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Kami Blog > Engaging Activities for High School Students

Inspiration

Engaging activities for high school students.

Student engagement strategies and active learning are key to learners bringing their best selves to the classroom. It’s important to use diverse fun activities in your lesson plan to maintain active learning. We’re here to help you make sure you don’t run out of ideas. Check out our engaging activities for high school students:

Here are 5 icebreakers to start the lesson

Have a daily riddle that the class solves before the lesson starts. They can break into small groups to brainstorm or call out answers for the whiteboard. Check out a collated list here to help you with riddle ideas.

Foster the habit of writing by giving a visual stimulus, such as an interesting photo, and asking your students to write something about it. Use this image generator to inspire the entire class and give them specific parameters about what you want to explore. Do this every day to develop their writing skills.

3. Discussion

Add all the questions you want to cover with your students to this editable spin wheel and give it a spin to start the class discussion.

4. Flash fiction

Flash fiction is about broad storytelling. Give your students a challenge to write a 6-word story. They can use any topic but stick to the parameters to introduce an idea, plot, and character. There are some fantastic examples here to get those creative juices flowing.

5. Human knot

This is a physical and fun activity to develop problem-solving skills. Ask the students to stand in a circle and join hands with two random people in the circle. This creates a human knot, and the goal is to untangle it. Make it competitive with larger groups by dividing students into smaller groups or pairs and seeing who can get untangled the fastest using those critical thinking skills!

10 Classroom activities to engage students

Now that everyone has warmed up review the below teaching strategies to spice up some learning activities with these ideas.

1. Host a Jeopardy quiz!

If you’re a fan of the tv show then put that fandom to good use and host a quiz on the topic you’re studying. This activity is ideal for when high school students need to get ready for a big test. Studies have shown that students that are quizzed are more successful. They can revise with index cards so they are really familiar with the topic beforehand. Divide the class up into two teams and draw a Jeopardy-style game on the board with titles based on the topics that will be covered in the test and quiz. Just like in the television show, each category should have points for each level of question. Keep it simple with 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25-point question levels. Give each team a buzzer from a board game or a bell for answering. The teams should consult with each other before buzzing in with an answer.

2. Play Guess Who

Learning who is who from history can get overwhelming so use this teaching strategy to help. Put those problem-solving skills to good use in history class (or others!). Describe a time, place, or person from history with only three clues. The entire class has to try to figure out who or what you are referring to, then race to the whiteboard to write the answer. The students can use their history books or clues around the room if they need to.

3. Journalling

Develop creative writing skills by asking each student to write a journal entry from someone else’s perspective. There are many famous diarists who provide key insight into life through history. You could allocate a different diary entry for each student and then ask them to read it in front of the class. For example, if studying the civil war you could allocate students to write as if they were soldiers, civilians, politicians, etc.

4. Entry tickets …and exit tickets

Put a stack of index cards next to your classroom door and write a question on the board. When your students come into class, hand out index cards, write down an answer to the question and hand it in —as their “entry ticket” to class.

The question should be something related to the day’s lesson, like “after last night’s homework assignment, what do you think about X?” or “after studying the material for today’s class, what are some areas you still need clarification on?”

Not only does this activity get your students engaged and interacting from the minute they walk into the classroom, but it also gives you valuable insights you can use to guide the day’s lesson plan.

When your students are getting ready to leave for the day, have them do the same thing—just with exit tickets (use Kami’s templates).

The same concept applies. Ask them a question about the day’s lesson, any questions they might have, or overall feedback—then collect their ticket before they head home. Reviewing their exit tickets will help you figure out where to adjust your lesson plan for the following day.

5. Brainstorming

Group brainstorming sessions are a great way to bring your students together to engage with whatever they’re learning. Instead of thinking about the topic alone at their desk, they get to expand their ideas with other students in small groups, which will help them be more engaged and gain a new perspective on the lesson. This is a fun way to develop helpful skills for high school students, especially around class discussion. Use Kami’s brainstorming worksheets for this activity idea.

6. Debate-style activity

Most students will have a view of what you’re learning. Use this to your advantage and create a school activity of debating the merits or detractions of whatever you are learning about. This is a good way to engage critical thinking skills as the best debaters will anticipate what the other person might say and be prepared. Get them to write down their main points on pieces of paper ahead so they can practice and be prepared for the debate. This can be done in front of the whole class and you can change the debaters each week.

7. Thumbs up / thumbs down

Thumbs up / thumbs down is a hands-on fun way to monitor if your students are following a story. Tell students to put their thumbs up if they agree with a statement or to put their thumbs down if they disagree. When students have a low energy level (maybe right after lunch?) Stand Up/Sit Down may be a better alternative.

8. Create a video lesson plan

Social media is a part of students’ lives, and those skills in making videos can be really helpful. Flip the tables and ask the students to put together a lesson on the specific topic. Ask the students to put together a video, and perhaps instigate a challenge to include certain vocabulary words you’re written on the whiteboard. This is a fun hands-on activity that could produce some great learning resources.

9. Think pair share

Think pair share can be used for a variety of topics; math problems, science processes, and reading. If you ask an open-ended question ask the students to think about it, then put them into small groups and let them discuss. Then ask all the students to contribute to the classroom discussion and share their thoughts in front of the class.

10. Roll the dice

High school students really respond to their learning when they feel engaged and part of it. Why not write down all the activities that you might have planned and number them? Then ask a student to roll the dice. Whatever number they roll is the activity you do for that lesson. You provide students with some potential impact on how they learn.

Student engagement strategies are a fun way to get the students learning and keep them engaged as their attention span might wane through the day (as might yours). It’s great to have lots of varied ways to engage the brain, body, and spirit. Please let us know on socials how you get on!

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• BookWidgets Teacher Blog

30+ Ready-to-use lesson activities that will spice up your Google Classroom

You can do so many things to spice up your teaching when you’re a Google Classroom teacher. But, most of the time, we all return to the safe lesson where nothing can go wrong.

Today you’ll learn how to create safe lessons in Google Classroom. And nobody said they can’t be fun too! We’re going to spice things up! And the best is yet to come: you can use these lesson ideas for free and share them with students in your Google Classroom! Cue… confetti! 🎉

I’ll split this post into 3 parts:

Spice up your Google Classroom with the BookWidgets add-on

30+ ready-to-use lessons for in your google classroom, the endgame: live monitoring, auto-grading, and feedback in google classroom.

If you want to skip a part, just click the title you want to check out, but remember: I’m explaining everything for a reason. 😉

Every digital lesson idea you’ll find in this post is created in Google Classroom with BookWidgets . There’s more. You can also monitor the activities live when students are working on them, review the work and give comprehensive feedback.

There are two ways to get started:

1. With the BookWidgets add-on

⚠️ Only for schools with a Teaching and Learning upgrade or Google for Education Plus account.

You can attach BookWidgets content to your assignments using this newest addition in Google Classroom. Go to Google Classroom, create a new assignment, choose the BookWidgets add-on, and you can start creating digital exercises and evaluations right there!

Learn everything about the add-on in this free 1-hour webinar . Register now and take your chance to win BookWidgets for your entire school!

Check out this tutorial or this short video on getting started with the BookWidgets add-on in Google Classroom. Then, reach out to [email protected] so we can enable it for your entire school.

2. With the BookWidgets Chrome extension

⚠️ If you’re using the free Google Classroom version, the BookWidgets Google Classroom extension is the right way to go.

Download the Chrome extension , open your Google Classroom and go to Classwork. Now, hit the “ Create ” button and choose BookWidgets.

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial and webinar for beginners to get you started.

I’ve divided these free Google Classroom lessons or activities into 10 categories so you can find what you need in one click. Remember, you can use them for free make a duplicate. I explained how you can do this here .

• Ready-to-use ice breaker activities and classroom energizers

Ready-to-use lessons to explain and introduce classroom rules

Ready-to-use lessons to start a lesson in a creative way, ready-to-use lessons to end a lesson in a creative way, ready-to-use lessons for students to ask for help, ready-to-use lessons for student self-assessments, ready-to-use lessons for creative book reports, ready-to-use lessons about special days in the year, ready-to-use lessons with rich media: tiktok, short films, and podcasts, ready-to-use lessons featuring emojis.

Here we go!

Ready-to-use icebreaker activities and energizers

Use the following free lesson plans in Google Classroom to spice up a dull moment or to get to know each other better. If you can create a good team spirit and classroom where all students know each other on a deeper level, they will be more motivated to learn.

1. The Icebreaker Bingo

When you share this digital back-to-school bingo activity OR fun energizer with your students in Google Classroom, every student will get their own scrambled bingo sheet. Then, you only have to stand in front of the classroom and shout, “I’m looking for students who…have brown hair”.

All students who, for example, have brown hair can stand up and immediately tick off that box on their bingo sheet. Pro tip: ask those students standing up to tell a bit more. That way, everyone gets to know each other better.

Another way to use this digital bingo sheet is to have your students walk around and look for another student that fits the box. When they find that student, they introduce each other and have a small chat. Then, the student returns to his place to tick off the box.

2. Icebreaker questions

If you’re out of creative questions to ask your students, this icebreaker activity for high school students is the solution. It was created and brought to our attention by Guido Merry , a teacher in the Netherlands.

There are two ways to play this question icebreaker game:

Project the question wheels on a large screen in your classroom and ask a student to come forward and spin the wheels. The first question is always for the teacher. The second question is for the student in front of the classroom and the last question is for another student. The student in front of the classroom, can name a fellow student. In turn, that student must answer the question and come forward to spin the wheel. Just continue like this. The game ends when every student has answered 2 questions.

Divide your students into groups of 5. Let them take turns spinning the wheels. Each student has to answer all three questions in their spin-turn.

3. The Facebook profile

The good thing about social media channels is that you have to make a profile and fill it out with information about yourself. It triggers students to think about who they are and how they want to present themselves.

So… it’s a perfect first day of school activity. Below, you’ll find a digital (fake) Facebook profile form your students have to fill out. When they’ve submitted all the forms to you, you pick out a few profiles anonymously and read their likes, intro, or interests out loud. Then, other students have to guess to which student the Facebook profile belongs.

Pro Tip: You can also use this as an ESL lesson and let students practice writing.

4. Two Truths, One lie

A fun classic. This will get your students to know each other on a deeper level. It’s a lesson activity you can use on the first day of school and when a dull moment hits as a classroom energizer.

All your students submit 2 truths and 1 lie to you, and you turn it into a fun game! You can read the truths and lie out loud in front of your class, without telling who it’s from AND without revealing what the lie is. Your students will have to guess the name of the student, and they will have to guess the lie. Then, that student may tell them if they guessed correctly and elaborate on his or her story.

5. The M&M game

When there’s candy involved, students are suddenly all ears.

This free activity will help your students get to know each other in a group, playing a fun game. They have to pick an m&m and complete a challenge or answer a question in order to be allowed to eat the m&m.

Just share the game with your students in Google Classroom. Each group just needs 1 computer or tablet for the game board. Make sure to go over the rules before they get started.

When you want to introduce your classroom rules, or maybe re-introduce them if needed, you can do this in a fun way or in a way where students have a say about your rules too. Go check out a few ready-to-use lesson ideas on explaining classroom rules. There are more free lessons in this blog post about classroom rules .

6. Emoji rules

This pair-matching game about your classroom rules is perfect for younger learners. Using emojis will help mediate meaning. Students have to find the classroom rule and pair it with the right symbol, or in this case, emoji.

7. Collaborate on classroom rules

Ask your students to fill in this form to get a clear view of the rules that students find important. Giving them a choice means that they will be more willing to obey your classroom rules. In Google Classroom, you can always attach the final version of your rules to this assignment afterward. A final version can be something like this digital classroom poster explaining the rules .

8. Classroom rules checklist

Here’s another way to give students a voice when it comes to introducing your classroom rules. List your classroom rules in a checklist and let students check the boxes. You can review their answers and discuss the rules that students indicated they didn’t understand or they didn’t agree with. Go check out the lesson plan below, adapt it with your rules, and share it on Google Classroom. 👇

9. Classroom rules memes

This is the one I’m using every year again, and my students love it! I teach older students, so I need to keep my cool when introducing my classroom rules. As my students are basically adults, they should know what is allowed and what is not, but they also need to know what I find respectful behavior without distancing me from them too much.

Go check out this fun carousel with memes. Click on the dots on the images to get a better explanation.

Use the next lesson plans to start a lesson in a fun way or to introduce a new concept. Ask your students to go to Google Classroom at the start of the lesson, fill it out, and submit the lesson. The activities below vary from digital whiteboard lessons to interactive worksheets.

10. (Fore)knowledge hashtags

When you start a new lesson or teach a new concept, ask your students about the topic before explaining it. This way, they activate possible foreknowledge and you can see what your students already know.

11. Change the world

Ready for a fun writing exercise at the start of your lesson? You can also use the next lesson to start a conversation. Or use it as a good lesson starter to make the jump to your next big topic: SDGs! Pick out a few of your students’ answers that fit the transition to your lesson topic.

Share this digital worksheet with your students in Google Classroom, and they can start writing. When finished, they hit the “submit” button so you can gather their responses.

12. Sunshine & sunbeams

Share this digital whiteboard lesson in your Google Classroom when you’re introducing a new topic. On your blackboard, draw a big sun, with the new subject in the middle of the sun. Ask your students to write down what they already know about the new topic on their digital whiteboard. When finished, ask some students to come to the whiteboard in the front of your classroom and note one word that they have on their whiteboard.

Go check it out. Students can use different tools in the bar below to complete their whiteboard.

Go out with a BANG 💥 … or a fun exit ticket or exit slip. Exit tickets are quick activities at the end of your lesson. Most of the time, you check your students’ understanding of the lesson they just got. It also helps them summarize and remember better. Here’s a post with 60 digital exit tickets . I’ve listed a few of them below.

13. Popcorn exit ticket

Share this digital exit ticket worksheet with your students in Google Classroom at the end of your lesson. Ask your student to write down words that they learned today or that connect to today’s lesson topic. When they submit their work, you have everything together in the reporting dashboard and can check if some students didn’t write down much. Make sure to give extra instructions to those students. Remember: it’s a formative lesson activity - no grades!

14. Exit in 3, 2, 1

Trigger your students to think about the lesson they just got. Let them name 3 things they just learned, 2 things they want to learn more about and 1 question for the teacher about the lesson. It’s a good way to rehearse and see if there are more questions.

15. Three times different

In this exit slip, students have to explain the lesson in three different ways. They have to write a summary, draw the lesson, and give an example. Students can use the whiteboard tools in the bar below. They can use the types tool, drawing tool, and they can even add an image by clicking on the photo icon. This tool is perfect for when your students want to make a drawing on paper and upload it to your digital whiteboard.

Go check out this free lesson plan below 👇

“ Are there any questions? ” If you’re a teacher for a long time already, you know that no student will ever answer this question. 🤦‍♀️ Check out the next ideas that will prompt your students to ask questions or ask for help.

16. 3 stars and 1 wish

This is the perfect example of an exit ticket and a way for students to ask for help combined in one lesson activity. Students indicate what they understand perfectley after your lesson, and they also get the chance to ask for help in their “wish”.

Click the example below to take a look. As it’s a digital worksheet, students can add their answers using their keyboard.

17. Mood meter

This mood meter activity for primary school students is the perfect lesson starter. It’s a subtle way to know what is happening in your student’s minds. As you know, it’s not always easy to have an understanding of what is going on. So use this lesson once in a while. Students can talk about their fun weekend, holiday, and evening. And sometimes, the meter will alert you to open up a conversation with students that are not feeling well. There are also students that will indicate that they don’t understand your lesson and need help.

18. Traffic light

This interactive whiteboard activity offers students a creative way to ask for help. They color the traffic light and explain their choice. Students send their answers to you in Google Classroom, and you can check immediately which students need help. In the next lesson, you gather all students that indicated a red traffic light and give them instructions again.

You don’t always have time to give personalized feedback. One way to go around this is by letting your students assess themselves. You’ll also see that students are often more critical about their work than you are…

19. Self-assessment rubric

One of my favorite question types in the BookWidgets quiz or (split) worksheet widget is the rubric question type. I know you can create rubrics in Google Classroom too, but these rubrics can be part of your students’ assignments, and they can be used as a self-assessment tool.

In the lesson example below, students have to assess themselves on the task or project they just completed. You can see all the results in your reporting dashboard in Google Classroom. Here, you can indicate whether you agree with the students or not, by filling out the rubric too. Return your feedback without grades (or with grades - that’s possible too).

Click here to learn more about creating digital rubrics .

20. Emoji self-assessment

A fun and quick way to check metacognition is by letting them complete a self-assessment form… with emojis! And you can immediately see which students need more help on which learning goals. Ask your students to fill it out after a task, project, or homework about the topic.

Ask your students to go back to the worksheet in Google Classroom just before a test about the topic. Their answers will still be there. It will help them focus on the parts that are a bit challenging.

This is a resource students can use anytime before they submit their homework or a task. It will help them elevate their work to a higher level. And it’s fun!

Go check out how this SELFIE assessment works 👇

22. Tops and Tips

This is a very interesting self-evaluation for students and can also be used as a peer evaluation. After a presentation or task, students need to think about 3 tops - things that went great - and 2 tips - things they could do better next time -. Students can submit their self-assessments to the teacher, or they can download what they’ve filled out. They can also just leave their answer like that and come to Google Classroom again. Their answers will still be there.

The peer assessment goes like this. All your students open the assignmnet in Google Classroom and fill it out for the student that is presenting. Using the share button, students can send their tops and tips to the student (e-mail address). When that’s done, they delete their answers (dustbin button) and fill them out for the next student.

There are so many fun assignments to do when students have read a book. Think out of the box and get creative. Here are 15 digital book report activities . I listed my 3 favorite activities below. 👇

23. Letter to the author

Here, students have to write a friendly letter to the author. When shared in Google Classroom, they can easily submit their work to the teacher and share it by e-mail with the author (if they can find the fanmail address). So much fun!

24. Story timeline

In this creative book report lesson idea, students have to create a timeline of the story. When did what happen, chronologically? They have to add the biggest events in the story to the timeline.

25. Comic story

This fun whiteboard activity has the grid of a comic. Students can create a comic story out of their book and add drawings and text balloons.

There’s a special day in the year for about everything that exists on this planet! Go check out this awareness days folder in BookWidgets with fun, ready-to-use activities. Share them with your students to introduce the fun days in a creative way. It’s a work in progress! We’ll keep sharing new lesson activities about the awareness days every week!

26. April fools’ day around the world

Here’s a fun lesson about culture and traditions around the world. How can one fun day be so different? Let your students go through this frame sequence widget or project this lesson on the big screen and start a conversation.

27. World Honey Bee Day

Don’t worry, 🐝 happy! In this lesson activity about honey bees, your students will become excellent bee experts. They even get a certificate in the end! They will learn everything about the bee from scratch. Share this interactive worksheet with your students in Google Classroom, so they can open it and get started! Now, it’s your turn! 👇

28. Summer Solstice

How much do your students know about summer solstice? This ready-to-use lesson explains the concept very well. Students can go through this lesson that you’ve shared in Google Classroom step-by-step, and they will learn about summer solstice in an interactive way.

Integrating rich media like TikTok , film , and podcasts in your lesson will engage your students even more. Click on the links to find even more lesson plans and inspiration!

Use rich media in your lessons to introduce a new lesson topic, start a discussion or conversation, evaluate language skills, and much more!

29. Learning English with TikTok

I wanted to include this lesson that integrates the very popular TikTok app within a lesson about pronunciation. I hope it inspires you to broaden your mindset and think out of the box. Share this lesson in your Google Classroom, and students can start recording their voices. They can easily submit the answers to you so you can listen to their pronunciation and return feedback. Go check it out! 👇

30. Short film - Coin Operated

This amazing short film lesson - Coin operated - lets your students see “through” a film. They have to discover the meaning of the story and write it down. As it’s a short film without speech, you can still edit this lesson for another language. Just make sure to find the BookWidgets group folder here, duplicate the activity, edit the language and share it in your Google Classroom.

31. Learning science with a podcast

The poop collector episode of the “ Tumble Science Podcast ” is a fun episode you can use as a lesson starter for your science lesson. You can even start your first lesson with it, so students understand the word “ science ” better. Go check out the lesson activity below!

Emojis are basically a new way of communication. Everyone uses them to express feelings, to emphasize written words better, and even as a replacement for written words. As emoticons really tickle your students’ interests, it might be a fun idea to incorporate them into your lessons. Here are some of my favorite lesson plans using emoticons or emojis for all kinds of subject areas. 💪

32. Emoji introduction

This is a fun lesson starter for the first day of school. Ask your students to indicate their interests and other aspects of their life using the given emojis. Students can just drag and drop the emojis and send their answers to the teacher in Google Classroom. Later on, you can ask your students to explain the emojis they have chosen and tell a little bit more about themselves. Access the lesson plan preview below and try it out!

33. Emoji artwork

You’re absolutely going to love this ready-to-use lesson plan! Students have to spin the wheels and use the three emojis that come up to make a creative painting. They spin the wheels a second time as well. Now, they have to write a story! This lesson is all about inspiring students’ creativity and dreams. Bonus: you can immediately check their writing skills too. Go check it out! Which 3 emojis did you spin? 👇

34. Emoji sight words crossword

Just when you thought you’d seen it all, there’s another fun lesson plan. Use this digital crossword puzzle for teaching languages to young learners. When you duplicate this widget from the BookWidgets Blog group here and edit the activity in your account if you want to change the language. Now, it’s an English lesson. Can you complete it? 💡

35. Emoji exit ticket

Always go out with a bang! Last but not least: the exit ticket or exit slip widget. This activity takes you only 3 minutes to create, and it has so much value! At the end of a lesson, your students have to indicate whether they understood your lesson or how they are feeling. They have to do so by indicating an emoji. As a second part, you can ask your students another open-ended question. This can be a content question about the lesson, or you can ask students to write down any questions they still have.

How to share these activities on Google Classroom?

We’ve gathered all the free lesson plans in this BookWidgets Group . Click on the link. If you don’t have a BookWidgets account yet, it’s now time to create one for free. The best way is to sign up using your Google Single Sign-On - The Google Account you’re using in your Google Classroom .

You might get redirected to your BookWidgets account’s homepage once you’ve signed up. If so, just click on this group link again when you are signed into your account.

You will see a list with all the widgets ( a.k.a. activities created in BookWidgets ) in this post.

Now, follow the next steps:

• Click on the cogwheel icon,
• Choose “ Select all widgets ” (or just indicate the widgets or activities you want).
• Click on the cogwheel icon for a second time,
• Choose “ Duplicate selected widgets ”.
• A pop-up window opens. Click on the black arrow ⬅️ next to the title - two times - until you don’t see the arrow anymore. Now click on “My widgets” in the pop-up.
• Finally, choose “ Duplicate here ”.

All these widgets are now yours to adapt and share in Google Classroom with your students. Now is the time to go to your Google Classroom and open BookWidgets from there as I’ve described above - using the add-on or Chrome extension.

Once you’ve opened BookWidgets in Google Classroom, adapting and sharing these exercises or widgets is easy. Go to the “My widgets” folder. You’ve just duplicated everything here. Next to the activity - on the right - you will find a tiny arrow pointing down ⬇️. Click on it and choose “ Edit ”. The widget’s configuration screen opens. When you’re done editing, you can click “share” and choose a Google Classroom course.

When you’ve shared these lessons with your students in your Google Classroom, BookWidgets allows you to follow up on them. Reviewing a lesson activity created with BookWidgets can be done in two ways: via “Live Widgets” or/and within the reporting dashboard . Both possibilities are available from your Google Classroom account.

Live widgets

Monitor students, live, in Google Classroom when they are still working on your activity. You can immediately discover struggling students and give them a helping hand. You can also find students that need bigger challenges. And… when your students forget to submit, you can still push the button and submit for your students.

Even when it’s a fun practice exercise that students don’t have to submit, like flashcards, you can see if they did some practicing at home or in class. You can see Live Widgets activity for up to 30 days.

The reporting dashboard

When your students have submitted their work, you can start reviewing it. Most of the activities and question types within a quiz or (split) worksheet get auto-graded. This will save you so much time!

There are some important teacher features that will make reviewing student work much easier:

• You can grade student by student or question by question,
• You can still change the grade in auto-graded questions,
• You can add comments below questions and in your students’ answers,
• You can use a filter to already hide correct answers and focus on the ones that need your attention,
• You can use a filter that groups all student answers on one question that are precisely the same. Your feedback will go to all those students;
• You can configure the feedback that your group of students (or individual) students will see. With or without grades, with or without the correct answers, and more.

As you can see, there are lots of handy ways to review student work more efficiently in Google Classroom with the BookWidgets reporting dashboard.

That’s it! I can understand that your head is exploding 🤯 with new ideas right now!

Remember, you can duplicate all these Google Classroom lesson plans created with BookWidgets in this group . I explain how you can do this here . Duplicate them to your account so you can start editing and sharing them with your students in your Google Classroom. It’s very important that you do this and don’t use the link to the lesson . That way, your students’ answers can’t find their way to you.

Help us inspire many more teachers by sharing this post with them. Hooked on BookWidgets? Join our Teaching with BookWidgets Facebook community and follow us on Twitter .

And me? My name is Lucie. Let’s connect on Twitter !

Join hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and get the best content on technology in education.

BookWidgets enables teachers to create fun and interactive lessons for tablets, smartphones, and computers.

NextLesson Blog

Connect learning to the real world, 100+ project-based learning ideas for every age.

This blog series was authored by our own A.J. Juliani, Head of Learning & Growth.

“Everything begins with an idea.” – Earl Nightingale

When I started on my Project-Based Learning journey, I always wondered what other teachers were already doing with PBL in classrooms around the country and world. I remember joining Ning sites and finding other teachers who were doing PBL, it was like a dream come true to chat and discuss and learn.

With the growth of Twitter, blogging, and conference I was able to meet educators from around the world who have inspired me to go deeper into Project-Based Learning. Their ideas were what got me started documenting projects and step-by-step practices that would enhance any PBL experience.

PBL is growing because it engages and empowers students to learn experientially and share that learning in new and unique ways that go well beyond the classroom. Yet, many teachers are asking: How do we plan and implement PBL? How do we “fit it in” our current curriculum? How do we assess it using our current grading guidelines? How do we manage this type of learning?

These are all real concerns and questions that cannot be dismissed. PBL takes time to plan, implement, manage, and assess. Then it takes time to tweak, improve, and highlight.

If you asked any teacher, administrator, parent, school board member, student, or community member to list their top goals for an academic program, you would see achievement, 21st-century competencies, equity, and motivation all at the top.

Project-based learning is shown to work in all kinds of schools, in all different grade levels, with students of varying backgrounds and abilities.

So, if this is what the research says about PBL, then why do we still have so many schools falling into the test prep trap? Why do some many teachers feel like they cannot make the jump into PBL? Why haven’t we seen a nationwide movement towards PBL as a best and effective practice for all students?

It comes back to HOW to do PBL in the midst of standards and curriculum. I’ve put together a free workshop to show you the 5-step process to do just that.

I’m holding three workshops this week (for K-5, 6-12, and school leaders):

• For Elementary Teachers (K-5 Workshop)
• For Middle School and High School Teachers (6-12 Workshop)
• For School Leaders (Admin and Central Office Workshop)

Ideas to Get You Started

Grades 6-8 ela, grades 6-8 social studies, grades 6-8 science, grades 6-8 math, grades 9-12 ela, grades 9-12 math, grades 9-12 science, grades 9-12 social studies.

It comes back to HOW to do PBL in the midst of standards and curriculum. I’ve put together a free workshop to show you the 5-step process to do just that. You don’t need to start from scratch, instead, you can get a jumpstart on the process.

You can sign-up to be a part of the training right here! If you can’t make the time, please sign-up so you can get the recording.

Are you ready to hit the ground running? Let’s get started!

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Free Assignment Checklists for Google Classroom

Keeping your students’ assignments organized each week can be easier said than done. Using these FREE assignment checklists for Google Classroom (with spots for reminders and messages) will hopefully make your life (and your students’ and parents’ lives) a little easier while teaching in a digital classroom.

Using Assignment Checklists in Google Classroom™

Google Classroom™ is not super intuitive as a learning platform. When posting multiple assignments a day/week, it can be tricky for 8-10 year olds to stay organized and find what they need.

One solution that many teachers use is to have an assignment checklist slide to help students find the assignments and keep track of which tasks have been completed.

To help you implement this with your digital learning, I have some FREE assignment checklists for you (available for download in the section titled Download the FREE Assignment Checklists for Google Classroom™ Here).

There are several versions of the digital weekly assignments for you to choose from. Variations are included for different amounts of assignments, different subject areas, and even different color schemes. I recommend saving a master copy of all of the slides and then making copies of the ones you want to use.

Here are some of the versions:

• Weekly Assignment Checklists
• Daily Assignment Checklists (with Today and with Days of the Week)
• Subject-Specific Assignment Checklists (Math, ELA, Reading, Writing, Science, Social Studies)

Each slide comes with editable spaces to list assignments and link to them right in your Google Drive or Classroom page. There are also sticky notes to add reminders, inspirational messages to your students, or additional links. This would be a great spot to post a fun challenge, extension, or early finisher activity.

To keep your students even more organized, there are moveable checkmarks to keep track of which assignments they have completed as they make their way through the week.

Linking Classroom Assignments to Digital Assignment Checklists

After you have uploaded any necessary files to your Drive and posted all of your assignments and materials to your Classroom, you’re ready to link everything to the checklist slide!

Choose the assignment you want to link to. Click on the three dots and select “Copy link” from the dropdown menu options.

Select the text you want to link the assignment to. You can change the name of the assignment and then click “Insert link.” A window will pop up. Paste the link into the space provided.

Assigning Weekly Checklists in Google Classroom™

When your Weekly Checklist is complete with assignments, links, and notes, you are ready to share it with your students in Classroom!

Step 1: Create a new assignment.

Step 2: Title it something like “Assignment Checklist for Week of April 27th” and add instructions as needed. (That way, you can create a new one each week and stay organized.)

Step 3: Add the file from Google Drive and choose “Make a copy for each student” (since they will be editing it by dragging checkmarks over to completed assignments).

Step 4: Add a due date. (I recommend the end of the week/day that the checklist is for.)

Step 5: Click “Assign” and you’re all set!

Quick Checklist for Posting to Google Classroom™

• Upload any files needed for the week’s assignments to Drive
• Post assignments for the week to Google Classroom
• Link to each assignment on the assignment checklist
• Link to other important sites or pages from the sticky notes on the page
• Upload the linked assignment checklist to your Google Classroom as an assignment (and make sure you make a copy for each student!) and set due date as the end of the week

Download the FREE Assignment Checklists for Google Classroom™ Here

Download the free assignment checklists AND a printable/downloadable guide to using them by clicking HERE or on the image shown.

More Digital Learning Resources

Blog posts and free guides.

How to Assign Google Forms

How to Create Google Form Assignments

Viewing and Analyzing Responses in Google Forms

How to Assign Google Slides

How to Have Students Show Their Math Work Digitally – Free Student Google Slides Guide

Tips for Distance Learning Planning

Digital Learning Activities

Google form – reading activities.

Reading Review Activities – These include 8 forms and each form focuses on one specific skill.

Main Idea Differentiated Practice – These are perfect for assigning differentiated reading practice (texts at two levels to your students). 

Text Structure Differentiated Practice – Another option for differentiating your reading practice easily.

Reading Test Prep Task Cards –  This is perfect for reading review! It includes 8 Google Forms in all (with 8 mixed skill questions per form).

Google Slides – Math Activities

4th Grade Math Test Prep Review

5th Grade Math Test Prep Review

4th Grade Math Differentiated Skill Sheets

5th Grade Math Differentiated Skill Sheets

Math Choice Boards (Grades 3-5 Available)

5th Grade Math Skill Posters

5th Grade Math Journal Prompts

Decimal of the Day Review

Find the Error Math Tasks (Grades 3-5 Available)

Google Slides – Literacy Activities

4th & 5th Grade Reading View

Color by Reading Activities

Reading Interactive Notebook

Color Coding Text Evidence Printables

Reading Intervention Passages with Read Aloud Audio

4th & 5th Grade Reading Flipbooks

Theme Activities – Printable and Digital Versions

Inference Activities – Printable and Digital Versions

5th Grade Language Review

5th Grade Language Posters

Finish the Story! Engaging Narrative Writing Center

Share the Knowledge!

Reader interactions, 23 comments.

April 29, 2020 at 2:35 pm

Hi! I tried using your checklist but it’s looking a bit messy because the URL’s that I’m copying from google classroom are very long. Is the URL supposed to show when I paste it to the text box? Thanks!

September 4, 2020 at 5:02 pm

No – click the hyperlink button after you highlight the TEXT.

April 29, 2020 at 2:37 pm

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! It is going to help my fifth graders sooooo much. Much appreciated.

April 29, 2020 at 6:27 pm

OMG!!! This is pretty awesome. Thank you for sharing this with us!! I was just looking for a checklist.

April 30, 2020 at 1:32 pm

Is there any way that I can change the title of the slide? I teach Wellness and just want to change the Weekly to Quarter 4. Thank you, Patty

May 2, 2020 at 3:43 pm

Thank you these wonderful resources!

May 3, 2020 at 5:52 pm

Is it possible to change the titles and colors of that header?

Do you have the double-column available that has an editable title, or can you make an ELA and Math that have two columns of six assignments?

May 4, 2020 at 11:24 pm

This is so neat, and so wonderful, and I am actually so excited to use it! Thank you for posting such a great resource for us to use!

May 19, 2020 at 2:37 pm

Is there a way to use this agenda so that when I child clicks on a link to the assignment it will take them directly to “their copy” of the assignment. If I made an assignment in which each student will have their own copy when opened, will this agenda work?

May 19, 2020 at 2:38 pm

Hi, i love this agenda…

Can it be used when a google classroom make a new copy for each student. If I put the link for the assignment in the agenda, will it take the child directly to “their copy”?

July 14, 2020 at 4:15 am

Can you make one where we can change out the title? I’d like to make it Engineering Weekly assignments.

August 6, 2020 at 4:40 pm

Thank you so much! I’m excited for my students but also for myself to have some organization! I love this, thank you for sharing!

August 24, 2020 at 6:33 am

You are so creative! I love your blog and your ideas!

Thank you for this!

August 31, 2020 at 8:36 am

Boy, did I need this! Thank you so much.

September 1, 2020 at 3:52 pm

Hi Jennifer I was trying to make a copy of this checklist and it kept giving me a google error is there any way you can send me a link to it! Thank you so much! Your resources are saving my life!

September 19, 2020 at 11:07 pm

Thank you! This checklist is just what I was looking for.

September 22, 2020 at 12:52 pm

Hi Jennifer. I love the Weekly Assignment checklist, but I was wondering of there is a way to edit the weekly heading to add the dates of the week. Thank you,

September 26, 2020 at 7:32 pm

I have used these both online and in print with elementary students, including with my students with moderate to severe disabilities. Cute without being visually overwhelming. Thanks!

November 13, 2020 at 11:29 pm

Is there a way to create a checklist that when the student submits the assignment it automatically checks it off?

November 18, 2020 at 6:45 am

Thank you so much. I have been looking for a kid friendly and parent friendly way for my students to keep up with assignments that are due. You are awesome for sharing this for free!

November 18, 2020 at 12:30 pm

I teach high school and this is going to be a game changer for keeping my struggling students organized! Thank YOU!

January 11, 2021 at 10:37 am

These are awesome! Thank you so much for these!

October 7, 2021 at 2:09 am

Oh my goodness, just what I was looking for. Thank you!!

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Welcome Friends!

I’m Jennifer Findley: a teacher, mother, and avid reader. I believe that with the right resources, mindset, and strategies, all students can achieve at high levels and learn to love learning. My goal is to provide resources and strategies to inspire you and help make this belief a reality for your students.

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16 Ideas for Student Projects Using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms

July 31, 2016

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As you probably know, Google Drive is far more than a place to store files online. It also includes a suite of versatile creation tools, many of which perform the same functions as the ones we use in other spaces. These include  Google Docs,  a word processing program that behaves similarly to Microsoft Word,  Google Slides,  a presentation program similar to PowerPoint, and  Google Forms,  a survey-creation tool similar to Survey Monkey.  Although Drive also includes other tools, these three are particularly useful for creating rigorous, academically robust projects. If your school uses Google Classroom or at least gives students access to Google Drive, your students are probably already using these tools to write papers or create slideshow presentations, but there are other projects they could be doing that you may not have thought of.

Below I have listed 16 great ideas for projects using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms.

Annotated Bibliography By the time a student reaches the later years of high school, and certainly by the time she’s gotten to college, it’s likely that she’ll be required to write an annotated bibliography, a list of resources that not only includes the bibliographical information of each source, but also a short paragraph summarizing the resource and reflecting on its usefulness for a given project. Usually an annotated bibliography is required as a part of a larger research paper, but it could stand alone as an assignment that tasks students with seeking out and evaluating sources just for the practice of doing so. And the research tools in Google Docs allow students to locate, read, and cite their sources all in one place. To learn more, see this guide from Cornell University Library on How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography .

Book Review Instead of a book report, have students write a book review instead. This is certainly not a new idea, but publishing the work electronically allows students to enhance the final product with the book’s cover image, a link to the book’s page on Amazon, and even links to other titles the author has written or articles on related topics. For models and inspiration, elementary and middle school students can read student-written reviews on sites like Spaghetti Book Club . Older or advanced students might work toward more sophisticated, nuanced review styles like book reviews written on Oprah.com .

Collaborative Story Because Google Docs is cloud-based, multiple people can work on a Doc at the same time. So students can work together on a story, a script for a play, or any other kind of group writing project. They can use the comments feature to give each other feedback and make decisions together. And because students can work from any location with an Internet connection, collaboration isn’t restricted to school hours; each group member can work on the project from any location whenever they have time.

Media-Rich Research Paper Any kind of research paper can be given a big boost when done in a Google Doc, because students can insert images, drawings, and links to other relevant resources, like articles and videos. Using the research tools built into Docs, students can research their topics and include in-text citations with footnotes.

Super Simple Blog If you don’t want to mess with actual blogging platforms, but want students to be able to experience writing blog posts that contain images and hyperlinks to other websites, this could be accomplished easily in a single running Google Doc.

Table Being able to organize information visually is an important skill, and students who understand how to build a table in Google Docs will have a skill for presenting all kinds of information in the future. They can be used as a compare and contrast exercise, to display data from an experiment, or even put together a schedule. Yes, you could do these things yourself, print them, and have students fill them out, but why not have students practice creating the tables themselves? 

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Story Because slides can contain hyperlinks to other slides, students could build a whole story where the reader chooses different options at key points in the story, leading them down completely different paths. The reader would consume the content as a slideshow, clicking on the links themselves as they go through. This could be a pretty massive undertaking, but we all know students who would be totally up for the challenge.

E-book These could take a variety of forms: mini-textbooks, children’s books, cookbooks or how-to manuals, personal art or writing portfolios, even yearbook-style memory books. To learn more about the possibilities, see my post from earlier this year on  Student E-Books .

Magazine Along the same lines as an e-book, students could use a similar template to create a PDF magazine or newsletter that is shared online on a regular schedule. The possibilities here are endless, useful for student clubs or sports teams, classroom or grade-level newsletters, or magazines put out by groups of students who share a common interest, like gaming systems, soccer, or books.

Museum Kiosk Imagine if we could enhance science fair projects with a looping video display that provides the audience with vivid visuals and text about our topic. Or imagine an art show, where a self-running informational slideshow could be placed beside an art display to share the story behind the piece and photos of the work in progress? This is possible and EASY in Google Slides: Simply create a slideshow, then use the “Publish to the Web” feature to create a slideshow that auto-advances and has no need for a presenter. Pop that up on an iPad or laptop and you’re all set. This mock-up of a slideshow on Coral Reefs shows you what it could look like (click the image to open in a new window).

Short Film Students can upload their own images and add text boxes to a slideshow to create an animated story, then record the slideshow with a Google extension called Screencastify . They can either record their own voice as narration, add background music, or both. There are so many different kinds of films students could produce: illustrated stories or poems, final reflections for a 20 Time or Genius Hour project, video textbooks on content-related topics, or news-like feature stories of school or community events. In this quick sample, I added music from YouTube’s library of royalty-free music that anyone can use to enhance their recordings:

Video Tutorial Using the same screencasting software mentioned above, students could also create their own video tutorials by creating a Slides presentation on their topic (such as “How to Open a Combination Lock”), then recording the slideshow with narration. This would make a nice final product for a unit on informational writing or a way for students to demonstrate their learning at the end of a unit in science (“How to Take Care of Lab Equipment”), social studies (“How to Measure Distance on a Map”), or math (“How to Multiply Fractions”). Student-made tutorials could even be created to teach classroom procedures. And any tutorials students make could be stored for later, so other students can also benefit from them.  Learn more about how Screencastify works right inside Chrome .

Peer Survey Whenever students need to gather data to support an argumentative essay or speech, let them gather data quickly and easily by creating a survey with Google Forms. Links to the survey can be sent out via email, QR codes , or through a post in a learning management system like Edmodo or Google Classroom. When results come in, students can use them to support whatever claim they are trying to make in their argument, or make adjustments based on what they discover in their research.

Feedback Form Have students provide feedback to each other’s presentations, speeches, even videos using Google Forms. Here’s how it would work: Each student creates her own form, asking for the kind of feedback she wants on the project. As other students view or the project, they can be sent to a form to offer praise or constructive criticism, which the creator would then be able to view privately and use to improve the project. Students could even use their feedback to write a reflection on their process after the project is done.

Quiz One great way to learn material is to create a test or quiz over the content. Have students use Google Forms to create their own multiple-choice, True/False, fill-in-the-blank, or open-ended quizzes on the content they are learning.

Visual Representation of Data Sets Whenever people enter responses to a Form, Google allows the form creator to view responses in charts and graphs. Have students gain a better understanding of how data can be represented visually by accepting responses (or entering their own fake ones) into a Form, then looking at how the numbers are represented in graphs. This could work well as a series of math lessons.

Way Beyond Worksheets

Just this morning on Twitter, someone posted a comment along these lines: “A worksheet on a Google Doc is STILL a worksheet. Students should be using tech to create!” I’ve heard this sentiment over and over, and it’s exactly why I’ve put this list together. Google offers some incredibly powerful tools if we know how to use them. I hope this list has given you a few new ideas to put into your students’ hands. ♦

What to Read Next

Categories: Instruction , Technology

Tags: assessment , content area literacy , English language arts , Grades 3-5 , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , project-based learning , teaching with tech , tech tools

51 Comments

This is wonderful.

This is my first year teaching in an alternative high school. All students have IEP’s as well as social and emotional disabilities. I really want to focus on literacy as many are well below grade-level, ability wise. Writing of course is a big part of literacy. I’m looking for ideas that they can collaborate on, via Google Docs, Slides, etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Check out Boomwriter: A Fun Twist on Collaborative Writing . Lots of good resources there that you might like. Also take a look at Student-Made E-Books: A Beautiful Way to Demonstrate Learning .

I am an RSP teacher in Anaheim. For summer school I am going to have them build a “Bucket List” in Google slides.

Thanks for compiling these resources. I use many already but haven’t tried Screencastify yet. My district uses Google Classroom, but the forms app is blocked on student accounts- I think because it’s a perfect medium for under-the-radar cyberbullying (“How much do you hate Linda?…A little, a lot, a ton…”). Before teachers plan a lesson using forms, they should make sure the feature is enabled for students in their district. In my district, students can access forms and create them but they cannot send them to other students.

Thanks, Robyn. Good to know!

I love these ideas! You are so creative and now I have GREAT ideas for my SS project! Thanks! XD

this is all true

Our district is allowing extra credit this year and I have always been totally opposed to offering extra credit. These ideas are worth extra credit, and my focus this year is on what the students can teach me and the rest of their peers.

This gave me some good ideas for culminating activities. Thanks!

Thank you so much for sharing these ideas about creating projects by using the Google Drive! The middle school I teach at implemented a 1:1 program last year with Chromebooks, so the students have easy access to all of the Google apps. I had always grown up using Word docs and I was a little hesitant to start using Google docs at first. After just a few weeks, I absolutely fell in love with it! It is amazing how you can access all of your docs, forms, slides that you create from any device you’re using and the fact that everything automatically saves is just the cherry on top. I am grateful for this feature, especially working in a middle school where it is easy for students to forget to save something before exiting out. Although I teach Math, I found a lot of your project ideas to be utilized cross-curriculum and I truly appreciate it. I got my feet wet last year and had my students create google slides presentations in groups. At the beginning of this year, I started with a google form I created where students answered review questions from 6th grade Math. I love that when you get the results from all of the forms, you can easily see which areas students are struggling in and which areas they are proficient in because it is presented the results in graphs and charts. I just learned recently that you can create quizzes now, which is awesome because all of the testing in my district is done on the computers, so this will help prepare my students. I want to borrow your idea of having students create peer surveys that they can post on Google classroom in order to gather information and analyze results. This is a great skill for students to have. Thanks again, I truly enjoy reading your blogs!

Be positive at all time

Great collection of resources! Easy to read and very helpful for teachers who often do not get the tutorials they need to instruct with GAFE. I particular like the Museum Kiosk idea. It will work great will my history classes.

– Kevin

Hi everyone! I also would like to suggest my own (free) templates site. Im designing these presentations using “free” resources from other sites such as FreePik, FlatIcon,… and I think the result is pretty good. I invite you to have a look. The site is https://slidesppt.com

In the section of student blog posts, can you clarify how all the students in one class could be writing and posting a running blog which everyone in the class can read and respond to ?

This is Holly Burcham, a Customer Experience Manager. The idea Jenn laid out here is to simply create a shared Google Doc where each student would basically be responsible for his/her own page (literally page 1, page 2, etc.). Within a shared Doc, everyone with permission can be in and typing at the same time. Once “posts” are written, students can go in and add comments to others’ work. The comments would show up in the margins and would be arranged by corresponding content, not time like a typical blog post.

But, as you can imagine, this could quickly become very convoluted and a bit messy. The thought behind using Docs as a student blog is more for writing practice, getting the feel for writing a blog post without doing the real thing…

So, if you’re interested in your students truly creating a blog, we highly recommend checking out Edublogs and Kidblog . Hope this helps!

How are these good for projects? you said that these are for kid presentations, all I see are essay templates and idea’s for teachers to map out their classroom jobs(other then the coral)

Hi, Isaac! I’m not sure what could be used to map out classroom jobs specifically from this post, and I think the ideas here go way beyond essay outlines–please get back to me to clarify exactly what you’re referring to, because we believe all the ideas here are good for student use. Thanks!

You might update this post. Google Forms now supports branching which would be much easier to create a “choose your own” adventure type experience.

Thanks for the suggestion. I can picture how that would work, yes, but I guess the aesthetic experience might be lacking in a Google Form. With Slides you have complete creative freedom to design the slides like a real book. I guess it would be a matter of personal preference?

Where do I go to find accessibility features of Google docs, slides, and forms? I am a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. This technology is wonderful but without the ability to navigate the site independently, my students are at a lost. Can you direct me?

Hi! A couple of things that may be of help: Go to “Tools” in the menu bar and select Voice Typing (use Google Chrome). You can also click on Add-Ons in the menu bar and add the Speech Recognition Soundwriter extension for free. Here’s a link to find more Google Accessibility features — you just have to spend a bit of time looking through the list to see what may be relevant to your needs. I hope this helps!

You can also combine Google forms and docs to simplify book reports for elementary students: https://electriceducator.blogspot.com/2016/03/elementary-book-report-machine.html?m=1

Is there an available rubric or assessment piece for the museum kiosk activity?

Hi Colleen! No, sorry, I don’t have anything on that!

Hi I am a teacher at a elementary school and I was wondering if you had any ideas for what I could do for an autobiography book report.

Hi Madison,

There really are so many things you can have the kids do — I would first think about what you’re expecting the kids to be able to do in the end. What will actually be assessed and what will they be accountable for? (I suggest checking out Understanding Backward Design if you haven’t already.) From there, they can choose how to present what they learned, meeting the assessment criteria. I think using some of the ideas in the Slides section of the post could work really well, especially Student Made E-Books , or making a short film.

Madison, I love the idea of using Google Slides for autobiography book report. I’m thinking about Jennifer’s Slides suggestions and just tailoring it to your book report criteria/rubric. Thoughts?

thank you very much!!

Thank you! I can’t wait to explore some of these options more. This list is very much appreciated! 🙂

I really appreciate your kindness and your efforts and I’m going to try everything you have mentioned in this wonderful article

Thanks. Higher Ed ESOL Prof -no lesson prep for me… but I DO have my reading list for the next several (10-12) hours! All suggestions added to the original post are appreciated.

I am a huge fan of Google resources, but you have showed me some new ways I can use these. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for some great ideas! I have another suggestion that I have used before- my students really liked it- a collaborative Google Slides presentation. I did this for types of organic molecules as an intro to organic chemistry. Each pair of students in the class was assigned a specific molecule to research. They had to create 1 slide with some specific information and add to a collaborative google slides presentation that I shared on Google Classroom. When the slideshow was complete, they could all access it, and they used it to take notes.

Great suggestion Susan! Thanks so much for sharing this idea.

I am wondering if I can find similar google instructions to send to my students now that we are teaching remotely and 90% of them probably don’t know how to use Google. This would be a fantastic use of their time. Thank you

Take a look at Jenn’s Google Drive Basics video course ! I think it’s got what you’re looking for – it’s for teachers and students!

I am thinking about doing a Rap Challenge in which they (as teams based on which class period they are in) create lyrics using WWII vocabulary we have used.

I create raps for my students and my though was that I would take parts of ALL of their submissions and create a WWII rap to add to the collection they have heard already.

Which of the Google Drive features would be my best bet for collaboration like that while the students are all working from home?

Hi Jim! I think this could be done in Google Docs pretty easily, as they are just writing a script, correct? If you want to share video or audio, you can just put these files into a shared folder in Drive and give all students access to those files. I hope this helps!

Amazing ideas

An innovative way to eliminate paper.

Hi! I love this site. I am beginning to use technology in my higehr education classroom. Could you help me to suggest some kind of game to use in Communication Skilss? Thanks a lot

Hi! Check out our Gamification Pinterest board and see what might be relevant. Hope this helps!

I’m a college student (who is now a nanny which brought me to this page) and for the screen recording, I highly reccomend Loom over Screencastify. In my experience using both during the remote learning period, the video quality is much higher on Loom, the user interface is easier, and you can’t edit Screencastify videos in an external editor like iMovie. (I had to do a group presentation and since partner lived in Kuwait we used this vs Zoom, etc. to record the presentation since we weren’t recording at the same time. It was very difficult to figure out how to merge our parts of the presentation into a single file.)

Also with screencastify the time limit per video on the free version (5 min I think) was frustrating as my work was longer. May not be a problem for students but for educators using the tool who don’t have the premium, this could be highly inconvenient. With Loom there isn’t a time limit.

What an adventure for me, who’s relatively new to this google drive thing. Mind blowing resources. It’s amazing. I’m excited as to what I can do with and in google drive. I’m definitely taking it one day at a time, will surely enjoy this ‘CRUISE’. Thank you Jennifer.

What does it mean to type I am from Germany?

Hi Flannery! It can mean a few different things depending on the context–either typing on a keyboard or the “kind” of something (“What type of ice cream do you like?”). We’d love to give a specific answer, so please let us know which part of the post or which comment you saw that you’d like more clarification on. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing these ideas. July 2021

I love all the awesome ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. This post had so many options to choose from and some that I personally loved when I was in school. There are so many different ways to make learning fun with technology!

So glad you enjoyed the post!

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8 Fun Assignments for Students

As the school year winds down, you may find it challenging to keep your students engaged. Adding new, fun assignment ideas into the mix may be exactly what you and your students need in the homestretch. Let’s check out 8 assignments for students that can be easily added to your lessons, no matter what grade level you teach.

Assignment Ideas for Students That They Will Enjoy

1. take it outside.

Moving any lesson outside, particularly on a beautiful spring day, can be a fabulous way to brighten up everyone’s spirits (yours included!). For starters, science lessons can take place outdoors: observing plants, animals, or insects in their natural habitats, collecting water samples to examine under a microscope, identifying micro-ecosystems near school grounds, and much more.

If you’d like to try something a little different, you could host a social-studies-based lesson in the form of a community walk. Younger students can take note of the important parts of their community (fire hall, police station, library.) and then draw and write about what they saw once they get back to class. You can have students complete the assignment outside in the schoolyard, time and weather permitting. Older students can also do a walkabout as a class, perhaps with a specific goal in mind: What have you observed in the community that promotes health? How is the community designed, from the perspective of a city planner? Students can then write about, or develop a presentation of their observations and analysis.

2. Bring a story to life

Whether it’s a beloved storybook that your first-grade students can’t get enough of or a classic novel or short story about a social issue that appeals to your high school students, taking the action from the page to a production can be a memorable, fun assignment. Students can develop mini-plays (or lengthier ones, depending on your time constraints) based on a book.

You can assign a specific part of the book to small groups to re-enact, or student groups can choose their favorite part to act out. No need to worry about repetitiveness here—students are naturally creative and will likely put their own flair on their sections of the story.

This assignment idea for students gets them thinking about a book or story from different angles, promotes teamwork, and provides a low-pressure way to practice speaking and presentation skills. The best part is that students will remember this activity for years to come because it’s a creative break from the ordinary routines that they’re used to.

You could also try out this idea for a reenactment of a historical event or a famous scientific discovery—again, the options are plentiful for this think-outside-the-box idea.

4. Debate this

Incorporating respectful debate into your classroom can benefit students in any grade level, and in any subject area.

To get started, be sure to review the rules for debates (adjusted for your students’ grade level, of course), provide resources for information, give them a little practice time, and then have at it. As the teacher, you’ll act as a moderator. Younger students can debate light topics such as the best ice cream flavor, or the pros and cons of an extra recess every day. Older students can debate social issues, school policies such as dress codes, or any school-appropriate hot-button issue of the day.

5. The artist’s corner

You can incorporate art into any subject as well. The zen quality of intricately detailed coloring pages appeals to all ages and you’ll have students working on important skills such as hand-eye coordination, small motor functions, stress relief, and creativity.

Another project may involve having the entire class contribute a major art piece on a giant sheet of canvas or paper. Perhaps students can create a detailed mountain range, a city complete with businesses and roadways, or a vibrantly colored map of the world or a particular country.

Another option is to assigned students a certain ‘puzzle piece’ of a large picture. You can do this by marking off equal-sized squares on a big sheet of paper and breaking down a landscape or picture into sections. Each student can add their own skill and creativity, and it’s a great lesson on how each member of the class contributes to the big picture—both literally and figuratively!

6. Model behavior

Consider having students develop models in order to illustrate a concept. Younger kids will have a blast creating a model town (or one of their school!) out of milk cartons and small boxes (I did this as a sixth-grader myself, and it was seriously a lot of fun). Students can also create a historical place in the same way, whether it’s a specific landmark or a historically accurate fort or village.

For science lessons, have students make a model of an eyeball, heart, or any other body part or system. Blending creativity with technical knowledge will solidify the concept you’re teaching, and kids will be so engrossed in their work that time will fly by for everyone.

7. Student teachers

Every kid in your class will have something they’re passionate about—whether it’s a sport or game, a specific skill, a treasured hobby, or an area of history or science that they’ve read up on out of interest. Have students choose a topic or activity that they can teach the rest of the class, and then let them do just that. Frame this assignment as workshops put on by student “experts,” and consider doing a few each day until everyone has had a turn.

Bonus: These presentations may inspire kids to pick up a brand-new interest, or students may realize that they have a kindred spirit in the room in the form of shared interests.

8. Room for improvement

Have your class brainstorm (either as a whole or in groups) ways to improve their school or larger community. Narrow down ideas so that they’re feasible, help students carry out their plans, and then engage in a reflection either in the form of a conversation or a more formal written piece.

Track the ways that the improvement has helped—students will feel pride in actually making things better. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Picking up litter around the school or local community
• Volunteering time or putting on a performance at a nursing home
• Teaching younger students about anti-bullying methods or the environment
• Brightening up space in the community or school with art
• Establishing a free library (look up ‘little free libraries’ — they’re awesome!)

Your students will probably come up with some creative ideas that you’d never considered yourself, from areas they’ve observed that could use some kind of improvement to ideas for how to make things better for everyone .

This type of assignment naturally lends itself to a health or social studies class, but don’t discount the other subject areas. How can we use science or math to improve our surroundings? How can we use math to quantify the effectiveness of our improvements, or to budget if we need to? How can we bring physical education to the community and encourage healthy lifestyle choices?

Discover Some Fun!

The key to adding in some memorable, fun assignments for students is to think about what gets kids moving and excited to learn. Often, this will look like students expressing themselves and/or making a real difference, or both simultaneously. See what your kids are capable of, and have fun doing it!

This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

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How To Organize Assignments So You Never Miss A Due Date Again

If you aren’t a pro at organizing your assignments for school, I guarantee you will be after this! One of the first things a student should do before school starts is to make sure that they have a reliable way to organize their assignments. This is why I’m going to teach you how to organize assignments so you never miss a due date again!

Putting all of your assignments for the semester in at least ONE place will actively remind you of your due dates so you don’t ever forget them. I will go through some of the most popular methods to organize your assignments as well as let you know which method I prefer the best.

How To Organize Your Assignments As A Student

The three major ways you can organize your assignments include using a school planner app, using a physical planner, and using Google Calendar. All of these methods have their benefits and drawbacks, but they all have been proven to work and I know you will find the perfect method for you.

myHomework App

One of my favorite apps for college students is myHomework ! It is the ultimate app for organizing your assignments. You all do not understand how life-changing this one app was when I discovered it during my freshman year! Because of myHomework, I never missed an assignment due date. The best part is that it’s extremely easy to use! Check out the tutorial video below.

how to organize with myhomework:

• Download the app from your app store
• Create a free account
• Color code each class
• Put in what times you will take that class
• What type of assignment it is
• Priority level (how important/urgent it is to get it done)
• Reminders (so you don’t forget to actually do it)
• Attach any additional files (instructions, deadline timeline, etc.)
• And completing an assignment is as easy as swiping to the left and poof💨 it’s gone!

This is by far my favorite method because after you set everything, you’re done! Unlike a physical planner where you have to constantly refer to what you wrote, with this app, you can get automated notifications and reminders for each assignment. Spend a day before the semester begins to take a couple of hours to import all of your assignments. Seriously focus on customizing exactly how you want (reminders, priority level, etc). Once you’re done, you will have a complete look at every single assignment you will need to complete and any additional information right at your fingertips. It’s simple, straightforward, and reliable.

Why it works:

• Built-in structure for organizing classes and assignments
• See monthly, weekly, and daily views of assignments that you need to complete
• Your data can sync across multiple platforms
• Supports time-block and period-based schedules
• It’s 100% free

Related Article ⇾ The Best Essential iPhone Apps For Students

Planner Method

Another way to make sure you keep track of your assignments is to have a physical planner. This is the old-school way that still gets the job done. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are new planners with different and cool features popping up constantly. There’s a reason why… Planners work when you make them work! The steps for this method are very similar to the steps you would use with the myHomework app.

• Go through each syllabus and write the classes you will be taking (in the notes section of your planner)
• I would also highlight them in a particular color and write the days and times that you will take these classes
• Write down every single assignment that you will have to turn in throughout the semester on its due date
• Add in every quiz and test day as well as the day you will have to take them

Now the next thing you need to do is create reminders. As far as reminding you when things are due, there are many options:

• You can write reminders in your planner. If you have all of your due dates in your monthly view (as I instructed and recommended above), you can then use the daily or weekly view to insert reminders weekly of assignments/quizzes/projects/tests coming up.
• If you have all of your due dates in your planner, you can couple this method with using your phone for reminders. Using apps such as Google Calendar or the regular Calendar app can help you get instant reminders to work on assignments and study for tests.

I will have a post all about the best college planners soon! I have tried countless planners. So, I can’t wait to share what has worked a lot for me and how it can help you as well. So stay tuned by signing up for my email list to know when that post will be live!

• You’re more likely to remember things when you write them down
• Complete freedom in organizing and being creative with your planning
• You don’t have to worry about not having wifi

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a God-send. I prefer this method right now in my daily life because it helps me stay organized and informed of my schedule at ALL times!! I have a complete tutorial on how I set up and organize my Google Calendar so I will have that linked below. But I want to give some great tips in this article as well for organizing your classes and assignments!

Related Article ⇾ How To Time-Block Your Life For Success

Google Calendar has an incredible feature that allows you to create different calendars. For example, I have a calendar that’s strictly for work-related things, I have one for getting random things done, which is appropriately named “Getting Sh*t Done”, and even a calendar strictly for family things. I can also subscribe family members to the “family” one so we all know what is going on.

Color coding helps keep everything more organized as well. Different colors mean different calendars. Choosing brighter colors can be for the more important calendars such as work and appointments and dimmer colors can be for more routine things.

How to apply this method to your classes:

• This allows you to color-code your classes to differentiate every class and their assignments
• This blends every class together, but you will be able to determine what’s school-related and what is not related to school in your schedule
• This helps you see a clear difference between when you have classes when things are due, and when you will work on the things that are due (study time)
• Complete organization of classes and assignments

Final Things To Consider

Choose what works for you. I like to give different options because I know everyone is different. What works for me might not work for you. So try one way of organizing your assignments. If it doesn’t work out, no biggie, just move on to a new method. The goal is to keep trying until you find that magic formula that helps you stay on top of your school life.

Don’t wait to import your assignments. This is a major pro tip. There was a time one of my professors added a random assignment that we had to complete that semester and I forgot to put it in the myHomework app, so I missed it 🥴 lol… This is why I encourage you to always put things in your planner when your teacher announces any extra assignments or extra credit opportunities that may not have been on the syllabus – right when it’s announced . Otherwise, you will most likely forget. Also, check out my post about how you can get every assignment, even new/random ones automatically imported into your Google Calendar if your school uses Canvas.

Related Article ⇾ How To Sync Your Canvas Calendar To Your Google Calendar

Lastly, make sure you insert reminders for every assignment. In the case that you do forget about a due date, you have enough time to complete it because you placed a reminder for that assignment. Whether you’re super busy or not, we constantly forget things throughout the day and it’s important to have that sort of virtual “personal assistant” to remind us of things. So use your phone to your advantage and make sure you keep track of your due dates.

Many classes, especially in college, won’t allow you to turn in anything late. Which makes organizing your assignments and due dates that much more important!

If you have any other ways that you organize your assignments and due dates, please leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear how you organize your class dates. I hope you’ve found some awesome ways how to organize assignments in a way that works for you!

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This is great advice! I’m looking into these tools, I think they will help a lot. Thank you 🙂

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The 5 Best Homework Help Websites (Free and Paid!)

Other High School , General Education

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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30 Virtual School Activities That Students & Educators Love

Written by Laney Kennedy

• Teaching Activities

• Virtual learning games & apps for online learning
• Traditional learning activities to bring online
• Fun virtual field trips to try
• Virtual first day of school activities
• More ways to make virtual school fun

As a teacher, you know better than anyone how much the past year has transformed learning. And although our circumstances will continue to change, virtual learning is still a reality for many students and teachers.

No matter what teaching looks like this year, building a sense of community is so important for you and your students, especially if they’re learning at home . 

But with hundreds of virtual teaching platforms to choose from, how do you make sure your students are getting the best resources to learn and grow — and have fun while doing it?

We’ll help you narrow it down with a complete list of 30 virtual school activities for students of all ages. Whether you teach elementary school, middle school or high school, this list has your remote learning needs covered!

Try these virtual learning games & apps for online learning

Learning outside of the classroom can be easy and fun with these virtual school must-haves. Use these free virtual resources to engage students online and make your virtual classroom feel like home.

1. Prodigy Math Game

Price: Free. The optional Premium Membership provides extra in-game features for students and additional tools for parents, starting at $4.99 USD per student, per month. 

In or out of the classroom, math games are a great way to keep students excited about learning math — even when it comes down to tricky concepts. 

With Prodigy Math Game , you can keep math class fun wherever students are!

As your students create unique characters, explore virtual worlds, collect pets and enjoy all the fun in-game adventures Prodigy offers , they’ll also answer curriculum-aligned math questions . Plus, Prodigy’s adaptive algorithm is built to meet students where they are, so they’ll receive questions that match their progress level.  

Use your free teacher account to create a classroom and:

• View in-depth data on student and class progress 
• Create Assessments that align with your lesson plans
• Differentiate in-game content based on individual student needs

Parents can also sign up for their own account to view and support their child’s progress and motivate them even more!

Ready to make math an adventure this year?

Make learning fun, adaptive and insightful

There's no cost to you or your students and Prodigy is fully aligned with state standards for grades 1-8 math and grades 1-6 English.

P.S. Check out these free resources to help you use Prodigy in your virtual classroom!

• How to use Prodigy to fight summer learning loss
• How to use Prodigy in your everyday virtual teaching strategies
• How to benchmark student progress with Prodigy’s Test Prep tool

Price: Free or paid versions, with education plans for schools and classrooms. 

In the past year, Zoom has become a close friend to many of us. And it’s no wonder! 

Zoom is a reliable and accessible way to engage your class with virtual teaching. Use it to:

• Host online classes with video and screen sharing
• Engage your classroom with online polls, breakout rooms and virtual chats
• Host zoom games where students can join the fun from home or at school!

P.S. Want to add some pizzazz to your next online lesson? Try one of these custom Prodigy Zoom backgrounds !

3. Flipgrid

Price: Free

Come up with discussions that really get your class talking! Flipgrid offers over 35,000 conversation starters to spark student creativity. Students can respond to each prompt with their own videos, which are displayed on the response board for the rest of the class to see.

The best part? It’s filled with fun editing resources so students can add animations, emojis and text to create fun videos they can be proud of.

TEDEd was specifically designed to celebrate student and teacher ideas. 

You’ll find free online lessons in tons of subjects — including Earth School , where students watch videos, answer quizzes and complete quests to learn more about the natural world. 

Plus, the TEDEd program lets students create their very own TED talks to share what they’re passionate about with the rest of the class!

5. Google Classroom 

Encourage virtual teamwork with your one-stop-shop for lessons, assignments and class discussions. 

Google Classroom provides access to:

• Google Meet — Host video lessons and presentations online. 
• Google Forms — Host surveys and quizzes for your class to fill out.
• Google Calendar — Keep track of lessons and give students insight into the structure of their day. 
• Google Slides — Present lessons in a presentation format and include visuals to keep your class engaged.

Price: Free for the basic plan, with optional paid teacher or school plans starting at $10 USD per month. 

Start meaningful conversations and encourage student engagement with the online platform that “creates a powerful learning loop between students, teachers, and families.” 

With Seesaw, students have a digital space to share their thoughts and give you insight on how they’re learning. Plus, you can keep families in the loop with an exclusive space for home-to-school connections. 

7. YouTube Kids 

Price : Free

The good old days of TV stands on wheels are long behind us. Now, students can watch fun, educational videos no matter where they are!

YouTube Kids was built with kids in mind. This means the video content you choose to share with your class will always be safe and appropriate for their age group. 

Have students download the app or watch directly on their browsers, then assign them videos on art, science and everything in between!

Price : Free for the basic plan, with optional subscription plans starting at $8 USD per member, per month. 

See new ideas spark and virtual collaboration happen right in front of your eyes — and add a pop of color to make the day a little brighter.

Miro is an online whiteboard that lets your class collaborate through tables, flowcharts, sticky notes and more. Perfect for brainstorms or team projects ! 

Virtual learning can never be dull when you have this many fun effects and templates to choose from! 

Whether you’re using it for lessons or encouraging students to create their own, Prezi makes online presentations easy and fun with plenty of design resources and a user-friendly interface. 

Create presentation decks, videos, infographics, maps and more. Let student creativity take over and see the amazing results!

Ready to make learning an exciting adventure?

Boost engagement in your classroom with two captivating standards-aligned learning games for math and English!

6 Traditional learning activities to bring online 

In today’s digital world, virtual learning is more prevalent than ever. But that doesn’t mean we should say goodbye to our favorite in-class activities!

Here’s how to transform classic school activities into online activities that are perfect for distance learning. 

1. Digital escape rooms

No room needed! Bring this classic team-building activity online and transform your classroom or students' homes into haunted houses, pirate ships or even the North Pole! 

Try these: 

• Virtual Escaping rooms
• 20+ Free digital escape rooms 
• Build your own escape room through Google Forms

2. Two Truths and a Lie

Put a spin on this classic icebreaker game through online polls, presentation decks, or quiz platforms like Kahoot! . Compile student submissions into a quiz format. Then have them vote on each other’s options and see the submissions on-screen right away.

You can also use this game to supplement lessons. For example, add two truths and a lie questions during activities that review science concepts or historical figures. 

3. Virtual journal writing

Instead of daily journal entries on paper, encourage virtual journal submissions through an online platform like Google Docs. 

Or, take it to the next level and start a classroom blog . Students can compile their entries and reflect on each others’ submissions, then look back on their great work at the end of the year.

4. Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Create a checklist to bring your scavenger hunt online. Then have your students submit pictures to check items off the list.

Your list can include:

• Items they can find around their home ( find 3 items that have stripes )
• Information they can find online ( when was the telephone invented?)
• Information about one another ( find a classmate who is left handed )

Host one big scavenger hunt, or provide one daily checklist item for them to find by the end of the day.

5. Read aloud videos

Record yourself reading a book out loud, then send the video to your students and have them listen during class time. Or find author read alouds that introduce students to the authors of their favorite books, so they can hear the stories straight from the source. 

6. Virtual brain breaks

Brain breaks are an effective way to keep kids energized and ready to learn more. And there are so many options for online brain breaks! 

• Videos that encourage activity (like an action song or yoga video ) 
• Online games (try assigning five minutes of Prodigy time between class tasks)
• Fun discussion topics that prompt online chats (Ex. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?)

Take one of these exciting virtual field trips

Even if they don’t happen in person, field trips can still be informative, exciting and hands-on! In fact, virtual field trips may be even better, because you can visit places that are hundreds or even thousands of miles away! 

Here’s how to encourage classroom community building and bring your students to brand new places, without ever leaving your home or classroom. 

1. Virtual zoo or aquarium

Lions and tigers and bears … and penguins and sharks and monkeys! Oh my!

A virtual zoo visit is super fun for younger students, or a great way for students of any age to learn more about animals and their habitats. 

• Videos from the San Diego Zoo
• Live cams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• 3D animals to turn students’ homes into their own zoo!

2. Virtual national park tours 

Your class can visit some of the most famous parks and learn more about nature without even stepping outside! Use Parks Through Your Screen to explore different parks and see them from a brand new perspective.   

3. Virtual walking trails

Let your class explore mountains, trails, forests or even the pyramids! These virtual walking tours from across the globe provide an exciting online escape along with plenty of learning opportunities.

4. Ellis Island tour

Provide students with a hands-on history lesson through this interactive online tour of the historic Ellis Island . They’ll find stories, photos and notable facts at each stop. 

4. Museums and art galleries 

Some of the most well-known galleries in the world offer amazing online exhibits anyone can enjoy. 

• The Louvre online tours 
• Google arts & culture collections
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art online

6 Virtual back to school activities for the first day of the school year

Back to school is the best time of year ! And there are so many ways to make your first day of school activities welcoming and fun, whether they’re online or in person. 

1. Play virtual ice breaker games 

On the first day of school, it’s important for classmates to get to know one another, and for you to get to know them! 

Ask icebreaker questions through online chats, play virtual games (like two truths and a lie) or have students create quick online profiles that feature fun or important facts about them. 

2. Set expectations

Whether learning is remote, hybrid or in-person, it’s important that students know your classroom expectations and where to find everything they need. 

Make sure to: 

• Share your digital class schedule
• Let students know the best way to ask questions online
• Communicate classroom rules (try using Bitmojis to keep things light and fun!)

3. Send fun virtual questionnaires

Give students fun questions that will help them find out what they have in common and build community for the rest of the school year. 

Ask questions like:

• What’s your favorite movie?
• What’s your favorite thing about school? 
• What’s one thing you want to try this year?

Send them through fun online questionnaires through Google Forms, or create storyboards in Miro to display responses. Don’t forget to share your answers too!

4. Design virtual lockers 

Use a fun Bitmoji template and have students create virtual lockers to display their personal style or show off their favorite things. To take it a step further, create a whole virtual classroom where students can customize their own space.

5. Share summer stories

Encourage your class to get creative and talk about what they did during the summer in whatever way they’d like. 

This could be:

• Digital art
• Presentations

Or anything else they can think of!

6. Send out student learning surveys

Once you’ve shared your expectations for them, let students share theirs, too!

Send an online survey to each student asking questions like:

• How do you learn best?
• What’s your favorite way to learn?
• What questions do you have for me? 
• What do you want to learn the most this year?

We couldn’t forget these activities! Here are a few more ways to make your online classroom awesome. 

1. Encourage socialization 

Social emotional learning is critical for student success. 

And the best way to help students practice their social emotional skills? Provide them with plenty of opportunities to socialize and collaborate in fun, easy ways. 

• Assign social emotional learning activities online
• Have frequent breakout rooms for students to socialize in small groups
• Create a collaborative class playlist on Spotify or listen to music as a class
• Hold regular discussions with the whole class and allow students to use chat functions or speak out loud

2. Hold virtual morning meetings

Have a daily check-in with morning meetings where you and your students can share feelings, thoughts and ideas for the day. Then go through your schedule and make sure everyone has all the online resources they’ll need.

3. Host theme days

Have regular theme days where the class wears a certain color or accessory, or dresses as a specific character. 

For example, create a “color of the week” where every Friday, students wear as much of a specific color as they can find. Then let them show off their outfits in your online classroom! 

Get the most out of your virtual classroom

Online teaching can be a tough balance. But with such a wide range of virtual school activities to choose from, there’s no shortage of fun your class can have while they learn! 

Add a few of these activities to your online lesson plans to help students learn, play and collaborate — no matter where they are!

Looking for an online activity to supplement your math lessons?

Prodigy can help make learning math fun! 

Assign curriculum-aligned math questions that match learning progress and grade levels , easily track student data , and provide your students with a fun way to practice math online — all while they embark on new adventures and battle friends to win rewards! 

Create an Assessment for your Prodigy classroom today to keep students on track and differentiate for individual learning needs. 

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15 Checklist, Schedule, and Planner Templates for Students

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Why Checkboxes Are Excel's Most Underrated Feature

I've found the perfect to-do list app for my needs: here's why it's amazing, yes, you can convert pdf to excel—without third-party software.

Templates are extremely useful for business documents, but for students they can be lifesavers.

You have enough to think about during the school year, so using a template can save a ton of time. Put your mind on your classes and use these helpful checklist and planning templates for the rest.

1. Homework Checklist

For a plain and simple homework checklist, this template from TeacherVision is great for younger students, but can work for any age. Each subject is in its own spot with days of the week and check boxes to mark off as you complete assignments.

2. Printable Homework Planner

This next homework planner from TidyForm lets you easily plan your assignments for each day of the week and even the weekend. Instead of listing out the subjects, you can enter them yourself for the day and include details with due dates for each.

Note: you will need a PDF editor to make changes to the template on your computer.

3. Homework Schedule

Another planner from TidyForm breaks down your days into time blocks. Each hour slot is along the left side of the sheet with the seven days of the week across the top. This one is great for assignments, but you could use it for class schedules or work shifts to plan your entire week ahead of time.

It is a basic template, but a useful one.

4. Class Schedule and Planner

If you need a more detailed planner, this schedule is intended for classes. However, it can also be used for more. It uses time blocks like the TidyForm planner, but breaks them down into increments that you choose. Adjust the start time and interval minutes and the sheet automatically updates. You can add your classes, pop in your homework time, and add shifts for work all in one place.

5. Assignment Schedule

This template from Vertex42 is another with time blocks in 30-minute increments. And, this one has even more detail. On one side of the template, you can list out classes with assignments, dates, and times.

On the other side, you can add your class schedule or plan your homework and projects. The workbook also includes a Homeschool tab for parents homeschooling their children. Overall, it's a good dual-purpose option.

6. Multiple-Task Planner

If you are a OneNote user, check out this option from OneNoteGem. You can quickly fill out subjects and assignments for five days of the week. This is ideal for classes that have many tasks on the same day.

For example, you may need to work on a group project, research a paper, and finish an assignment in one day. The template has a good amount of room for those to-dos.

7. Student Notebook

Also, for OneNote you can download an entire student notebook template. Just scroll further down on the OneNoteGem templates page for this option.

What's nice about this template is that the notebook includes sections for planners, five classes, and research along with note-taking tips.

8. Class Schedule

For a neat and flexible class schedule template, this one is available for Excel, OpenOffice, and Google Sheets. It is basic with time slots broken into 15-minute increments on one tab and 30-minute increments on another. Plus, it includes seven days of the week, unlike many others. For college students, this is a terrific class schedule template.

9. Student Planner

With a student planner that lists your subjects by week, you can stay on track every single day. Vertex42 has two templates to pick from that offer different layouts.

One option has the subjects down the left side with days of the week across the top. The other template is the reverse of that. Each has spots for to-dos and notes and is available for either Excel or as a PDF.

10. All-in-One Schedule and Budget

For an all-in-one workbook for college, this Excel template has sheets for classes per term, course credits, a college budget, and textbooks. You can keep everything in one place. You can also track your overall progress and your current GPA.

11. Student Calendar

Another planner from Microsoft Office is this 12-month student calendar. There is a tab for each month, spots for a weekly schedule, and a section for assignments. The year cell is editable making it reusable for your entire college career.

This template makes planning study time and homework a breeze.

12. Dorm Room Checklist

If you are heading to a dorm room for college, there is no better way to make sure you have everything than with this checklist template. You can add box numbers for packing and checks when you pack the items.

The template gives you sections such as kitchen supplies, electronics, computer equipment, safety items, and more.

13. Back to School Checklist

For parents with kids in elementary or middle school, this checklist is perfect for back-to-school time. One column has tasks to take care of like verifying immunizations and obtaining a school supply list. The second column has items to purchase from clothes and a backpack to school supplies.

If you have a youngster getting ready for a new school year, this is the template for you.

14. College Budget

When you need to keep an eye on your college budget, this template is just for it. The top section is for your funding and income with the bottom for your expenses. The most common types of college-related items are included, making this a convenient template for college students.

15. Monthly College Budget

This monthly budget tracker from Microsoft Office gives you a simple way to view your cash flow. You can glance at the pie charts at the top to get an overview of your income and expenses by month. Change the values below to add your items and the charts change automatically.

It's one simple sheet with everything you need to budget each month.

Time for Class!

For classes, assignments, budgeting, supplies, course credits, and all that goes with these things, make sure you are prepared when the bell rings or classroom door closes. Now that you have these 15 awesome template options, you are on your way to starting the school year off right.

You might also check out these essential Windows apps for students to help with school.

Image Credits: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

• Productivity
• Planning Tool

7 best student planner apps

The best apps to help students keep track of classes, homework, due dates, quizzes, and more.

Thad Thompson Jan 21, 2022

12 min read

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If you're a student, you need a system to organize classwork, exams, and life in general. And it's true, there is an app for everything. But there are lots of apps for planning and time management. Which ones make effective school planner apps?

When deciding on a planner app, you should obviously look for one with features most relevant to your life and your schedule. It should have a distinct purpose. And It shouldn't be thought of as a one-size-fits all productivity app . Here are the qualities to look for in a good student planner app:

Visually clean user experience vs. info-dense

Highly customizable vs. highly structured

Integrated with other apps vs. self-contained, with all the features you'll need in one place

Specialized for students vs. transferrable to post-school life

Here, you can check out just a few of the best school planners currently available. Each is highly rated, affordable, and, in several cases, geared specifically toward school and study. And they’re easy to find. Most are available in the Apple App Store or Google Play store for use on your iPhone, iPad, Android, or other smartphone.

7 great planner apps for high school and college students

Android, iOS, and desktop: Free with paid upgrades available

Todoist is a project planner and to-do list all in one. Used by companies like Amazon and Disney, and made for everyone from students to executives, Todoist is an app that can carry you through school and beyond.

Although you can pay to upgrade, the free version offers more than most students are likely to need. Todoist includes features that help you: 

 Enter important details or to-dos in a note-taking section before you forget them

Set up projects for each class and any other activities or hobbies you're involved in

Add "next action" items, so you can always look ahead to your next assignment

Cross items off your checklist without losing them for good

Other helpful features include due dates for individual tasks and reminders that pop up on your phone or email. You can customize every feature, so you won't get lots of notifications without asking for them.

Todoist also allows you to label tasks. You can label by priority, context (laptop work, library, etc.), or any other system you want to create. You can also indicate recurring tasks, like weekly quizzes, so you never miss an assignment.

2. Microsoft To Do

Android, iOS, and desktop: Free with Microsoft account

A reworking of the long-appreciated Wunderlist, Microsoft To Do has continued to evolve its features to make it stand out in the field of student planner apps.

One feature that stands out in To Do is that things you didn't check off from previous days stay in the “Yesterday” box. That way you can specifically choose which items to transfer to "My day," and plan a better time for those that won't fit in today's schedule.

To Do allows you to sort tasks into basic lists that you set up, such as "Work," "Home," or "Lab." You can then add subtasks to the items on each list. For example, if your list includes, "Presentation for econ class," create subtasks for "Brainstorm subjects," "Find sources," or other project milestones. 

To Do also includes some features that will please visually oriented people. Dark mode is helpful if you're reviewing your day just before sleep or when you first wake up in the morning. You can also change the background for each list, with lots of modern and inspiring designs.

3. Calendly

iOS, Android, and desktop: Free with additional features available on paid plans

Calendly simplifies scheduling with groups and individuals. As group projects have become the new normal, you’ll likely have to set up plenty of meetings with groups and individuals during the course of your time as a student. You can save a lot of time by scheduling and managing those meetings with Calendly.

Here's how it works:

Connect Calendly with your digital calendar, like Google Calendar , Outlook , and others.

Create a meeting request.

Set the parameters. For example, you can let recipients see your availability, so they can pick a day and time, or you can set a day and time and they can either accept it or request a different time.

Select recipients and send.

Calendly will gather responses from the people you want to meet with, and you'll have a meeting set up without the long texting thread that's usually required.

Other helpful features include the options of Round Robin or collective scheduling on the paid plans. If others share their availability, Calendly will show times that work for everyone, so you can pick. Or, you can use its Meeting Polls feature to let people vote on proposed times before setting your meeting . Also, you can set reminders both for yourself and for those who agreed to meet with you.

Calendly streamlines setting up meetings, so you can free up your time and attention for classes and other responsibilities.

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Ready to make scheduling easier than ever?

4. iStudiez Pro

Android, iOS, and desktop: Free with available paid Full Version upgrade 

iStudiez Pro is one of the highest-rated planner apps designed just for students. Enter your class schedule including the professor's name, contact info, and office hours. Then, you can color code your classes and use icons to make it visually interesting and easy to scan.

"Week view" allows you to plan your time and get ready for upcoming classes. "Day view" shows you tasks and scheduled items for today. For each class, you can add assignments, their due dates, and specific tasks associated with them.

If you upgrade to the Full Version of iStudiez Pro, you can even get a regular update on your GPA. As you receive graded assignments back, enter the grade and point value. iStudiez will do the calculating for you with its GPA tracker. It keeps this info from semester to semester, so you can keep the big picture in mind.

5. myHomework

Android, iOS, and desktop: Free or $4.99 per year for Premium

The myHomework student planner is a clean and simple planner app for education. Many teachers have already adopted it for e-learning or online instruction, but it's great for individual use as well.

It's formatted for several types of class scheduling, such as block, period, or time-based schedules. myHomework allows you to not only input assignments and add tasks required to complete them, it also allows for prioritizing and categorizing tasks, so you can focus on what's most needed at any given time. You can set reminders for upcoming due dates too, so you don’t miss deadlines by accident (or procrastination).

While you do need internet connectivity to sync with other devices, this homework app still has full functionality even when you're not connected to WiFi. The free version has plenty of great features, but the paid version of this homework planner lets you get rid of ads as well as share assignments, add file attachments to assignments, and switch out your theme.

6. Power Planner

Android, iOS, and desktop: Free with paid upgrade available

Power Planner is a well-established student planner app with many of the same features as myHomework and iStudiez, like entering your schedule, keeping track of your GPA, and viewing assignments and exams.

Though the app is full of useful features, one element that sets it apart from other similar apps is the responsiveness of the developer. Power Planner is updated regularly, offering continual improvements to its features.

The GPA calculator is more robust in this app compared to others, with its "What if?" feature, which calculates what scores you need on assignments to get an A in a class. It also includes notifications for due dates coming up. The paid version allows you to enter more grades and stores your GPA info from one semester to the next.

Android, iOS, and desktop: Free with multiple paid plans starting at $5, and an automatic student discount

ClickUp is the only productivity platform built to tackle everything from complex projects to your daily assignments, all in one screen. With hundreds of customizable features to organize documents, take notes, schedule due dates, and more, ClickUp is a great daily planner for students at every level.

ClickUp's flexible organizational Hierarchy is perfect for breaking down course loads into manageable tasks, subtasks, and Checklists. There are over 15 ways to visualize your schedule in ClickUp including a dynamic Calendar, List, and Everything view for a high-level look at all projects and deadlines. Plus, ClickUp's Home feature syncs with your favorite calendar app to present your classes, reminders, and messages conveniently alongside your upcoming tasks.

ClickUp was built to consolidate your work into one centralized hub that can be accessed virtually anywhere, even offline, from your phone, or on your Apple Watch. You can create detailed course notes, format drafts, and everything in between using ClickUp's built-in document editor, then export or share them in seconds with a simple URL.

Access its top daily planner features, ClickUp Docs, unlimited tasks, over 1,000 integrations, and more when you sign up for ClickUp's Free Forever Plan, and automatically save 25% on any paid plan for being a student.

3 tips for getting the most from your student planner app

In addition to finding a great app for students, these tips can help you increase your productivity and keep your schedule running smoothly. No matter which app you choose, you’ll get more out of it if you use it alongside smart planning practices.

1. Treat yourself to a semester review

At the beginning of each semester, set aside a couple of hours to prepare yourself and get everything organized in your app and in your head. Make it fun: Take yourself out for coffee, turn on your favorite music, and turn off your texting and other notifications. This is time to get in the zone.

Give yourself time to look through your new app's features and figure out the best way to use them (or customize them) for you. It's helpful to read reviews, as people will talk about the most useful features. It's also an easy way to learn how to use the app.

Gather your syllabi, work schedules, and any other pertinent calendar info. First, enter all your calendar info for the semester. This helps you understand what your weekly schedule will be like. Then create projects or enter assignments (and due dates) for any big projects  your professors already have planned.

For example, the class may require a video assignment due at the end of the semester. Create a task called "plan out video project," and set the due date for around the time you want to begin the project. You don't want to get bogged down in planning the details of all those projects during your semester review. If you stay focused on the big picture, you may have time for more specific project planning at the end of your review session.

This is also a good time to set goals for yourself. Do you want to turn in more assignments on time or participate more in class? Do you want to learn a new instrument or join a team? Get inspired about doing more than just making it through the semester. With a powerful school planner app on your side, this could be your best semester yet — and there's more to that than just getting good grades.

2. Add a weekly review to your calendar

To keep your planner system functional, you have to keep giving it attention. Set up a time every week — about 30 minutes to an hour — for reviewing your projects and planning out your weekly schedule. Make this appointment as set-in-stone as your class times, so you aren’t tempted to put it off.

You can use this time to input any grades you've received if you've chosen an app with a GPA-tracking feature. Make sure that for every project, assignment or exam, you've entered specific tasks to prepare for them as well. You don't want to just remember that you have something due. You want to have a plan for turning in your best work! 

This is also a great time to set up meetings you'll need for the week. Use an app like Calendly to send out requests for meetings, so you're not scrambling at the last minute to find a time when everyone can meet.

And don't forget to schedule some rest! One of the best ways to stay motivated and stick with your work is to know you have some quality fun time coming.

3. Plan daily check-ins

Every morning look over your daily schedule and your list of things to do. This usually doesn’t take more than five minutes, but it can do a lot to help you bring your best to the things that are important to you.

Improve your learning through great planning

Choosing the student planner app that’s right for you is a great way of keeping your mind focused and your grades high during the semester. A great app will help you stay on top of your classes and work, especially if you keep your app up-to-date with regular reviews. 

A great calendar app can also help you to make the most of the other aspects of your life, for a less stressful, more rewarding student experience. The world needs what you have to give, and these apps can help you give your best.

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Thad Thompson

Thad is a former Content Marketing Manager at Calendly. When not sharing scheduling and productivity insights, you’ll find him hiking trails with his family or thumping a bass with a power pop band.

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About Assignments LTI™

Assignments is an add-on application for learning management systems (LMSs) that helps you distribute, analyze, and grade student work with Google Workspace for Education.

Assignments makes Google Docs and Google Drive compatible with your LMS for file submissions. You can use Assignments to save time distributing and grading student work, and analyze student submissions with originality reports to ensure authenticity.

• It works with any LMS that supports LTI version 1.1, such as Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, and more.
• You can also use Assignments with LTI version 1.3 for Canvas and Schoology.
• Adding Assignments to your LMS might require assistance from your LMS administrator. If you have never set up an add-on application or external tool for your LMS, talk to your IT admin or LMS admin about setting up Assignments in Canvas , or another LMS, such as Schoology .
• If you use an account associated with your educational institution, terms may apply based on your organization's agreement with Google. If you don’t use a managed account, the Google Terms of Service may apply.
• At this time, Google Workspace Admin support for installation help and troubleshooting is only available for customers using Canvas . If you use a different LMS, help is available in the community forum .

To get the latest updates on Assignments, follow Google for Education Twitter and subscribe to the Google for Education blog .

Features and benefits of Assignments

Distribute personalized google drive templates and worksheets to students.

• Assign and collect virtually any file type, including Google Docs and Microsoft® Word files.
• Automatically distribute a personalized copy of assignment files for each student.
• Each distributed copy will be labeled with a student’s name and organized in a Drive folder.

Spot missed citations and possible plagiarism with originality reports

• Assess student work for originality without leaving your grading tool.
• Searches hundreds of billions of web pages and 40 million books.
• Help students learn to support their ideas by letting them scan their work for missed citations up to three times before submitting.
• For Google Workspace for Education Plus customers, originality reports will scan past student submissions for student-to-student matches within your school’s domain.

Save time grading while providing rich feedback

• Prevents students from editing their work while you grade.
• Grade with rubrics to keep grading consistent and transparent.
• Give rich feedback and suggestions on student work using the power of Google Docs, including margin comments, strikethroughs, and highlighting.
• Easily reuse frequent margin comments with a personalized comment bank.
• Grades save to the LMS gradebook.

Get started with Assignments

• Set up Assignments in Canvas
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High School Assignment Sparks Controversy for Asking Students to Answer ‘Is God Real?’

“This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level,” said a Skiatook High School student’s mother

A homework assignment ignited uproar online after a concerned parent shared a photo of the questions a teacher wanted her child to answer, including "Is God real?"

Oklahoma mother Olivia Gray posted her sophomore daughter Nettie Gray’s world history assignment from a Skiatook High School teacher on Facebook on Aug. 15, describing it as “some crazy s---.”

The assignment — titled “How did the world start?” — ended with two questions that raised concerns: “Is God real?” and “Is Satan real?”

“It’s being called a research paper,” Olivia wrote of the assignment, which asked students to provide sources using APA Style to support their answers. 

“This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level. Literally the kid had been in school ONE WEEK,” she concluded.

Many reacted to the assignment in the comments section of Olivia's Facebook post.

“This assignment is wrong on more than ten levels,” one person commented, while another wrote, “I’m stunned and horrified they are even being allowed to push or preach their own personal religion/religious bias like that onto students in a public school in the United States.”

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In a statement to area news outlet 2 News Oklahoma on Aug. 19, the school district addressed the situation.

“Skiatook Public Schools became aware of the World History assignment in question through a social media post,” the statement read. “Once administration reviewed the assignment, it was determined that the presentation of the material was not conducive to our instructional plan.”

“Administration and staff will continue to collaborate on best practices to meet the Oklahoma Academic Standards,” the statement added.

PEOPLE reached out to Skiatook Public Schools’ Superintendent Rick Loggins and Director of Curriculum Tim Buck for comment about the controversial assignment, but did not immediately hear back.

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Alabama high school football player dies after suffering head injury during game

Caden Tellier, the quarterback for Morgan Academy, died Saturday after suffering a brain injury in the Selma private school’s home opener Friday night, his family confirmed on social media.

His parents, Arsella Slagel Tellier and Jamie Tellier, posted on their Facebook pages Saturday evening that Caden had died. “Our boy, Caden Tellier has met Jesus face to face,” the post states. “We appreciate all of your prayers and we covet them for the hard days ahead.

More: Schools unite to mourn death of Morgan Academy quarterback Caden Tellier

“Everyone who knows Caden has known kindness, generosity and love, and true to his nature, he is giving of himself one more time. Lives have been touched by the way he lived and now lives will be saved through his passing. We will walk out these next few days alongside him in his earthly body knowing that his spirit is rejoicing in heaven.”

The post said arrangements for a service will be made soon.

Morgan was playing Southern Academy. The injury happened in the third quarter. Caden was airlifted to a Birmingham hospital.

More: Why are high school football players dying?

There was some confusion earlier in the day about his condition. Micheal McLendon, director of the Alabama Independent Schools Association posted on the AISA Facebook page that Caden had died. After about an hour, that post was taken down and a post was published that said he was in critical condition with a brain injury.

McLendon confirmed that Morgan Academy is “suspending” all school activities in the coming week.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at [email protected].

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After-school activities / Playground Kannelmäki

After-school activities in basic education are organised after the school day for 1st- and 2nd-graders and pupils requiring special-needs support. The application period for the activities is in the spring. First-graders and pupils requiring special-needs support are given priority in the allocation of places.

After-school activities provide the child with meaningful activities after the school day in a safe environment, at school or near the school. The activities include playing and spending time with peers, daily outdoor activities and exercise, as well as small excursions to the surrounding area.

After-school activities are subject to a fee, which includes a snack and insurance. The monthly fee is EUR 100 for activities ending at 16.00 and EUR 120 for activities ending at 17.00. You can apply for reduction of or exemption from the fee based on your income.

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Valid for the time being: - Mon-Fri 12.00-16.00

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• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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43 Awesome Team-Building Activities for Kids

Build trust and community in your classroom.

Looking for great ways to help students learn to work together, listen carefully, communicate clearly, and think creatively? Try some of these awesome team-building activities for kids. They’re a super way to give your students the chance to get to know one another, build trust as a community, and, best of all, have fun!

1. Seeing Spots

The Teacher Dish: Brain Break Dots via theteacherdish.blogspot.com

For this activity, you’ll place a colored sticker dot (blue, red, green, or yellow) on each student’s forehead without them knowing what color it is. When the game begins, each “team” of students (with the same color) must find each other— without speaking. This is a wonderful team-building activity because it encourages non-verbal communication and cooperation.

2. Elbow Pass

Looking for team-building activities for kindergarten kids? This silly activity helps them make new friends and learn to work together. Not only do they get to work on hand-eye coordination, they are looking each other in the eye and having a laugh together.

3. Common Thread

Fun 365/Team-Building Banner via fun365.orientaltrading.com

Divide students into groups of four and have them sit together in these small groups. Give each group five minutes to chat among themselves and find something they all have in common. It could be that they all play soccer, or pizza is their favorite dinner, or they each have a kitten. Whatever the common thread, the conversation will help them get to know one another better. Check in with the groups after five minutes to see if they need more time. After each group has come up with their common element, have them work together to create a flag that represents it.

4. Fingertip Hula-Hoop

There are quite a few team-building activities for kids that use Hula-Hoops. In this game, your students stand in a circle and raise their arms with only their index fingers extended. Place a Hula-Hoop so that it rests on the tips of the children’s fingers. Tell the students they must maintain a fingertip on the Hula-Hoop at all times, but they are not allowed to hook their finger around it or otherwise hold the hoop; the hoop must simply rest on the tips of their fingers. The challenge is for the children to lower the hoop to the ground without dropping it. To make this more challenging, you can place communication constraints on the children—no talking or limited talking, for example. Watch the video for a demonstration.

5. Four-Way Tug-of-War

This classic outdoor activity is double the fun of the traditional tug-of-war. Tie two long jump ropes together at their center points, creating an X shape. Tie a bandanna around the center point. Next, use cones to form a circle that fits around the X. Form four equal teams, and have each team stand at one of the four ends of the ropes. At your signal, each team begins pulling. The objective is to be the first team to pull the others in their direction far enough for the bandanna to cross to the outside of the circle of cones. Students who feel nervous about participating can serve as referees who make sure everyone is safe.

6. Hot Seat

This fun game is a lot like the game show Password . Split your class into two teams and have them sit together in teams facing the whiteboard or chalkboard. Then take an empty chair—one for each team—and put it at the front of the class, facing the team members. These chairs are the “hot seats.” Choose one representative from each team to come up and sit in the “hot seat,” facing their teammates with their back to the board.

Flash images one at a time on the screen behind the people in the hot seat. Taking turns, each team will offer one clue to their representative. If they guess the image correctly, their team gets one point. If not, it’s the other team’s turn to help their representative. Continue until one of the representatives gets the image correct. Then switch out students in the hot seat and continue.

7. Classification

Inspiration Laboratories/Classification Practice via inspirationlaboratories.com

For this activity, prepare a tray with 20 unrelated items—for instance, a spool of thread, an eraser, a juice box, etc. Alternatively, create a document with 20 images of items to put up on the screen. Divide your class into even groups. Set a timer and have each group divide the 20 items into four categories that make sense to them. For example, they may put an earring, a glove, a headset, a sock, and a smile into the category “things you wear.” Have groups work quietly so that their ideas are kept secret. When each group is finished, give each one time to present their categories and their rationale behind each category.

8. Yes, No, Stand Up

The version of the game above is designed specifically to help English-language learners, but it can also be used as a good “get to know you” game for younger kids. Prepare a list of yes or no questions to ask your students. For example, do you like chocolate? Is your favorite color blue? If their answer is yes, the student stands up. If their answer is no, they sit down. Pause between questions to give students time to look around and find students they have answers in common with.

9. Balloon Battle

Happy Mom Hacks/Balloon Games via happymomhacks.com

This fun game teams students up as they try to bat a balloon over each other’s goal line. Divide students into two teams. Each team will have five players on the field at one time. Periodically blow a whistle to have students substitute in so that everyone gets a chance to play. The first team to score 10 points wins. For more fun balloon games check out Happy Mom Hacks .

10. Move On, Look Back

This hopping game will crack your students up. Start with students in a circle with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. When you say “Move on,” students will take one hop forward together. When you say “Look back,” students will take one hop backward together. And when you say “Forever alone” (or any other phrase you’d like, such as “180” or “Turn around”), students will turn 180 degrees and place their hands on the shoulder of the person who was behind them.

11. Birthday Line-Up

Did you know there are team-building activities for kids that can help teach students how to line up? It may take 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the age of your students, so plan accordingly. The objective is to have students line up in order of their birthdays—January 1 through December 31. To do this, they will need to know the order in which the months fall as well as their own birthday. They will also need to talk with one another in order to figure out who goes in front of whom. To make it super challenging, tell them they must do it without speaking at all, only using hand signals. Other ways to line up include by height, alphabetically, or by foot size.

12. The Perfect Square

This activity requires strong verbal communication and cooperation. All you need is a long rope with the ends tied together and something to serve as blindfolds for students, such as bandannas or fabric strips. Have students stand in a circle holding the rope in front of them. Signal them to put their blindfolds on and set the rope on the ground in front of them. Ask students to turn and walk a short distance away from the circle. Assign a partner to any students who may need help. Finally, have everyone come back to the rope and try to form a perfect square with their blindfolds on. Set a time limit to make it more challenging.

13. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tag

If you have a large space for kids to do team-building activities, try this one. Divide students into two teams. Before you begin, stake out the boundaries and position a home base at either end for each team. For each round, each team must confer and decide whether they will be rock, paper, or scissors. Have the two teams line up facing each other, and on your signal, have all players flash Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot! The kids on the losing team must run back to their base before they are tagged by one of the kids on the winning team.

14. Flip-the-Tarp Challenge

Looking for creative-thinking team-building games and activities for kids? Divide students into two teams. One team will do the challenge first while the other team watches, then they will switch places. Have all members of the team stand on a flat bedsheet, tarp, or blanket (kids should fill up all but about a quarter of the space). Challenge the team to flip over the sheet/tarp so that they are standing on the other side of the sheet/tarp without stepping off or touching the ground.

15. “Get To Know You” Balloons

Beth Smith/ABC Scavenger Hunt via darlingtonschool.org

Give each student an empty balloon and a slip of paper. Ask them to write a get-to-know-you question on their paper, such as How many brothers and sisters do you have? Do you have any pets? What’s one fun thing you did this summer? Next, have them put their question inside the balloon, blow it up, and tie the end.

When everyone is ready, have them gather on the rug and, on your signal, toss their balloon up in the air. Give them a couple of minutes to bat the balloons around, then call stop . Have each student grab one balloon and come sit in a circle. Go around the circle and, one at a time, have students pop their balloon, read the question inside, and answer the question. This is one of those team-building activities for kids that they will always remember.

And to help your students remember each others’ names, try these 30 Fun Name Games To Try With Your New Class .

16. Hot and Cold

Form groups of three to five students. One person from each group (the finder) steps out of the classroom. The rest of the group picks an object (for instance, the pencil sharpener) in the classroom for the finder to find. When the finder comes back in, they begin walking around the classroom in search of the object. The others guide the finder by saying “hot” or “cold” to lead them in the right direction. If the finder is far away from the object, the group will say “cold.” When the finder gets close, the group will say “hot” until the finder picks the correct object. Variation: Instead of saying “hot” and “cold,” have students applaud softly for cold and applaud vigorously for hot.

17. Marshmallow-and-Toothpick Challenge

Divide students into groups of equal numbers. Pass out an equal number of marshmallows and wooden toothpicks to each group. Challenge the groups to create the tallest, largest, or most creative structure in a set amount of time, each member taking turns doing the actual building. Afterward, have each group describe what they made.

18. Art Reproduction Puzzle

The Teaching Distillery/Puzzles via theteachingdistillery.com

Divide students into groups of six or eight (or larger if you want to make the task more difficult). Provide each team with an image and blank pieces of white card stock, one per team member. First, each team must cut up the image into the same number of pieces as there are group members. Then, each player will take one of the pieces of the image and reproduce it onto their blank piece of card stock with pencils, colored pencils, or markers. (If the team cuts the image into irregularly shaped pieces, each team member must then cut their blank paper into the same shape.) When every team has created the pieces of their puzzle, they will switch pieces with another team. The team will work together to solve the puzzle.

19. Hula-Hoop Pass

This activity helps kids work on listening, coordinating, and strategizing skills. It works best with smaller students. Have your students stand in a big circle. Place a Hula-Hoop on one student’s arm and have them join hands with the student next to them. Ask all the other students to join hands to close up the circle. The objective of the game is to pass the Hula-Hoop all the way around the circle without unclasping hands. Students will have to figure out how to maneuver their bodies all the way through the hoop to pass it on.

20. Bumpity-ump-bump-bump

Playworks/Bumpity Bump Bump via playworks.org

This is a fun name game that requires quick thinking! Students stand in a large circle. One student comes to the middle. That student walks around the inside of the circle, stops in front of one person, and gives them a direction. There are four choices: Left = say the name of the person to the left; right = say the name of the person on the right; it = say the name of the person who is it; or self = say one’s own name. After you give the student the direction, the designated person says “bumpity-ump-bump-bump!” out loud. The student who was given the direction races to say the name of the correct person before the student finishes the phrase. If they can’t, they’re the next person on the inside of the circle.

In this challenging trust-building activity, blindfolded students line up with their hands on each others’ shoulders. A person without a blindfold takes the end position. The object of the activity is for the sighted person to guide the non-sighted students without verbal communication to collect various soft objects scattered on the floor. Once the lead person finds an object, they must deposit it in a bucket. Extra challenge: Students must keep their hands on each others’ shoulders at all times.

22. No-Hands Cup-Stacking Challenge

Nick Cornwell/Stacking Cup Challenge via nickcornwell.weebly.com

If you’re looking for hands-on team-building games and activities that work for groups of kids, try this challenge. It’s an exercise in patience and perseverance, not to mention a total blast! Decide how many students you want in each group and tie that number of strings to a single rubber band, making one for each group. Each person in the group holds on to one of the strings attached to the rubber band, and, as a group, they use this device to pick up the cups (by expanding and contracting the rubber band) and place them on top of each other in order to build a pyramid. See detailed instructions here .

23. Mini Cup-Stacking Challenge

And for younger students, this simplified version of the game allows kids to partner up one-on-one. Using just a few pipe cleaners and a rubber band, each student can take a hold and work together to create a stack.

24. Body Parts

Karl Bastian/Head, Shoulders, Knees, Cup via kidologist.com

Students face off head-to-head in a squat position with a plastic cup on the ground between them. The leader calls out body parts and the players have to move their hands to that spot—head, knees, toes, eyes, nose, etc. But when they say “Cup!” the pair each tries to grab the cup. If they grab it, they remain in the game. The other player is “out” for the rest of the round.

Also, if a student touches the cup when “Cup!” was not called, they are immediately out! So they need to listen carefully as the leader attempts to trick them into lunging toward to the cup.

25. Human Alphabet

Nadine Silverthornes/Alphabet Game via todaysparent.com

If you have a large open space for your team-building games and activities, try this idea. Have students spread out and guide them through a few rounds of forming letters with their bodies. For instance, “Use your body to make a T. … Now make an O!”

Next, call out a simple short word, such as “so” or “dog.” Students will have to team up to form the word, with each student using their body to form one of the letters. Start with two-letter words, then three, then four. If students want more of a challenge, come up with a phrase that will take the whole class to complete.

26. Caterpillar

Divide students into groups of four. Lay out four Hula-Hoops per group and have one student stand in the center of each one to form teams of “caterpillars.” Line all of the teams up at the end of a field or large open space. Set out four or five objects in front of the lines, such as cones, foam blocks, or balls.

The goal of the game is to collect as many objects as possible by moving the caterpillar forward. To move forward, the last player in line steps into the hoop with the player in front of them, picks up their empty hoop, and passes it overhead to the front of the line. The front player then places the hoop on the ground in front of them and steps into it. Every player then shifts forward, moving the caterpillar. Only the front player may pick up objects, but it is the team’s job to carry the collected objects throughout the game. The game ends when there are no more objects on the ground.

27. Shrinking Vessel

For this activity, you will need a few jump ropes. Divide students into groups of six or eight. Have each group make a circle with their jump rope (their “lifeboat”) on the ground so that the ends are touching. Now have all the members of each group get into their lifeboat. This should be easy the first time. Then have all players get out and reduce the size of their circle by one foot. Again, all players need to get into the boat. Repeat this process, making the lifeboat smaller and smaller while you watch your students come up with creative solutions for making sure that everyone fits safely inside their boat.

28. Pretzel, Unpretzel

Susan Box Mann/The Human Knot Game via icebreakerideas.com

This is one of the all-time favorite team-building activities for kids. Divide your class in half and have each group choose one pretzel maker and two unpretzelers. Direct the unpretzelers to turn their backs. Have the rest of the students in each group form a circle and hold hands. Now, have the pretzel maker direct the students (with words only) to twist around, step over, and duck under each others’ arms to form a human pretzel. Once they are sufficiently twisted, call the unpretzelers over and have them try to direct the students (with words only) in order to untangle them. Students cannot drop their hands at any time. The first team that successfully unpretzels their group wins.

29. Zip, Zap, Boing!

This super-lively circle game involves three actions—zip, zap, and boing. Zip directs play in one direction around the circle. Boing reverses the direction of play. And zap passes play to the opposite side of the circle. See the video above for a full demonstration. A couple of rules: Boing cannot be performed when someone passes the signal using zap. And zap cannot be passed to the person standing right next to you.

30. Spiderweb

Heather Lynne/Would You Rather Web at raisingmemories.com

This team-building game will teach your students that even though they may be different in many ways, they are still connected to one another. Gather in a circle, standing or sitting. The game begins when the first person, holding a large ball of twine, tells the group a funny or embarrassing story about themselves.

Once they finish, they hold on to the end of the twine and throw the ball to someone else in the circle. Play continues until the twine has been passed to each person. The end result will produce a “spiderweb” out of the twine, connecting each student to all of the others.

31. Team Tic-Tac-Toe

This fun and active version of the old-fashioned game gets kids revved up about working as a team. Hula-Hoops are placed in the shape of a tic-tac-toe frame. Then students divide into teams and the race begins! One student from each team runs to the frame and drops a bean bag in a spot. They return and tag the next runner, who does the same thing. Play continues until one team achieves a tic-tac-toe!

32. Newspaper Fashion Show

Andrea and Rachel/Newspaper Fashion via mommylessons101.com

This is a great way to incorporate upcycling into your team-building games and activities. Divide students into groups of five or six, then give them a stack of newspapers, tape, and scissors. Set a timer and ask them to create the most fashionable outfit using only the supplies given. When time is up, have each group designate a model for the outfit, and have the group share information about the outfit. Once everyone shares, put on some rocking music and have a mini fashion show.

33. Back-to-Back Drawing

https://youtu.be/EqsL64uk1Q4

Need team-building games and activities that build communication skills? Ask students to pair up and sit back-to-back with their partner. Give one student a blank piece of paper and a pen or a marker. Give the other student a piece of paper with a simple drawing on it. The kid who receives the illustration will verbally describe the drawing to their partner. The other kid must draw the illustration by listening to the verbal instructions alone.

34. Changing Tableau

Ask for five or six volunteers to come up to the front of the class. Divide the rest of the students into two teams and have them sit together. Have the students up front arrange themselves into a tableau. Give the two teams a short time to observe the tableau, trying to memorize their physical arrangement.

After a couple of minutes, ask every person on both teams to face away from the team up front. The tableau team will decide on one thing to change about the tableau. When they are rearranged, the teams can turn around and try to figure out what changed. The first team to spot the difference gets a point. Continue play until one team receives 10 points.

35. Straw Challenge

Georgia Teen Institute/Straw Challenge via https://guidegti.wordpress.com

If you’re looking for team-building games and activities for kids that require coordination and cooperation, try this one. Have your students form a large circle and give each one a plastic straw. The objective of the challenge is to balance each straw between one person’s right pointer finger with the left pointer finger of the person next to them. Try making some movements such as rotating the circle to the left or right, raising one foot, etc. The challenge is to keep the connection of straws intact.

36. Group Juggle

Have students circle up and make sure you have a supply of small plastic balls at the ready. Start by tossing one ball from person to person in the circle. After a minute, add in another ball. Instruct students to mindfully toss the ball, avoiding a collision. After another minute, add in another ball. Continue adding balls each minute to see how many balls your students can successfully juggle.

37. Hula-Hoop Ring Toss

Team members take turns tossing a Hula-Hoop over colored cones. Each color has a different point value. This game also incorporates math practice when adding your team’s score.

38. Great Chain Race

Jennifer/Paper Chain STEM Challenge via themathchick.net

For this team-building activity, students split up into groups of three or four. Each group gets one sheet of paper (a different color for each group), one pair of scissors, and one glue stick. The teams then cut their paper to make a paper chain that’s as long as possible—they might choose to make many skinny rings or cut up small rings to get as many rings from their paper as possible. In the end, lay out the paper chains the kids created and see whose is the longest.

39. Team Pen

Working together, students try to create a drawing. Attach strings to a marker, however many you’d like. Have students each take one end and gather around a table. Together, they will need to communicate in order to manipulate the pen and draw the required image.

40. Knee Relay

This raucous activity will have your students rolling on the floor with laughter. Using only their knees, players must take turns picking up oranges one at a time from the ground and transfer them to a hoop across the room. The team to transfer the most oranges in 60 seconds wins. Plus, you’ll have a juicy snack for everyone when you’re done.

41. Human Caterpillar Activity

Students will work together to move a circle made of newspapers across the room. Before you begin, use strong tape to connect the sections of newspaper into a loop. To begin, students will step inside and move their feet and hands to help move the loop in the direction of the finish line, as shown in the video. The challenge is keeping pace with the students in front of them. The first team that is able to navigate their caterpillar to the finish line first is the winner.

42. Blind Minefield

Looking for obstacle course team-building activities for kids? This fun and challenging activity requires communication, listening skills, and trust. Students will navigate through an obstacle course while blindfolded with the help of a partner who will call out directions. If the blindfolded student touches any of the objects in the minefield, their turn is over and another pair gives it a try. The team with the most players to make it through without touching any hazards wins.

43. Paper Tower

Using creative problem-solving skills, each team of students must build the tallest tower possible with 20 sheets of plain computer paper. The tower must be stable enough to be measured. This activity is not only a great team-building activity, it’s a lot of fun!

Do you have favorite go-to team-building activities for kids? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook !

For more great ideas, check out  45 of the best cooperative games to promote camaraderie and healthy competition ..

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