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This simulation addresses topic areas conservation of energy, Kinetic energy, Potential energy, thermal energy, friction, energy. A great resource for Y8 Energy unit.

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Learn about the conservation of energy at the skate park! Build tracks, ramps, and jumps for the skater. View the skater's kinetic energy, potential energy, and thermal energy as they move along the track. Measure the speed and adjust the friction, gravity, and mass.

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This free site has unit and lesson plans developed by the Australian Academy of Science. The resources are applicable for Y7-10. Science by Doing is based on encouraging students to engage in learning by experimenting. This supports inquiry based learning and the activities reflect real life activities.

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The Australian Academy of Science acknowledges and pays respects to the Ngunnawal people, the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the Academy office is located. The Academy also acknowledges and pays respects to the Traditional Owners and the Elders past, present and emerging of all the lands on which the Academy operates, and its Fellows live and work.

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Great easy to understand Biological Videos to support content understanding. I have used these resources for Y9 -Y12.

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We are two sisters on a mission to demystify science with humor and relevance by creating videos, GIFs, comics, and resources. Our content is focused on high school biology (Pinky is a former high school biology teacher), though we do receive comments that some of our content is useful for intro bio…

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This has some great digital simulations to visual and model science concepts.

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Over 1.1 billion simulations delivered

160interactive simulations

97language translations

3001teacher-submitted lessons

Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

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Founded in 2002 by Nobel Laureate Carl Wieman, the PhET Interactive Simulations project at the University of Colorado Boulder creates free interactive math and science simulations. PhET sims are based on extensive education research and engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment where students learn through exploration and discovery.

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A way to incorporate gaming to teach atomic structure. Group activity. I successfully used Minecraft education have used Minecraft to build human body systems.

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A collation of 10 instructional evidence based teaching strategies heavily based on Hattie and Marzano research. A great reference to consider when unit and lesson planning.

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This site provides a great toolbox of different question strategies to apply blooms taxonomy of cognitive levels. A great resource to mix-up questions techniques.

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This site provides some high-prep and low-prep strategies to incorporate discussions in the classroom. This is a great tool box to prevent over-use of Pair-Share as discussion strategy.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
When I worked with student teachers on developing effective lesson plans, one thing I always asked them to revise was the phrase "We will discuss."
We will discuss the video. We will discuss the story. We will discuss our results.
Every time I saw it in a lesson plan, I would add a note: "What format will you use? What questions will you ask? How will you ensure that all students participate?" I was pretty sure that We will discuss actually meant the teacher would do most of the talking; He would throw out a couple of questions like "So what did you think about the video?" or "What was the theme of the story?" and a few students would respond, resulting in something that looked like a discussion, but was ultimately just a conversation between the teacher and a handful of extroverted students; a classic case of Fisheye Teaching.

The problem wasn't them; in most of the classrooms where they'd sat as students, that's exactly what a class discussion looked like. They didn't know any other "formats." I have only ever been familiar with a few myself. But when teachers began contacting me recently asking for a more comprehensive list, I knew it was time to do some serious research.

So here they are: 15 formats for structuring a class discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, more equitable, and more academically challenging. If you've struggled to find effective ways to develop students' speaking and listening skills, this is your lucky day.

I've separated the strategies into three groups. The first batch contains the higher-prep strategies, formats that require teachers to do some planning or gathering of materials ahead of time. Next come the low-prep strategies, which can be used on the fly when you have a few extra minutes or just want your students to get more active. Note that these are not strict categories; it's certainly possible to simplify or add more meat to any of these structures and still make them work. The last group is the ongoing strategies. These are smaller techniques that can be integrated with other instructional strategies and don't really stand alone. For each strategy, you'll find a list of other names it sometimes goes by, a description of its basic structure, and an explanation of variations that exist, if any. To watch each strategy in action, click on its name and a new window will open with a video that demonstrates it.

Enjoy!
a.k.a. Chat Stations
Basic Structure: Stations or posters are set up around the classroom, on the walls or on tables. Small groups of students travel from station to station together, performing some kind of task or responding to a prompt, either of which will result in a conversation.

Variations: Some Gallery Walks stay true to the term gallery, where groups of students create informative posters, then act as tour guides or docents, giving other students a short presentation about their poster and conducting a Q&A about it. In Starr Sackstein's high school classroom, her stations consisted of video tutorials created by the students themselves. Before I knew the term Gallery Walk, I shared a strategy similar to it called Chat Stations, where the teacher prepares discussion prompts or content-related tasks and sets them up around the room for students to visit in small groups.
a.k.a. Values Continuum, Forced Debate, Physical Barometer, This or That
Basic Structure: A statement that has two possible responses-agree or disagree-is read out loud. Depending on whether they agree or disagree with this statement, students move to one side of the room or the other. From that spot, students take turns defending their positions.

Variations: Often a Philosophical Chairs debate will be based around a text or group of texts students have read ahead of time; students are required to cite textual evidence to support their claims and usually hold the texts in their hands during the discussion. Some teachers set up one hot seat to represent each side, and students must take turns in the seat. In less formal variations (which require less prep), a teacher may simply read provocative statements students are likely to disagree on, and a debate can occur spontaneously without a text to refer to (I call this variation This or That in my classroom icebreakers post). Teachers may also opt to offer a continuum of choices, ranging from "Strongly Agree" on one side of the room, all the way to "Strongly Disagree" on the other, and have students place themselves along that continuum based on the strength of their convictions.

Basic Structure: Students are divided into 4 groups. Three of these groups are assigned to represent specific points of view. Members of the fourth group are designated as "provocateurs," tasked with making sure the discussion keeps going and stays challenging. One person from each group (the "speaker") sits in a desk facing speakers from the other groups, so they form a square in the center of the room. Behind each speaker, the remaining group members are seated: two right behind the speaker, then three behind them, and so on, forming a kind of triangle. From above, this would look like a pinwheel. The four speakers introduce and discuss questions they prepared ahead of time (this preparation is done with their groups). After some time passes, new students rotate from the seats behind the speaker into the center seats and continue the conversation.

Variations: When high school English teacher Sarah Brown Wessling introduced this strategy in the featured video (click Pinwheel Discussion above), she used it as a device for talking about literature, where each group represented a different author, plus one provocateur group. But in the comments that follow the video, Wessling adds that she also uses the strategy with non-fiction, where students represent authors of different non-fiction texts or are assigned to take on different perspectives about an issue.
a.k.a. Socratic Circles
Basic Structure: Students prepare by reading a text or group of texts and writing some higher-order discussion questions about the text. On seminar day, students sit in a circle and an introductory, open-ended question is posed by the teacher or student discussion leader. From there, students continue the conversation, prompting one another to support their claims with textual evidence. There is no particular order to how students speak, but they are encouraged to respectfully share the floor with others. Discussion is meant to happen naturally and students do not need to raise their hands to speak. This overview of Socratic Seminar from the website Facing History and Ourselves provides a list of appropriate questions, plus more information about how to prepare for a seminar.

Variations: If students are beginners, the teacher may write the discussion questions, or the question creation can be a joint effort. For larger classes, teachers may need to set up seminars in more of a fishbowl-like arrangement, dividing students into one inner circle that will participate in the discussion, and one outer circle that silently observes, takes notes, and may eventually trade places with those in the inner circle, sometimes all at once, and sometimes by "tapping in" as the urge strikes them.
a.k.a. Affinity Diagramming
Basic Structure: Give students a broad question or problem that is likely to result in lots of different ideas, such as "What were the impacts of the Great Depression?" or "What literary works should every person read?" Have students generate responses by writing ideas on post-it notes (one idea per note) and placing them in no particular arrangement on a wall, whiteboard, or chart paper. Once lots of ideas have been generated, have students begin grouping them into similar categories, then label the categories and discuss why the ideas fit within them, how the categories relate to one another, and so on.

Variations: Some teachers have students do much of this exercise-recording their ideas and arranging them into categories- without talking at first. In other variations, participants are asked to re-combine the ideas into new, different categories after the first round of organization occurs. Often, this activity serves as a good pre-writing exercise, after which students will write some kind of analysis or position paper.
a.k.a. Speed Dating
Basic Structure: Students form two circles, one inside circle and one outside circle. Each student on the inside is paired with a student on the outside; they face each other. The teacher poses a question to the whole group and pairs discuss their responses with each other. Then the teacher signals students to rotate: Students on the outside circle move one space to the right so they are standing in front of a new person (or sitting, as they are in the video). Now the teacher poses a new question, and the process is repeated.

Variations: Instead of two circles, students could also form two straight lines facing one another. Instead of "rotating" to switch partners, one line just slides over one spot, and the leftover person on the end comes around to the beginning of the line. Some teachers use this strategy to have students teach one piece of content to their fellow students, making it less of a discussion strategy and more of a peer teaching format. In fact, many of these protocols could be used for peer teaching as well.

Basic Structure: Another great idea from Sarah Brown Wessling, this is a small-group discussion strategy that gives students exposure to more of their peers' ideas and prevents the stagnation that can happen when a group doesn't happen to have the right chemistry. Students are placed into a few groups of 4-6 students each and are given a discussion question to talk about. After sufficient time has passed for the discussion to develop, one or two students from each group rotate to a different group, while the other group members remain where they are. Once in their new group, they will discuss a different, but related question, and they may also share some of the key points from their last group's conversation. For the next rotation, students who have not rotated before may be chosen to move, resulting in groups that are continually evolving.

Basic Structure: Two students sit facing each other in the center of the room; the remaining students sit in a circle around them. The two central students have a conversation based on a pre-determined topic and often using specific skills the class is practicing (such as asking follow-up questions, paraphrasing, or elaborating on another person's point). Students on the outside observe, take notes, or perform some other discussion-related task assigned by the teacher.

Variations: One variation of this strategy allows students in the outer circle to trade places with those in the fishbowl, doing kind of a relay-style discussion, or they may periodically "coach" the fishbowl talkers from the sidelines. Teachers may also opt to have students in the outside circle grade the participants' conversation with a rubric, then give feedback on what they saw in a debriefing afterward, as mentioned in the featured video.

Basic Structure: One student assumes the role of a book character, significant figure in history, or concept (such as a tornado, an animal, or the Titanic). Sitting in front of the rest of the class, the student responds to classmates' questions while staying in character in that role.

Variations: Give more students the opportunity to be in the hot seat while increasing everyone's participation by having students do hot seat discussions in small groups, where one person per group acts as the "character" and three or four others ask them questions. In another variation, several students could form a panel of different characters, taking questions from the class all together and interacting with one another like guests on a TV talk show.
a.k.a. Pyramid Discussion
Basic Structure: Students begin in pairs, responding to a discussion question only with a single partner. After each person has had a chance to share their ideas, the pair joins another pair, creating a group of four. Pairs share their ideas with the pair they just joined. Next, groups of four join together to form groups of eight, and so on, until the whole class is joined up in one large discussion.

Variations: This structure could simply be used to share ideas on a topic, or students could be required to reach consensus every time they join up with a new group.

Whereas the other formats in this list have a distinct shape-specific activities you do with students-the strategies in this section are more like plug-ins, working discussion into other instructional activities and improving the quality and reach of existing conversations.

One of the limitations of discussion is that rich, face-to-face conversations can only happen when all parties are available, so we're limited to the time we have in class. With a tool like Voxer, those limitations disappear. Like a private voice mailbox that you set up with just one person or a group (but SOOOO much easier), Voxer allows users to have conversations at whatever time is most convenient for each participant. So a group of four students can "discuss" a topic from 3pm until bedtime-asynchronously-each member contributing whenever they have a moment, and if the teacher makes herself part of the group, she can listen in, offer feedback, or contribute her own discussion points. Voxer is also invaluable for collaborating on projects and for having one-on-one discussions with students, parents, and your own colleagues. Like many other educators, Peter DeWitt took a while to really understand the potential of Voxer, but in this EdWeek piece, he explains what turned him around.

A backchannel is a conversation that happens right alongside another activity. The first time I saw a backchannel in action was at my first unconference: While those of us in the audience listened to presenters and watched a few short video clips, a separate screen was up beside the main screen, projecting something called TodaysMeet (update: TodaysMeet has shut down. Use YoTeach! instead.) It looked a lot like those chat rooms from back in the day, basically a blank screen where people would contribute a few lines of text, the lines stacking up one after the other, no other bells or whistles. Anyone in the room could participate in this conversation on their phone, laptop, or tablet, asking questions, offering commentary, and sharing links to related resources without ever interrupting the flow of the presentations. This kind of tool allows for a completely silent discussion, one that doesn't have to move at a super-fast pace, and it gives students who may be reluctant to speak up or who process their thoughts more slowly a chance to fully contribute. For a deeper discussion of how this kind of tool can be used, read this thoughtful overview of using backchannel discussions in the classroom by Edutopia's Beth Holland.
a.k.a. Accountable Talk
Talk moves are sentence frames we supply to our students that help them express ideas and interact with one another in respectful, academically appropriate ways. From kindergarten all the way through college, students can benefit from explicit instruction in the skills of summarizing another person's argument before presenting an alternate view, asking clarifying questions, and expressing agreement or partial agreement with the stance of another participant. Talk moves can be incorporated into any of the other discussion formats listed here.

Whole Brain Teaching is a set of teaching and classroom management methods that has grown in popularity over the past 10 years. One of WBT's foundational techniques is Teach-OK, a peer teaching strategy that begins with the teacher spending a few minutes introducing a concept to the class. Next, the teacher says Teach!, the class responds with Okay!, and pairs of students take turns re-teaching the concept to each other. It's a bit like think-pair-share, but it's faster-paced, it focuses more on re-teaching than general sharing, and students are encouraged to use gestures to animate their discussion. Although WBT is most popular in elementary schools, this featured video shows the creator of WBT, Chris Biffle, using it quite successfully with college students. I have also used Teach-OK with college students, and most of my students said they were happy for a change from the sit-and-listen they were used to in college classrooms.

An oldie but a goodie, think-pair-share can be used any time you want to plug interactivity into a lesson: Simply have students think about their response to a question, form a pair with another person, discuss their response, then share it with the larger group. Because I feel this strategy has so many uses and can be way more powerful than we give it credit for, I devoted a whole post to think-pair-share; everything you need to know about it is right there.

TWO MORE YOU'LL LOVE

Since writing this post, I have learned about two more discussion strategies that teachers are finding to be incredibly effective and powerful for getting students to talk, especially about books and other texts:

This protocol has students come up with their own Thoughts, lingering Questions, and Epiphanies from an assigned reading. Teachers who have used this method say it has generated some of the richest conversations they have ever heard from students!

This strategy places students into one-on-one conversations, getting them to learn each others' names better and create a track record of what they talked about. Excellent for classes where you want to assess for discussion and help students get more comfortable with each other.

So what else do you have? I would like to think this is a pretty complete list, but I'm sure more strategies are out there. If you use a discussion strategy that's not mentioned here, please share it below.

Come back for more.
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The Big List of Class Discussion Strategies

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Here they are: 15 formats for structuring a class discussion to make it more engaging, more organized, more equitable, and more academically challenging.

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This blog provides 20 strategies to help keep students engaged. Another tool kit of strategies to maintain motivation and engagement.

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When student engagement is going downhill, we often find ourselves reaching for the prop box.

We pull out random videos, time-sucking resources, overly complex activities... anything to get and keep attention. But even these can't compete with our students' pen tricks, doodling, and discussions of what happened at recess. And there's a simple reason why:

Our students aren't engaged by things. They're engaged by us. That's why the best (and easiest) ways to increase student engagement come from you.

We compiled 20 essential strategies that generate lasting engagement, without the flashy props and hours of post-school prep.

Let the countdown begin!

20. Connect learning to the real world

We've all heard it before: "When am I ever going to use this?" Answer this question and you'll engage students with content that they know is relevant to life beyond school. Use anecdotes, case studies, and real-life examples from outside the classroom to root your teaching in "the real world".

19. Engage with your students' interests

Find out what already engages your students and build it into the learning process.

Using mathematics as an example, you could have students chart their performance in a video game over the week. You might even get your budding social media influencers to calculate a projected number of Instagram followers.

Learning what excites your students does more than just engage them. You'll build strong relationships and rapport, too.

18. Fill "dead time"

"Dead time" is any point in a lesson where students are left without something to do. You might be handing out a worksheet, getting a presentation set up, or waiting interminably for a YouTube video to load. These are brief windows that leave just enough time for students to tune out, after which time it can be very difficult to get them back.

Fill these blank spaces with low-order activities to hold students' attention. These should be quick, easy, and require minimal follow-up. For example:

Think Pair Share: students reflect on something, discuss with a partner, and then share with the rest of the class once everyone is ready

Quickwrite: write down three questions or points that have been raised by the lesson so far

What I know already: if you're just about to dive into new content, ask students to identify three things they already know about the subject and jot them down as bullet points.

17. Use group work and collaboration

Collaborating with small groups gives students a welcome break from solo bookwork. They'll benefit from each other's perspectives and the ability to express their ideas.

Use your judgment and knowledge of who works well together when organizing group work. Engineering the groups might avoid troublesome partnerships, while allowing students to work with friends might generate the buzz you need for more productive activity.

16. Encourage students to present and share work regularly

Giving students a regular opportunity to share their thoughts and demonstrate learning in front of their peers drives engagement in two ways:

it makes students accountable

it lets them hear from someone other than their teacher.

If your students quiver in fear at the thought of speaking in front of the class, combine presentations with group work. A few ideas:

Have students present in groups after a group task.

Let students share each other's work within smaller groups before asking them to choose one piece to share with the rest of the class.

Let students read or present their work while sitting down. It avoids the pressure of having to "stand and deliver".

Ask for one contribution from each group after discussion, with each group nominating a "spokesperson".

Above all else, make presenting and sharing a regular part of class activity. Your class will become an equitable and engaging space that echoes with the voice of every student, not just your own!

15. Give your students a say

If you don't know how to engage your students, let them tell you! Give your students a say in classroom activity by:

providing a choice of different activities (e.g. group work or solo)

seeking student input for assessment design (e.g. students can choose a final product, provided it meets the criteria)

periodic check-ins to monitor the pace of delivery (e.g. "do we need to go over this a bit more slowly or are we feeling pretty confident?").

Giving students a choice also fosters their sense of ownership over their learning. They'll move from passive consumers to active learners with a stake in classroom activity.

14. Use mixed media

Present learning content in a variety of mediums, including video, audio, and digital resources. Using such tech-rich resources is engaging for two reasons. It's a welcome change from the stacks of paper our students are usually saddled with, and it establishes a direct and relevant connection with the digital world they inhabit.

13. Get your students moving

If your students struggle to sit still for an entire lesson, get them moving. All that pent-up energy can be channelled into a learning activity that puts them on their feet. Try the following.

Have students come to the front and brainstorm together on the whiteboard.

Have students rotate through different stations around the room over the course of an activity.

Have students split into groups or arrange themselves in different areas of the room.

Take a stand: have students move to a particular area of the room to indicate their thoughts on an issue (e.g. "everyone who thinks x, move to the right side of the room; if you think y, stand on the left").

Movement works equally well to engage sluggish or weary students. A quick bit of physical activity will leave them more alert for the next phase of learning.

12. Read the room

If you're steadily losing students to doodling, off-topic chatter, and the pervasive "need to tear and ball up little pieces of paper", it's time to shake things up.

Cut the activity short if it's dragging, clarify instructions if there's confusion, or switch to a more student-centered activity for greater engagement.

Remember: it's impossible to have every student engaged 100% of the time. The next best thing we can do is to notice disengagement and respond to it quickly.

11. Scaffold tasks with checkpoints

If you dump all your instructions on students at the start of a lesson before turning them loose with an activity, confusion and disengagement will likely follow.

That's why it's important to scaffold larger tasks by breaking them into achievable steps. Each of these can be separated by brief "checkpoints" of instruction reorienting students and reminding them of what needs to be done next. They also serve as a periodic call to attention when students are liable to go off track.

10. Focus on discovery and inquiry

Sometimes the best thing you can do for engagement is to get out of your students' way.

Let them discover learning for themselves without being spoon-fed. They'll exercise critical and creative thinking, and pursue the lines of inquiry that interest them.

This doesn't mean you should retreat behind the teacher's desk. Observe your students, listen to them, and talk to them about what they're thinking. Be their guide as opposed to their instructor.

9. Ask good questions

Ask good questions of your students and you'll drive rich, engaging discussions that are open to everyone.

Good questions should be:

open-ended: to avoid "yes/no" answers

equitable: open to answers of varying depth and complexity

legitimate: asked because you want to hear students' thoughts and opinions, not because you're fishing for a correct answer.

When students answer a question, engage with their response. Even if it's incorrect or misinformed, recognize their effort and use it to refine the question further (e.g. "you're on the right track, but could we also think about...").

8. Allow for think time

It's gratifying to see hands shoot up as soon as you ask a question, but letting your students think it over has two benefits. It leads to more considered responses that drive engaging discussions, and it also makes the conversation accessible to those who don't have an instant answer.

After you ask a question, insist on a twenty-second pause and give students an opportunity to extend their standard responses further. For example, you might ask "See if you can explain how you came to your answer, too". You'll receive better answers and start to notice some new hands going up.

7. Shake things up

Predictability is safe, but it can get boring. Mix up your staple teaching strategies with new and novel activities from time to time. Talk to other teachers for ideas. In addition to engagement, you'll also be giving your students an example of what it means to take a risk and try something new.

Experimenting with some new parts of the teacher toolkit also makes it easier to differentiate your instruction. A new activity or delivery method might be the trick to engaging that student who has been a tough nut to crack all year.

6. Give brain breaks

Periodically give students a breather with brain breaks. These are short activities that allow students to stretch their legs before returning to work feeling focused. You can find a list of 20 brain breaks at Mind Bloom.

Meritopia in Mathletics is gamified learning at its best and keeps students engaged! When students earn enough points in Mathletics, they get the perfect brain break in Meritopia by discovering new lands and unlocking characters.

5. Be personable

Relationships and rapport are pillars of lasting engagement, and you can't have either without being personable. This means getting to know your students and letting them get to know you.

While enthusiasm for the learning content might ebb and flow, your smile, laughter, and conversation will engage students every time they walk through your classroom door.

4. Encourage friendly competition

Use in-class games, quizzes, or gamified learning programs to engage students with friendly competition. For example, Live Mathletics (a feature in Mathletics) allows students to test their mathematical skills by competing in 60-second quizzes against peers in their class or around the globe in real time.

"Friendly" is the keyword here. Make sure competitive activities are low stakes and put the emphasis on learning instead of winning.

3. Start lessons with introductory hooks

Engage students from the outset of your lesson with an introductory hook. This could be anything that piques interest, establishes relevance, or inspires curiosity in the subject of the lesson, for example:

a personal anecdote connected to the subject

a brain teaser or challenge question

a historical example

a multimedia source.

Keep your hooks short and segue them directly into an overview of the learning goal. It's an effective opening that engages while setting students up for the main instructional component.

2. Laugh together

Weaving humour throughout your lesson lightens the mood and makes for a more fun experience. Laugh with your students, and don't be afraid to let them laugh at you from time to time!

1. Gamify learning

Games are the most powerful source of engagement for students outside of class, and they're equally effective at driving engagement in learning. Transform activities into games by including levels of difficulty, rewards, and competitive elements. You can read more about gamifying learning here.

You don't have to invest hours in creating rules and drawing up game boards, either. Gamified learning programs can do the work for you. The learning programs in the 3P suite, for example, provide a host of student-friendly games for mathematics, literacy, and science. All you have to do is select the appropriate curriculum and grant your students access.

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20 Student Engagement Strategies for a Captivating Classroom

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Here's our list of the best student engagement strategies to help you create an engaging classroom and better connect with students.

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POGIL is a student-centered instructional approach. Students work in self-manages teams with the teacher acting as a facilitator.  I have seen this used in a flipped classroom. It is very effective.

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POGIL® Activities for High School Biology | Flinn Scientific

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Use POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology to integrate scientific practices, reasoning and inquiry in the high school biology curriculum with 32 interactive, guided-inquiry learning activities on 7 major topics.

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POGIL is a student-centered, self-managed instructional approach. Students work in small teams with the teacher acting as a facilitator. Biology POGIL available from the same site. I have seen this applied in a classroom- very effective.

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The POGIL Project is grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, the Hach Scientific Foundation, Google Education and University Relations Fund of TIDES Foundation, Merle Robbins, Franklin & Marshall College, and the Toyota USA Foundation.

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A song about all the elements in the periodic table. A fun start of lesson as a hook for Y8-9 particles and periodic table.

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This site has a unit, lesson plans and activities that apply STEM concepts with engineering design and design thinking.

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Quick Look

Grade Level: 7 (6-8)

Time Required: 15 minutes

Lesson Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Biology, Chemistry, Life Science, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Summary To reinforce students' understanding of the human digestion process, the functions of several stomach and small intestine fluids are analyzed, and the concept of simulation is introduced through a short, introductory demonstration of how these fluids work. Students learn what simulation means and how it relates to the engineering process, particularly in biomedical engineering. Students can practice their understanding by using the associated activity to model a digestive process. The teacher demo requires vinegar, baking soda, water and aspirin.
This engineering curriculum aligns to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Engineering Connection

Biomedical engineers develop medical devices that aid doctors, pharmacists and other medical professionals in their work. Some of these devices directly help the injured and infirm, such as prosthetic limbs or insulin pumps. In other cases, these devices help indirectly by simulating different life processes so that researchers can better understand what occurs naturally inside the human body and experiment with new treatment ideas.

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, students should be able to:

Define "simulation" and explain its importance in the science and engineering fields.

List several ways in which engineers can help people with medical problems.

List several of the fluids our bodies use to digest food and understand how engineers simulate these fluids to perform experiments.

Educational Standards

Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards.

All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN), a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org).

In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g., by state; within source by type; e.g., science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc.

NGSS Performance Expectation

Click to view other curriculum aligned to this Performance Expectation

This lesson focuses on the following Three Dimensional Learning aspects of NGSS:

Science & Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

Science knowledge is based upon logical and conceptual connections between evidence and explanations.

In multicellular organisms, the body is a system of multiple interacting subsystems. These subsystems are groups of cells that work together to form tissues and organs that are specialized for particular body functions.

Systems may interact with other systems; they may have sub-systems and be a part of larger complex systems. Advances in technology influence the progress of science and science has influenced advances in technology.

Suggest an alignment not listed above

Pre-Req Knowledge

A basic knowledge of the parts of the digestive system and how they interact, as provided in the Teacher Background section or in the Introduction/Motivation section of the TeachEngineering Digestive System lesson.

Introduction/Motivation

(In advance, gather materials for a class demonstration: 1 uncoated aspirin tablet [really inexpensive "uncoated" generic aspirin works best] and 1 enteric-coated aspirin tablet, two clear plastic cups, 1 cup vinegar, 1.5 teaspoons baking soda, pinch of salt, half cup water.)

Did you know that biomedical engineers recently created the world's first artificial stomach? It mimics many of the activities that take place in your body and can even throw up! You might be wondering what anyone would want to do with a machine that works like a digestive system and throws up on occasion. In reality, this machine is expected to be very beneficial to scientists, doctors and pharmacists who want to know more about how our bodies work. What happens to your food or medicine after you swallow it? How does your body absorb food or medicine into your system? This is very important to know!

Have you ever heard of a disease called diabetes? You may know someone with this disease. When a person has diabetes, they are unable to process sugar when it gets into their blood, and this can lead to shock or even death if it is not regulated. One way this new machine benefits people is by helping doctors and researchers understand how fast certain foods are digested by the body and absorbed into the blood stream. This could lead to improvements in the understanding and treatment of diabetes.

Biomedical engineers are continually researching and designing new types of medical devices to help doctors and other medical professionals help people. Many of the most revolutionary medical devices were developed by biomedical engineers. Today, we want to think specifically about what types of environments biomedical engineers might try to simulate (imitate) in order to better understand what happens in our bodies. Can you think of some examples? (Possible examples: simulating blood flow around a blocked artery; simulating the digestion of a food or medicine; simulating the mending of a broken bone; simulating the absorption of a poison or harmful substance by your skin, lungs or digestive system; simulating the healing of a wound; etc.)

Let me demonstrate how a biomedical engineer might use simulation (mimicking real life processes) to better understand how a medication is processed by the body. Let's use a simple model of the digestive system and represent the stomach by a cup filled with vinegar and the small intestine by a cup filled with water and baking soda. We use vinegar to represent the stomach because it is an acid similar to the gastric acid that is squirted on food by our bodies while it is in the stomach. We use baking soda and water to represent the small intestine because together they form a base similar to bile, one of the main digestive juices squirted on food while it is in the small intestine. Let's test a medication that is commonly used to relieve pain or fever - aspirin. Unfortunately, aspirin can also make your stomach hurt. To keep this from happening, researchers developed several different types of coatings to keep aspirin from being digested until after it has passed through the stomach and into the small intestine. Let's do a quick test on one of these coatings to see how well it works.

( Demo procedure: Fill a clear plastic cup with vinegar. Fill a second clear plastic cup with a mixture of 1.5 teaspoons baking soda, a pinch of salt, and half a cup of water.)

This is a regular, uncoated aspirin tablet. (Show the students.) This is an enteric-coated aspirin tablet. (Show the students. Then drop both tablets into the cup containing vinegar.) This demonstration represents what happens in our stomachs, because the acidity of vinegar is similar to that of stomach acid. (Expect the uncoated aspirin tablet to dissolve in about 10 seconds, while the enteric-coated tablet remains unchanged [the outside coating might start to dissolve a little].).

(After a short amount of time has passed, take the enteric-coated aspirin out of the vinegar-filled cup and place it in the baking soda / water mix.) Now I'm moving the coated aspirin out of the vinegar and into a baking soda and water mixture. This simulates the moving of food and the gastric acid mix from your stomach into your small intestine. Watch the outside coating of the aspiring tablet. (The outside coating dissolves immediately in a cloud of bubbles - the acid and base reacting. The entire tablet might take 10-15 minutes to dissolve, but students get the point from seeing the coating dissolve.) The baking soda and water mix represents an environment similar to that of the small intestine.

How is this demonstration similar to the human digestive system? (Listen to student explanations.) From seeing this demonstration, where in the body would you expect each table to be likely to dissolve? And why? (Answer: Expect the uncoated aspirin to dissolve in the stomach in the acidic environment; expect the coated aspirin to not dissolve in the stomach, but later, past the stomach, in the small intestine.) Why might it be a good idea to test new medicines in a simulated environment rather than on a real person? Have students use their new knowledge with the Protect That Pill design activity to maximize the effects of a protective coating for a candy pill to survive within a stomach.

Lesson Background and Concepts for Teachers

The first step in the human digestive process occurs in the mouth and involves the grinding of food by the teeth and exposure of the food to the digestive enzymes in saliva. From here, food passes through the esophagus into the stomach. Food is moved along during digestion through involuntary muscular actions called peristalsis.

The human stomach is a J-shaped organ that is hollow and muscular. The churning and squeezing actions of the stomach break the food into even smaller pieces and mix it with the gastric acid and enzymes secreted by the stomach lining. The environment of the stomach is acidic, about pH 1.5, which is due to the low pH of gastric acid (which contains hydrochloric acid). While the acid helps to break down food to some degree, its primary function is to create an environment in which the food can react with the various enzymes that are also present. The artificial stomach does a much better job of simulating the environment of the stomach than the simple class demo due in part to the fact that all of the various enzymes and secretions are included in the right proportions. While some nutrients are absorbed in the stomach, most nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine.

The small intestine is the next organ encountered by food on its way through the digestive tract. Here, food is mixed with a variety of new excretions including bile. Bile is created by the liver and stored in the gallbladder prior to being excreted into the small intestine. Bile is alkaline in nature, and therefore neutralizes the gastric acid and creates a basic environment (~ pH 9). This basic environment promotes the reaction of a whole new set of enzymes that are produced by the pancreas and the small intestine lining. Most of the nutrients your body needs for survival are absorbed from the food during this process.

After the small intestine, food passes through the large intestine and eventually out of the body. While simplistic, the demo/simulation presented in the Introduction/Motivation section provides a basic introduction to the digestion process as well as a general understanding of the concept of simulation.

For more information about the digestion process see the National Institute of Health's National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) about "Your Digestive System and How it Works" at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/digestive-system-how-it-works

For more information about simulation, see Wikipedia's description at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation

Associated Activities

Lesson Closure

In many situations it is helpful to simulate an activity before it is actually carried out. Simulation has saved a lot of human lives and provided engineers and researchers with much valuable information. Hopefully, the artificial stomach will continue this process by providing us with information about how certain medications and foods are processed by our digestive systems. Can you think of any other examples of simulation being used by engineers as a research tool? (Possible examples: Simulating car crashes with dummies that represent people, testing bridge and building designs, testing strength of rope [or other materials] before using it for rope climbing [or other purposes], testing airplane designs in wind tunnels before they are built, etc.)

Vocabulary/Definitions

bile: A bitter, alkaline, yellow or greenish liquid, secreted by the liver, which aids in absorption and digestion, especially of fats.

biomedical engineering: The application of engineering techniques to the understanding of biological systems and the development of therapeutic technologies and devices. Kidney dialysis, pacemakers, synthetic skin, artificial joints, and prostheses are some products of biomedical engineering. Also called bioengineering.

diabetes: A disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by inadequate production or use of insulin, resulting in high glucose levels in the blood and urine, excessive urination and persistent thirst, as well as other complications such as infection and blindness.

digestion: The process by which food is converted into substances that can be absorbed and assimilated by the body.

enteric-coated aspirin: Aspirin that has been treated to pass through the stomach unaltered and dissolve in the intestines.

gastric acid: Digestive secretions of the stomach glands consisting chiefly of hydrochloric acid, mucin and several enzymes.

peristalsis: Involuntary muscular actions that moves food along during digestion.

simulation: Imitating the behavior of some situation or process, especially for the purpose of study or experimental testing.

small intestine: The long, narrow, coiled section of the intestine that extends from the stomach to the beginning of the large intestine. Nutrients from food are absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine. In mammals, the small intestine is composed of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.

stomach: The enlarged, saclike portion of the alimentary canal, one of the principal organs of digestion, located in vertebrates between the esophagus and the small intestine.

Assessment

Pre-Lesson Assessment

Drawing: Test students' prior knowledge of the digestive system by asking them to draw and label a simple diagram including all of the major digestive organs in sequence. If necessary, allow them to use their textbooks or other source of information for help. If more digestive system background is needed, review material in the Digestive System lesson.

Post-Introduction Assessment

Disscussion: Lead a classroom discussion about the importance of using simulation to do experiments rather than performing tests on humans. On the board, make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of using simulation.

Lesson Summary Assessment

Artificial Organ Design: Have students draw their own design for a machine that simulates one of the major organs in the human digestive system. Remind student to label areas in which a distinguishing organ characteristic is simulated (for example, a simulated stomach might include an apparatus that mixes food with acid and enzymes).

Lesson Extension Activities

Have students use the internet to find several examples of simulation being used to perform experiments, and present their coolest finding to the class.

To further students' understanding of the human digestive system, conduct Bobbin Cave's kinesthetic class activity in which students act out each digestive function of the organs, tissues and cells in the tract as the food particles come to them, as described at: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/AEF/1995/cave_digest.html.

References

Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. Accessed December 20, 2008. (Source of some vocabulary definitions, with some adaptation) http://www.dictionary.com

Eisenberg, Anne. "What's Next? The Virtual Stomach (No, It's Not a Diet Aid)." Published October 31, 2002. The New York Times. Accessed December 20, 2008. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807EFDC103FF932A05753C1A9649C8B63

Glah, Raymond P. A Gut Issue-Measuring Iron Bioavailability. Published August 1999. Agricultural Research Magazine. Vol. 47. No. 8. Accessed August 18, 2011. (Invention of an "artificial gut" to analyze the amount of iron biologically available to us from our food and supplements.) http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/aug99/iron0899.pdf

The Human Gastrointestinal Intestinal (GI) Tract. Last updated July 30, 2007. Kimball's Biology Pages. Accessed December 20, 2008. http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/G/GITract.html

Nalamothu, Krishna. World's First Artificial Stomach. Published November 16, 2006. Health Updates, India. Accessed August 18, 2011. http://www.healthupdates.in/tag/artificial-stomach/

Mandelbaum, Robb. Model Stomach Takes Digestion Out of the Body: Why food engineers, pharmaceutical companies, and organic farmers are lining up for the artificial organ. Published December 2007. IEEE Spectrum magazine, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers . Accessed August 18, 2011. http://spectrum.ieee.org/biomedical/devices/model-stomach-takes-digestion-outside-the-body

"Scientists Create Artificial Gut: UK scientists have built an artificial stomach to simulate human digestion." Last updated November 10, 2006. BBC News: Health. Accessed December 20, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6136546.stm

Copyright © 2008 by Regents of the University of Colorado.

Contributors Jacob Crosby; Malinda Schaefer Zarske; Denise W. Carlson

Supporting Program Integrated Teaching and Learning Program, College of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder

Acknowledgements

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation GK-12 grant no. 0338326. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: April 26, 2022

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To reinforce students' understanding of the human digestion process, the functions of several stomach and small intestine fluids are analyzed, and the concept of simulation is introduced through a short, introductory demonstration of how these fluids work. Students learn what simulation means and how it relates to the engineering process, particularly in biomedical engineering.

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high quality free images and videos. A great resource for teacher and students

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4.5 million+ Stunning Free Images to Use Anywhere - Pixabay - Pixabay

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Find your perfect royalty-free image or video to download and use. ✓ Royalty-free ✓ No attribution required ✓ High quality images.

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This word cloud site is easy to use, free and easily shared.  It also has links to to free Fake Chat App, Cartoon Maker. Can be used by teacher or students.

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Free online word cloud generator and tag cloud creator

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Wordclouds.com is a free online word cloud generator and tag cloud generator, similar to Wordle. Create your own word clouds and tag clouds. Paste text or upload documents and select shape, colors and font to create your own word cloud. Wordclouds.com can also generate clickable word clouds with links (image map). Save or share the resulting image.

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This interactive periodic table features history, alchemy, podcasts, videos, and data trends across the periodic table. A great resource in one location.

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The Royal Society of Chemistry's interactive periodic table features history, alchemy, podcasts, videos, and data trends across the periodic table. Click the tabs at the top to explore each section. Use the buttons above to change your view of the periodic table and view Murray Robertson's stunning Visual Elements artwork. Click each element to read detailed information.

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Periodic Table - Royal Society of Chemistry

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Interactive periodic table with element scarcity (SRI), discovery dates, melting and boiling points, group, block and period information.

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Designed to support student with interactive resources. Provides self-paced learning of states of matter and particle model.

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Models are developed by scientists to explain the world around us. What is the particle model of matter and what can it help explain?

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This has some great lesson plans to engage Y8 geology and Particles curriculum. Of interest is the resource 'what is my mobile phone made of' incorporates minerals as valuable resources for human activity with digital technology.

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Explore the formation of rocks and minerals in this teacher resource

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C2C are QLD state government supported curriculum units. They are useful to assist with unit planning. Very little digital technology incorporation. Requires Scootle log-in to access.

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Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

Scootle is supported by the Australian Government Department of Education. It includes learning resources from the National Digital Learning Resources Network, managed by Education Services Australia on behalf of all Education Ministers.

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Scootle provides Australian teachers with access to quality-assured digital learning resources aligned to the Australian Curriculum.

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A great App that shows real time details on active and dormant volcanoes. This is fun and educational resource for geology unit.

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iCell interactive simulations provide 3D cell structures. This resource is both Web and App based. The site is easy to use and information provided can be adjusted from Basic to Advanced.

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I love the iPad! It makes learning really fun, this app is great for biology class. I think it could use some updates though for a larger selection of cells. I love how you don't look at a boring picture!

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This is a free pedagogical framework to support Aboriginal ways of learning. The 8 interconnected pedagogies are processes to assist teachers to develop responsive practice to engage ATSI students. However, these pedagogies are strategies often found in the classroom and can positively impact on all students.

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This Aboriginal pedagogy framework is expressed as eight interconnected pedagogies involving narrative-driven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. But these can change in different settings.

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This Aboriginal pedagogy framework is expressed as eight interconnected pedagogies involving narrative-driven learning, visualised learning processes, hands-on/reflective techniques, use of symbols/metaphors, land-based learning, indirect/synergistic logic, modelled/scaffolded genre mastery, and connectedness to community. But these can change in different settings.

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Two-way learning has students investigating and appreciating Indigenous perspectives along side contemporary practice, building understanding and respect.

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Two-way learning connects people from different cultures and backgrounds and enables them to learn with and from one another.

Learning with and from one another

At Yiramalay, learning goes both ways. The Studio School's Aboriginal students come to Yiramalay from communities across Australia and learn about each other's cultures, traditions and languages.

Two-way learning also takes place between the Studio School's Aboriginal students and Wesley College's Melbourne-based students. This sharing of knowledge, backgrounds and experiences is mutually beneficial. It helps all students become wiser, better informed global citizens, and also fosters respect, understanding and empathy.

Teaching the teachers

Two-way learning between students is supported by the Studio School's staff of teachers, mentors and local Elders.

Regardless of their background or position, all staff at Yiramalay understand their role as both teachers and learners. Our staff constantly participate in two-way learning - learning from Yiramalay students, the land, the local community and each other.

An approach that brings people together

The two-way learning approach builds confidence and knowledge and supports the Studio School's overarching vision - to offer a hands-on educational experience that champions:

intercultural understanding that encourages the union of ideas and solutions to strengthen communities

respect for cultural heritage and protection of the environment

feelings of solidarity and equity for all.

Related links

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Two-way learning connects people from different cultures and backgrounds and enables them to learn with and from one another. Learning with and from one another At Yiramalay, learning goes both ways. The Studio School's Aboriginal students come to Yiramalay from communities across Australia and learn about each other's cultures, traditions and languages.

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The SAMR Model Explained (With 15 Practical Examples) - 3P Learning

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If like me, you often have to refer back to the levels of the SAMR model and how each look in the classroom, this article is a handy go to.  It also provides tips on finding your purpose, with questions to ask to avoid ‘technology for technologies sake’

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What is the SAMR model?

The SAMR model is a framework that orders strategies for classroom technology implementation into four stages:

In each stage of the SAMR model, the use of educational technology (EdTech) becomes increasingly sophisticated.

Substitution and augmentation strategies use EdTech to enhance learning and add value, whereas modification and redefinition stages harness EdTech to transform learning and make new things possible.
The effectiveness of any of these four strategies depends on when and how it is used.
Here's how you can harness each stage for more powerful classroom learning:

Substitution

This is the simplest stage, where EdTech is used as a direct substitute for traditional practices.

Substitution strategies can save you time and space by cutting back on laborious pen and paper tasks. Instead of printing out twenty-plus paper resources that clog the cupboard, you can use technology to manage resources with just a few clicks.

Substitution also provides a much more accessible introduction to technological soft skills than modification and redefinition. It's the perfect opportunity for students to get comfortable with new technology before you start to transform their learning.

Examples of substitution

having students type their work instead of handwriting it

using online quizzes and programs instead of pen and paper

uploading a worksheet in PDF for student access, as opposed to photocopying

using a digital interactive whiteboard as opposed to a traditional whiteboard and saving the results as a document.

Remember: Substitution strategies do not change the learning process or outcome. Ask yourself what you and your students will gain from the technology before implementing it. If it adds nothing but hassle, stick to pen and paper.

Augmentation

At the augmentation stage, technology adds something to the learning process beyond just convenience. It might give your students a clearer understanding of a complex topic or making it engaging in a way that traditional methods can't.

It also allows for the introduction of more independent and student-centric learning. By using technology as a source of information, students can start actively learning without requiring constant teacher-led instruction.

Examples of augmentation

Students give more informative and engaging oral presentations accompanied by a PowerPoint or Prezi containing multimedia elements.

Students use the internet to independently research a topic, as opposed to relying on teacher input.

Students use an EdTech program that gamifies curriculum content for student engagement and allows students to track progress in an accessible way.

Teacher instruction is supplemented with a video that clarifies a particularly hard to explain concept.

Modification

At the modification stage, technology is used to design interactive and dynamic tasks that go beyond the limitations of a traditional classroom.

For example, students can collaborate on shared documents, or work in large groups, allowing for seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing. This peer-to-peer work nurtures a more cooperative and dynamic class culture.

Technologically modified tasks also allow students to generate inspired and innovative work that isn't confined to paper. Some students will jump at the opportunity to get in front of a camera, while others will do anything to make it onto the global Mathletics leaderboard.

Examples of modification

Students produce podcasts summarising a topic, which can then be accessed by other students as a revision resource.

Students create an informative video presentation in place of a standard oral presentation. They can use their voice alongside a broader variety of creative multimodal components.

Students use a technological tool that makes an abstract concept visible in a hands-on, responsive way (e.g. voyaging on Google Earth to better understand measurement and geography).

Redefinition

The most sophisticated stage of SAMR, redefinition sees you using technology to make entirely new learning opportunities possible.

Redefining learning has the potential to connect learning with the real world and produce authentic outcomes. It also gives students strong technological soft skills such as digital collaboration, communication, technological literacy, and the ability to adapt to new systems and processes.

Most importantly, using technology to redefine learning in your classroom translates to vibrant and engaged students who embrace a growth mindset.

Examples of redefinition

connecting your students with other people around the world as part of the learning journey

having students publish their work online where it can be viewed by peers and the broader community

recording students as they deliver a presentation or practice a physical skill, then using this recording to prompt student reflection

experimenting with tasks that use extensive multimodal elements (e.g. producing documentaries or short films, webpages, print documents with creative layouts).

Remember, redefinition isn't the same as 'high tech'. A learning experience is redefined when it integrates technology seamlessly and meaningfully to open new doors for student learning - regardless of how sophisticated that technology might be.

In an English classroom, this might involve learning how to critically assess online media during web-based research. In mathematics, students might look at data represented through amazing visuals and get inspired to create their own.

Find your purpose

Starting with a purpose avoids the 'technology for technology's sake' that sometimes infiltrates the classroom.

Ask yourself:

What am I hoping to achieve by using this technology?

How will it make a difference to my students' learning?

Why is it preferable to not using technology?

How equipped are my students and I to use this technology?

How much time do I have to invest in making it work?

These simple questions can make it simpler to determine which stage of the SAMR model suits your needs. Remember that you don't always have to redefine your students' learning. A few simple technological additions to an already effective teaching strategy might be all you need to make a difference.

Using technology in the classroom sends a clear message to students. It shows them that you're connecting learning to the rapidly changing world outside the classroom walls, and you aren't afraid to adapt to a new challenge. Get creative with technology and you'll inspire as well as teach.

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The SAMR Model Explained (With 15 Practical Examples)

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What is the SAMR model and how does it apply to learning? Here's how you can harness each stage for more powerful classroom learning.

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Simple digital graphic organisers that can assist students to organise their thoughts and ideas in a way that is easy for them to comprehend. As digital versions, these can be uploaded and incorporated into online systems for students to easily write on and use.

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External resources

Disclaimer
Links to third-party websites:
If you use the links provided on this website to access a third party's website, you acknowledge that the terms of use, including licence terms set out on the third party's website apply to the use which may be made of the materials on that third party's website or where permitted by the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth).

The department accepts no responsibility for content on third-party websites.

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State of New South Wales, Department of Education, Australia

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Simple graphic organisers help students to organise their thoughts and ideas in a way that is easy for them to comprehend.

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This theory underpins most of the concept of digital pedagogy.  To have good DP you need good grounding in Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge. #Ilovethis

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To assist students minimise cognitive load of writing/typing out information. Students can speech and the program can convert to text. This will assist students with ASD, Dyslexia, EALD, Dysgraphia.

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Embedded in Teams, this program allows teachers and students to create to do lists and task reminders. This will be helpful for students that require assistance with time management skills and keeping on task.

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The Tasks app in Microsoft Teams brings together your individual tasks from To Do and Outlook with your team tasks from Planner so you can more efficiently cross them off your lists.

Once you add the Tasks app to Teams, you'll find:

My tasks: Which includes most of the lists from your To Do app, including tasks you've added in To Do and Outlook, and tasks that have been assigned to you in Planner.

Shared plans: Which includes the Planner plans that have been added to Teams.

You can also use the Tasks app to:

Add the Tasks app

There are several ways to add an app to Microsoft Teams. For now, the Tasks app will be called "Tasks by Planner and To Do", so type Tasks in the search bar and then select the tile that says Tasks by Planner and To Do.

Note: If you don't see Tasks by Planner and To Do, your organization might not have the app turned on. Check with your admin to find out more.

Track your tasks in My tasks

The My tasks section of Tasks shows you tasks that you've created or that have been assigned to you: everything in this list is yours to accomplish. It reflects most of what you see in To Do app:

Tasks: A list of tasks that you've added either in Outlook or in To Do.

Important: A list of all the tasks in To Do (including the Assigned to me list) that you've marked with a star.

Planned: Includes all of the tasks in To Do (including the Assigned to me list) that have a due date, listed by date so you can plan your time.

Assigned to me: Includes all of the tasks in Planner that have been assigned to you. This list will only show up if you've synced your Planner tasks to To Do.

Notes:

My tasks does not include the My Day or Flagged emails lists at this time.

You won't be able to see recurrence for your To Do tasks in the Tasks app, but that information is still attached to those tasks and can be seen and worked with in the To Do app and Outlook.

What can I do in Tasks versus To Do?

The My tasks section of the Tasks app will be in sync with the To Do app, but there are things you can do to your tasks, and ways you can interact with them, that are available in one app or the other. The following list breaks down what you can do where.

Action

Tasks app

To Do

View and use the My Day list

No

Yes

List view

A unique feature of the Tasks app how it displays tasks and information associated with them in rows and columns. This is called List view, and allows you to change many tasks at once, which wasn't as possible in either To Do or Planner before. It also allows you to filter your tasks, which wasn't available to To Do previously.

Change many tasks at once

To change several tasks at the same time, or do a "bulk edit", follow these steps.

1. Select a task by clicking or tapping somewhere on the task that is not the Complete circle or the name of the task.

2. Press and hold the SHIFT key to select multiple consecutive tasks, or press and hold the CTRL key to select multiple nonconsecutive tasks.

3. Above the tasks list, on the left, choose Progress, Priority, or Due date and choose an option. You can also choose More options and then select Delete, Move task., or more. Options can vary depending on the list you're viewing.

Filter your tasks

You can filter My tasks lists by due date and priority, and Shared plan can additionally be filtered by label, bucket, and assignment. Use these filters to find tasks, or to scope your view to more easily select a group of tasks to change.

Get notifications about Planner tasks

The Tasks app provides notifications for Planner tasks which will show up in your Teams activity feed both on your desktop and in the Teams mobile app. You'll get a notification when:

Someone else assigns a task to you

Someone else assigns an urgent task to you

Someone else makes a task assigned to you urgent

Someone else makes a task assigned to you not urgent

Someone else changes the progress of a task assigned to you

Someone removes you from a task's assignees

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The Tasks app in Microsoft Teams brings together your individual tasks from To Do and Outlook with your team tasks from Planner so you can more efficiently cross them off your lists.

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Text to speech reader. This is an educational app that reads uploaded text out loud. The app is notable for producing near human quality voices. The speed of the voice can be adjusted. This tool is helpful for students that have difficulty reading or need to reduce cognitive load. Dyslexic and ASD.

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Listen to your emails, papers, PDFs, and more with Speechify. Try it free today.

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This graphic reminds teachers to create tasks that target both the higher-order cognitive skills (Bloom's) as well as design tasks that have been significant digital impact of student outcomes (SAMR). Kathy Schrock's site is a great resource https://www.schrockguide.net/samr.html

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Stile Online Education Learning Resource

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Stile Online Education Learning Resource

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This online learning resource complements direct instruction and self-paced learning. This is a great resource for students working from home, or for differentiated learning options.

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Think of Stile as your favourite science textbook, workbook, videos, simulations, and assessments combined into a seamless teaching and learning experience.