning geography--and you'll be amazed at how interested YOU are in learning geography as well! Don't forget to choose a category at the start of the game. Access the game here:
Quick, Draw!
Quick Draw! with Google is an A.I. (artificial intelligence) experiment that allows the user to explore machine learning by playing with pictures and language. Quick, Draw! is similar to the game "Pictionary"--you draw, and a neural network tries to guess what you’re drawing. Of course, it doesn’t always work. But the more you play with it, the more it will learn. It’s just one example of how you can use machine learning in fun ways. Pull it up and allow your students to play with it on your SMARTboard (turn the sound on to hear the neural net talk to you as it guesses) and hold a conversation about artificial intelligence and the future! Access the game here:
Love it! We've already played Quick, Draw! in class today! -LEspy
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