Category: Tech in the Classroom

BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science, Digital Breakouts, Digital Escape Rooms, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

3 Ways to Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday for Read Across America Week 2020

Tonya Coffey

Every March 2nd, classrooms across the U.S. and beyond celebrate the birthday of one of the most iconic authors of all time –  Theodore Seuss Geisel. Under the pen name – Dr. Seuss, Mr. Geisel wrote and illustrated more than 60 books which include many of the most popular children’s books of all time. 

Let’s Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday with a Digital Breakout!

In this digital breakout, students will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday by solving some clues. Digital Breakouts are such a fun and authentic way to practice teamwork, communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss Digital Breakout (Grades 3-5)

This digital breakout contains four locks. Want to learn more about how this digital breakout is set up? Check out this blog post!

Lock 1 – Students will select the Dr. Seuss book for each quote using a Google Form. Once each student complete the Google Form have them Submit. They will need to pay attention to the feedback for the clue.

Lock 2 – Students will unscramble the Dr. Seuss characters and then add or subtract each letter.

Lock 3 – Students will put the events of Dr. Seuss’s life in order.

Lock 4 – Students will fill in the blanks and then navigate through a Dr. Seuss maze.

Let’s Celebrate with Coding Robots (Bee-Bot & More)

In this activity, students will program the ROBOT to the provided sequence of rhyming words, but watch out for hats. Students will need to program a route around hats.

Coding Robots (Bee-Bot & More) – Rhyming

Students will have a BLAST reviewing rhyming words while practicing coding! Don’t have a Bee-Bot, no problem! Other coding robots may be used.

Let’s Celebrate with a Digital Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Using Google Slides

Digital Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture – Pixel Art – Cat

In this activity, students will use the “fill” formatting tool in Google Slides to create three different Dr. Seuss characters. Students will use the numbers found in the speaker notes.

So many ways to celebrate an author that has provided us with hours upon hours of reading enjoyment!

Want to explore additional digital activities for the classroom, check out my tpt store; Shen Valley Vegan Teacher

Be sure to follow my tpt store to get the latest and greatest resources for your classroom!

Happy Teaching!

Tonya

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

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BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science, Digital Breakouts, Digital Escape Rooms, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

4 Fun-Filled Activities to share on Valentine’s Day

Tonya Coffey

Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. But it’s not about the candy or gifts that I might receive, it’s a special day to show my love to others. A special kind word, a pat on the back, a congrats, job well done. Valentine’s Day reminds me that spreading kindness promotes joy and peace. 

Let’s share this special day with our students with some fun-filled activities. Digital Breakouts are a great way to show and practice kindness to one another.

Digital Breakouts help to improve team-building skills, communication, and collaboration engagingly and authentically.

For this Valentine’s Day, why not share a digital breakout with your students and help them to build these important skills?

Interested in learning more about digital breakouts, click HERE!

Digital Breakout Escape Room – Love Monster (Grades 3-5)

Lock 1 – Students will follow algorithms to the correct colored heart.

Lock 2 – Students will find the missing digit to each math equation.

Lock 3 – Students will write an algorithm for the shortest route.

Lock 4 – Students will use binary code to crack the code.

Digital Breakout Escape Room – Cuddles Wishes for a Valentine (Grades K-2)

Word Lock – Student will determine the correct math to spell a word.

Number Lock – Students will drag and drop the correct number of Valentines to fill each ten frame to make 20.

Direction Lock – Students will put the events in order to make a card for Valentine’s Day.

Color Lock – Students will drag and drop the correct missing letter to complete each word.

Plugged and Unplugged – How to Make a Valentine

Have you begun the task of integrating computer science into your curriculum? If so, or you are just beginning, check out these Valentine’s Day coding activities.

Students will learn the steps in how to make a valentine while learning the basic commands of coding. No device is required for this unplugged activity.

Do you have a coding device? The coding robots plugged activity might just be the resource you have been looking for!

Students will code a “robot” to each step in how to make a valentine.

Interested in learning more about plugged and unplugged coding, click HERE!

Plugged and Unplugged Coding – How to Make a Valentine

Digital Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Using Google Slides

Another team-building resource! Pair students up to complete this digital mystery picture! Completed in Google Slides, students will use the key in the speaker notes to complete the activity. Enjoy mystery pictures? Check out this MONEY SAVING BUNDLE!

A digital hundreds chart mystery picture pixel art math center for grades K-5. The activity can be used in Google Classroom, Chromebooks and other classroom devices. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I hope you and your classroom will plant the seed of kindness this Valentine’s Day! Let’s remember that kindness can be shared and cultivated every day!

Want to explore additional digital activities for the classroom, check out my tpt store; Shen Valley Vegan Teacher

Be sure to follow my tpt store to get the latest and greatest resources for your classroom!

Happy Teaching!

Tonya

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

Digital Breakouts, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

Groundhog Weather School – A Groundhog Day Digital Breakout

Tonya Coffey

It’s Groundhog Day! Every February the 2nd, groundhog makes his annual appearance to predict if we will have six more weeks of winter or an early spring. In this digital breakout based on the story Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub, groundhog has some extra help, he sure is glad that he opened a weather school last year! Solve each clue to learn some cool facts about Groundhog Day.

Groundhog Weather School Digital Breakout
Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub

Groundhog Weather School – Digital Breakout

Digital Breakout Escape Room - Groundhog Day
Digital Breakout Escape Room – Groundhog Day

Critical Thinking

Clue 1 - Solving the digital breakout

I really had those brains stretching on this digital breakout. For the first clue, students had to find hidden letters and to guess the word. I created a Groundhog Day Weather Forecaster Quiz and hid six letters. For some students, they immediately recognized that some words were a different color; others needed a hint.

Cause and Effect

For the second clue, I created “cause” statements and students had to drag and drop the correct “effect” statement to each box; revealing the five digit number lock. Just like me, students still get confused as to what the groundhog will do if he sees his shadow!

Clue 2
Clue 2

Fact vs. Opinion

Clue 3

For the third clue, students practiced identifying “fact” and “opinion” statements. A helpful hint for this one is to have them use the “fill” tool to color each fact statement. Once they had the correct statements selected, students were then able to solve the direction lock.

Sequence of Events

This clue was a doozy! Using Google Sheets, I created five events and mixed them up. Students had to place a number beside each event indicating the order it would occur. Once students placed the right number in the box, it would magically reveal a color. Students then had to place the numbers in the correct order.

It’s amazing to see how engaged students are when completing a Digital Breakout; after an hour, I only had about three pairs of students finish the Digital Breakout, but it did not deter the others. As they were leaving for the day, they were already asking when will we be able to do another one!!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Looking for a K-2 Digital Breakout?

Check this one out!

K-2 Digital Breakout Escape Room - Wake Up Groundhog
Digital Breakout Escape Room – Wake Up Groundhog

Want to explore additional digital breakouts for the classroom, check out my tpt store; Shen Valley Vegan Teacher

Be sure to follow my tpt store to get the latest and greatest digital breakouts for your classroom!

How do you use digital breakouts in your classroom? Do you have a certain resource that is your go-to for creating or sharing with your students? I would love to learn how others are utilizing digital breakouts or Breakout boxes in their classrooms.

Happy Teaching!

Tonya

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

Digital Breakouts, Digital Escape Rooms, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

Celebrating the 100th Day of School

Tonya Coffey

The 100th Day of School is right around the corner. What better way to celebrate the day than with a FUN and ENGAGING Digital Breakout.

I’m not sure about you, but the first 100 days of school was gone in a blink of an eye. So much to do, so little time to do it.

For this Grade 3-5 100th Day of School digital breakout, I created each clue using 100s charts.

100th Day of School – Digital Breakout – Grades 3-5

Lock 1 – Students will fill in numbers to find the hidden letters.

Lock 2 – Students will find the correct numbers and complete the operation for each.

Lock 3 – Students will skip count by 10s, 5s, and 2s to reveal the hidden colors.

Lock 4 – Students will use provided coordinates to find the correct arrows.

Click HERE to learn more about this digital breakout!

For the first clue, students are required to use the “fill tool” in Google Slides to find the hidden word. There are five slides, with a 100s chart on each slide with a hidden letter. **To make this clue go a little faster, have each student in a group working on a slide, and have them highlight groups of the same color then fill (e.g. 1-4 fill red, 8-10 fill blue, etc.).

For the second clue, students must complete a math equation. Instead of digits, they have images and are required to use a 100s chart to find the missing numbers.

Clue #3

For the third clue, students must skip count. As they skip count, numbers “magically” change colors.

Clue #4

For the last clue, the student will use coordinates to find the hidden directions.

Check out this student breaking out of the 4th lock! Truly remarkable watching each student work their way through each clue and lock!

Students had a blast completing the 100th Day of School – Digital Breakout! They always ask if they can do another one! It’s great to see them think critically, to problem-solve, to collaborate with their peers, and build those important communication skills.

Looking for a 100th Day of School Digital Breakout for littles (K-2). Check this one out! The digital breakout uses Google Sites and is meant to be done as a whole group.

100th Day of School – Digital Breakout – Grades K-2

Word Lock – Student will count to 100 by 10s.

Number Lock – Students will count each set of coins and determine how much more is needed to make $1.00.

Direction Lock – Students will place a red x on the words that do not use the letters in the words “one-hundred.”

Color Lock – Students will solve each riddle and fill in the number with the correct color. Then sort the numbers from least to greatest.

Click HERE to learn more about this digital breakout!

Want to explore additional digital breakouts for the classroom, check out my tpt store; Shen Valley Vegan Teacher.

Be sure to follow my tpt store to get the latest and greatest digital breakouts for your classroom! The first 24 hours of posting a new resource, the resource will be 50% off.

How do you use digital breakouts in your classroom? Do you have a certain resource that is your go-to for creating or sharing with your students? I would love to learn how others are utilizing digital breakouts or Breakout boxes in their classrooms.

This post contains affiliate links.  I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science, Tech in the Classroom

Bee Bot (Plugged and Unplugged) – Place Value

Tonya Coffey

I LOVE Bee Bots! Such as simple tool to teach and reinforce coding skills (plugged or unplugged). After completing the sorting network (unplugged) with several third grade classrooms, I wanted to return, but this time I wanted to share a plugged activity.

As with any tool or resource that I share with my teachers, I always begin with the learning objective. Why do you want your students to use this tool? How will the tool enhance the lesson?

For this lesson, it was to practice rounding numbers, then integrate CS by coding the Bee Bot to each digit of the rounded number. Sounds fun? It sure was!

There are several ways students can complete this acitivty.

They can answer each of the 12 questions, then check their answers with the provided QR code, then code the Bee Bot.

Or answer one question at a time, check, then code. This lesson takes about 90 minutes to complete. Obviously it will depend on your class and their needs.

Once students completed the task cards and were ready to go, I had them come sit with me on the rug and I provided them a plastic sleeve with a “My Program” page and a white board marker. I place the Bee Bot mat in front of me and brought out a Bee Bot.

coding-unplugged

I talked about what a programmer is and what is an algorithm. We then looked at our answer for the first question (7,540). I modeled how we were going to write an algorithm for each problem, then program the Bee Bot with our algorithm.

Once our “My Program” page was complete, I place the Bee Bot on the “Start Here” square. I then programmed the algorithm that we just wrote. I typically move the Bee Bot as I input the program.

After I model the first question, students were placed in five groups to complete the rest of their paper.

grade-3-place-value-and-rounding
Grade 3 Place Value and Rounding

It was a FUN activity, but most importantly they had the opportunity to practice place value in an authentic manner, further cementing this knowledge into their brains!

Interested in trying this lesson out in your classroom, Let’s Round Avocado!

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

Digital Breakouts, Digital Escape Rooms, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

‘Tis the Season for Breaking Out

Tonya Coffey

For this holiday season, I created four Digital Breakouts for grades 3 and up. Each DB provides students the opportunity to problem-solve, to collaborate, to communicate, and to think critically! A FUN and ENGAGING way to spend the last few days before winter break! 

These are scaffolded DBs. Teachers will receive a PDF with a link to copy a “NO PREP” Google Slide with a link to a clue and a link to a lock on each slide. Students will work to figure out the clue, then click the link to the lock to test to see if their guess was correct. They will receive a green check if they were correct. Sounds like a good time to me!

Want to see how it works? Click HERE! This is a sample Digital Breakout.

Digital Breakout FUN

Gingerbread Man on the Loose – Digital Breakout

escape-edu-classroom

Have you heard of the story of the gingerbread man? Well, the gingerbread man did not want to get eaten so he decided to run and run and run. Solve all all the locks to try and find him. This Digital Breakout is based on the book Gingerbread Man on the Loose.

Locks:

  • Lock 1 – Students will watch a video and answer questions.
  • Lock 2 – Students will complete a Google Form Scavenger Hunt using data validation.
  • Lock 3 – Students will solve a math word problem.
  • Lock 4 – Students will skip count by 2’s.

Stuck in a Snow Globe – Digital Breakout

digital-escape-rooms-in-your-classroom

Help! I’m stuck in a snow globe and it is very cold in here. I’m not sure how I got in here, but I sure do want to get out. Can you solve all four locks so that I can get out and get warm?

Locks:

  • Lock 1 – Students will sort winter words; verbs, pronouns, nouns, and adjectives.
  • Lock 2 – Students will match four contractions.
  • Lock 3 – Students will select which sentence is grammatically correct.
  • Lock 4 – Students will select the correct verb tense.

Check out my Shen Valley Vegan Teacher tpt store to see the other two Digital Breakouts! Please be sure to follow me to receive 50% off newly posted resources. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Bitmoji Image
I wish you all a merry and blessed holiday season; may all your wishes come true!

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.