There is one word that comes to my mind when I hear the word "worksheet," and that is BORING! Before you stop reading, I do think there is a time and a place for worksheets. I am not going to sit here and tell you that I have never and will never use a worksheet in my classroom. However, I will tell you that I strongly believe you can greatly increase your students' engagement and ownership in their learning through activities other than worksheets.
I wanted to share some ideas or activities that I have used in my own classroom that have taken the place of a boring old worksheet.
Hands-On Activity (Or Lab): Now, I know that not everyone is lucky enough to teach science and do hands-on science experiments and labs with their kiddos all the time. (Biased? Maybe!) However, EVERY teacher in EVERY subject is capable of taking a concept and turning it into a hands-on activity. In science, maybe you pop popcorn to teach your kids about conduction, convection, and radiation. In math, maybe you use conversation hearts as manipulatives the week of Valentine's Day. In social studies, you could have your class work together to create a large, detailed map of the country you are studying. In language arts, you could have your students bring their poem to life with a well-paired craft. Notice, these do not have to be big, dramatic changes to your lessons. My challenge to you is to pick one lesson for next week and ask yourself, "What is something that I could change to add a hands-on component to this activity?"
Task Card Activity: Okay, I'll say it. I LOVE task cards. Here is the deal, sometimes you need your kids to answer questions over a concept. Maybe you need to know which kids have grasped the concept and which kids need a little bit of reteaching. Or, maybe you need an assessment for the end of a unit. Yes - you could type out 30 questions and print them on a piece of paper for each kid, but that is boring. Instead, try finding or creating a set of task cards, like these Earth Science task cards. Task cards are a great way to measure student learning, while getting your kids up and moving and slowly convincing them that school is way more fun than they want to think it is! I love taping task cards up around the room (or the hallway) and having the students walk around from question to question.
Whole Class Review Game: There are COUNTLESS review games out there to play with your students - rather than printing 25 review questions on a piece of paper and having your students work silently at their desk. Do you get my point? Same outcome - higher engagement. Make learning fun for your students. Yes, this will require some extra effort on your part, but it is SO worth it. I love playing "two corners" with my students to review concepts like elements & compounds or physical & chemical changes. There are also a variety of online review game platforms to choose from. If your students have devices, this is a great way to gamify your review. Another way that I love to review with my kiddos is by asking questions and having each student hold up their answer on a white board. This allows every student to participate in every question, while also allowing me to see which students have not yet grasped the material.
Project or STEM Challenge: I LOVED projects as a kid. Now, I love projects as a teacher because I know just how excited projects can get kids about learning. Projects are FUN and projects take WORK from both the teacher and the students. Do I love grading 100+ projects over a weekend? Not necessarily. Do I love seeing my kids light up while designing and building something awesome to demonstrate the principles of force and motion? Absolutely. Worth. It. If you don't have room in your curriculum for full blown projects, try incorporating a few smaller STEM challenges. I guarantee your kids will love them!
Experience: Hear me out. I recognize that there are a lot of factors that go into providing your kids with an "experience." Maybe your school doesn't have the funding for a field trip, or your location doesn't allow it. Don't count this one out. There are SO many other ways that you can provide your students with an experience. Of course, the first way that comes to mind is a field trip. If you are learning about space, take them to a space center. If you are learning about animals, take them to the zoo. If a real field trip isn't an option, I want to highlight some other ways that you can provide your students with an experience. There are virtual field trips (many of them free) that allow you to take your kiddos on a virtual walking tour of the country or landforms that they are studying. Another way that I have provided my kids with an experience is through guest speakers. With 6 classes, I have done this through pre-recorded videos from an expert in a field. You wouldn't believe how cool your kids will find it to hear from your cousin (the doctor), or your neighbor (the veterinarian).
Time for a challenge! Think of one worksheet that you use in your classroom. Picture it. Now, brainstorm three different ways that you could cover the same concept using something other than a worksheet. Could you find a set of task cards covering that concept? Could you design a project or STEM challenge? Could you create an experience surrounding that concept? Now, challenge yourself to go for it. I promise you that it will be worth it!
I would love to hear about an activity that you implement in your classroom to take the place of a boring old worksheet. Did you see an increase in student engagement? Comment below to share!
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