Creative & Engaging Self-Checking Activities

Students must actively do math in order to become better mathematicians. Worksheets are boring.  

I know both of these statements to be true. Motivating students to complete worksheets is exhausting. This year I experimented with two strategies to help increase engagement while students are practicing (BONUS: they are self checking too!) 

My two favorites are Riddles and Scavenger Hunts. Both activities are very simple and take minimal time to create.  Here’s how: 

1. Riddles

I experimented with this this year and I absolutely LOVED it! It is so easy to adapt to any skill. Here is how to make a self checking Google Slides activity:

When I design these types of activities, I always design them on Canva and then transfer them into Google Slides. This allows me to make the slides pretty using all of Canva’s design tools as well as download them as images. I have assigned these types of activities as digital drag and drop - where students drag the correct answer to a location on the slide to answer the riddle OR the “published web” version where students use the presentation mode to see and answer the problems and record their answers on an answer document. 

Helpful Tips:

• Require students to show work. It can be as simple as THIS.

• Use test generators to help you come up with problems so you do not have to come up with correct and incorrect answers

• Using AI, like ChatGPT, is super helpful if you need wrong answers. Simply put the problem into the generator and ask ChatGPT to give you 3-4 wrong answers.

1. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunts (also known as circuits) are great for getting kids up and moving around the classroom, while still practicing skills and getting feedback on their work. It is also easily adaptable for any skill, though I prefer using it for questions that require only one process to solve, rather than a multi-step problem. The answers to your questions are best if they are numbers and/or equations. Here is how to create a Scavenger Hunt:

I design these activities either in Canva or in Google Slides and then print the problems and post them around the room. 

Helpful Tips:

• Use some sort of labeling device on the posters (symbols, letters etc.) so you can easily check to see if they answered the questions in the correct order

• When posting the posters in your room, make sure the order is mixed up!

• Require students to show work and record their answers.  It could be as simple as THIS

Including these activities in the line up of what I already do in my classroom has helped engage my students and allows them to take charge of their understanding. I hope you give them a try!