online educational activities for high school students

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October 2, 2020

11 fun zoom games & activities for secondary students.

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Another fun game to play on Zoom with students (and co-workers) is the 9 Truths Game. In the game, players anonymously answer True/False questions on their laptop, phone, or tablet, and then guess how many of the other players also answered "True". Points are scored based on how close you are to the correct number, but the real fun of the game is the hilarious stories that go along with people's answers. And the best part is that it's free to play and there are no ads. 9 Truths Game - www.9Truths.com

Thank you! I'll be playing this with a few of my students today to loosen up before our counseling session!

Thanks, this is just what I need to arrange for a teen Zoom get-together!

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Best Online Educational Games for High School Students

In this highly evolving era, we often come across new technologies every now & then. It has made its way into our daily lives. Education is no exception.

There are various current and emerging education tools, becoming a blistering topic among educators and educational institutions. Some may view gaming as interference to learning, but its role in education is way beyond one's imagination. Irrespective of any age, the introduction of educational games to kids helps increase their motivation and engagement, enhance visual skills, improve students' interaction and collaboration abilities with their peers, and apply gaming values in a real-world situation; most importantly, it improves learning.

Focusing students in high-school, solely, they are at a stage of learning where they need to take complete control of their learning to make it as effective as they can. Each has different learning capacities, different comfort zone, different career choices, etc. At this stage, rather than restricting them to textbooks, they should be allowed to widen their perspectives and look for new and reformed ways for better learning. In high school, they already look for various learning resources beyond the reach of their curriculum for better, advanced, and informed learning; educational games could be an add-on.

Here, we enlist the best educational games shaped, especially for high-school students.

Minecraft Edu

It is a game-based learning platform which promotes creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving in an immersive digital environment. Approximately educators in more than 115 countries are using Minecraft: Education Edition across the curriculum!

It has a set of tutorials and game features that brings subjects to life in Minecraft: Education Edition and supports educators in classroom management and formative assessment.

From computer science to mixed reality, Minecraft: Education Edition provides endless opportunities for exploration, storytelling, and digital learning. It also helps students build critical 21st-century skills like collaboration, creative problem solving, and digital citizenship.

Developed by an elementary teacher to reinforce fundamental learning concepts in math, reading, spelling, language arts, typing, and problem-solving, RoomRecess.com comes with over 150 learning games. This platform is dedicated to providing children with free learning games that are fun and easy to fortify essential elementary students' skills and the educational process.

Since it is available at zero cost, students do not need to sign up or have an account. They can load up an activity and have fun learning online while they play!

They are designed especially for 13-15-year-old students interested in nanotechnology and science. This game has two main characters going on miniaturized adventures while learning physics, chemistry, and biology.

At Nano quest, students go on a 3D adventure through the world of Nanotechnology and discover how properties change at that scale while visiting a Nano Lab and a Nano Gallery.

Nanoquest is a Discover Science and Engineering Project that offers information on Nanotechnologies and links to the curriculum. It teaches a lot more about nanotechnology and how the elements that make it up play off each other.

Available for students of all ages, NASA STEM allows students to explore the moon, design a crew module, new space station, and more while sitting back at their home. With this game, they learn fascinating information about space and know what it is like to live there as they answer questions to help build a new space station.

Created by a high school student, Gimkit is an interactive review game where students answer questions on their devices at their own pace. They get exposure to the questions multiple times to ensure mastery and earn in-game money for correct answers that they can use to buy upgrades and power-ups!

With gimkit, remote learning seems a lot more doable. It engages students and makes them curious to learn more and more. Assignments are taken care of and graded. Also, remote lesson plans with content are created in minutes.

BBC iReporter

As the name suggests, the BBC iReporter, a browser-based game is more like a journalist/reporter working in a news agency. In the game, users choose-their-own-adventure game where they experience their first day on the job on the news agency's social media team. Their goal is to investigate a breaking news story about a nationwide social media outrage and gather updates in time for four newscasts a day. They would navigate news from a variety of sources, including video chats from colleagues, messages from parents, and of course, several social media channels. Over the day, they would earn or lose points for accuracy, impact, and speed. It is a refreshingly modern way for students to learn and explore how to filter and interpret information and media during breaking news events.

BBCireporter is free and most suitable for grade 7-12.

Liyla and the Shadows of War

Liyla and shadow of war is an extraordinarily evocative and concise game; it is a 2D side-scroller offering a powerful lesson about the horrible consequences of war for families. Here, the events are based on family's war, but not specifically on Gaza's 2014 invasion by Israel , giving students' knowledge about the invasion. Liyla feels more like Limbo , featuring silhouetted figures running against a dark, monochrome war-torn background.

When it comes to games, Liyla subverts some expectations, but this works thematically. It is impossible to predict which choices lead to what, therefore, students have to rely on trial & error and memorization to sequence the correct moves that help them reach to the end. This uncertainty, however, is the whole point. Some students may find Liyla too brief to be impactful. While, for some, such a long game may be more meaningful and exciting.

Parable of the Polygons

Parable of the Polygons is an extremely interactive website game that stimulates thought and discussion around the connection between people's biases and segregation. It presents itself as an interactive blog post based on Thomas Schelling's 1971 paper Dynamic Models of Segregation. It is an academic concept that's explored here in a visual way with small, movable shapes that frown or smile, depending on how "happy" they are in their "neighbourhood." The shapes represent two different racial groups, and each interactive simulation portrays how is an individual biased, their individual choices about where they live can drive others away from diverse neighbourhoods, which can lead to more segregation.

In a nutshell, we may say, the parable of polygons has activities that engage students in active thinking about social issues like bias and segregation.

Trigonometry Minigolf

Learning trigonometry has never been more fun. This game uses correct answers to power learners' golf swing as they aim for a hole in one! When they miss an answer, the other best lets them know what they did wrong and provides another shot.

Did you find any favourite game on the list? If yes, do share in the comments.

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Educational Games to Help High School Students Soar

Are your high school students ready to become full-fledged geese yet? They are perilously close to leaving the nest, becoming adults, going off to college, and joining the workforce (Ahem - check out our openings at Goosechase! ).

…and yet, they can sometimes seem just like silly little geese – all full of fun and possible mischief. As a high school teacher, how can you keep them focused and on track, so they will be able to meet their college and life goals? One of the best ways to help them acquire the skills and confidence they will need after graduation is through educational games.

Learning can be fun and engaging

“Research shows that using games in teaching can help increase student participation, foster social and emotional learning, and motivate students to take risks.” Edutopia , The George Lucas Educational Foundation

One shock (shock!) to many college freshmen is that the professors don’t actually tell them where to look for the answers (imagine that, if you can). They become so accustomed to the typical high school classroom that they haven’t actually learned how to learn independently.

In a surprising number of high school classrooms (not yours, of course), students are still expected to learn through the traditional lecture, homework, test paradigm. While this may work for some students, others are left lost, unchallenged or bored.

Games, in contrast, bring an entirely new dimension to the traditional lesson plan and can actually help prepare students for college. They learn to overcome challenges, diversify their thinking, and seek answers independently or in collaboration with their peers. Many college learning experiences are heavily research-driven, but how can students rise to the challenge if they’ve just been given the questions throughout their high school career? Games can actually help them learn problem-solving skills, how to ask the right questions, and then provide them with perseverance as they search for answers.

Parents may be concerned that their children seem to be spending too much time on games. But, when used properly, games like Minecraft and Werewolf can actually help link educational content with friendly competition. Instead of isolating themselves in basements or bedrooms, students can actively use games to participate in collaborative, engaging learning experiences. During the pandemic, when there were weeks on end of virtual learning, games provided a much-needed outlet to keep students connected and motivated .

Other benefits that can be achieved by building lesson content around games include:

• Impactful games can be especially helpful in building subject knowledge with students who have difficulty focusing during a lecture/listening-based format.
• Fun games can improve attitudes about learning, and increase academic scores.
• Games promote curiosity, improve focus, and help players build grit and determination, as they search to solve a problem or uncover an answer.
• There is better retention of subject matter. Instead of just listening and taking notes, students become active learners. Content is more likely to stick because they are using more skill sets to achieve the end result.

How can I make my high school class fun?

In the classic movie, “To Sir, With Love,” the teacher played so forcefully by Sidney Poitier managed to make learning fun and meaningful for even the most challenging of high school classrooms. He brought real-world experience to students who seemed destined to go down the wrong path in life, and taught skills they would need to become adults. Here are some tips you can use to make teaching your high school class just as fun and rewarding:

• Add a little mystery (we all like to guess whodunit and why!).
• Mix it up – teach lessons in different ways, to appeal to all your students. Present class material Jeopardy-style: give them a concept and work backwards, asking them to come up with questions relevant to the topic.
• Use educational games to enhance student learning (again, Jeopardy is a great example of this! Five more fun ideas just a few scrolls ahead).
• Start giving your soon-to-be adults more choices about how they will learn. For example, give them 2 different books to choose to write a report on.
• Incorporate technology – they love it, and so can you.
• Give them opportunities to embrace their child-like qualities every so often with silliness and creativity – adulting will be hard enough.
• Get them involved – create interactive lessons where students participate, act out scenes, or explore on their own.
• Get real – relate the subject matter to skills they will need in college, at work, or in life.
• Think outside the academic box – maybe turn it upside down, or stand on it, or have students make a new kind of box!

5 Educational Games For High School Classrooms

Here are some games that can help high school students become more engaged in their education and build a range of useful life skills:

• Geoguessr : Make geography more than memorizing countries and capitals. Guide students as they use Google Maps to explore locations, see landscapes, and learn about the people and their environment.
• Words with Friends : This Scrabble-type game was all the rage a minute ago (now Wordle in all its iterations is hot), but it can still pack a powerful language punch for high school students. Two players compete against each other in a friendly competition to polish their language skills and claim bragging rights. Offer this as an activity to do outside of class for extra credit.
• Goosechase : Use Goosechase to build a custom game or access our library for some pretty fantastic teacher-created Experience templates , which you can adapt to your own needs. Get your students involved and engaged as they submit text, photo/video, and GPS check-in answers to questions you create based on your lesson plan. Just a couple of the High School Experiences you can find in the library:

Absolutism!

Students travel around the Eastern Hemisphere and meet some absolute monarchs.

Best for: Students Grade Level: 9-12 Subject: History

Geometry Hunt

Get them exploring and learning math skills with lines, planes, and rays (no automobiles).

Best for: Students Grade Level: 9-10 Subject: Math

4.   Giant Jenga: Want to take a break from screen time? Great for any subject. Buy a giant Jenga set (or have one built in tech class) and simply put questions on each block (use chalk so you can reuse your Jenga blocks). Students pull out a block and answer the questions, while trying to keep the tower from tumbling.

5.     CELLS alive! Use interactive models, puzzles and games to teach high school science.

Educational games can be a serious support to help high school students gain knowledge and achieve success with skill-building and college preparation concepts. Check out our top picks above, and explore all the ways Goosechase can help you as a high school teacher find ways to make learning fun and engaging - for you and them!

What is Goosechase?

At Goosechase, experience is everything. Originally inspired by scavenger hunts, Goosechase is an online platform that enables organizations and schools to engage, activate, and educate their communities through delightful interactive experiences. Sign up and try creating a free recreational game, or contact us to learn more about our enterprise solutions!

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Parents: Want help with teen anxiety, motivation and/or social media addiction?

Schedule an expert strategy session with our team, 100+ online educational activities for students.

Do you really know what your students are up to online? The social media landscape seems to change every day with new apps, security risks, and privacy concerns-- and it can be tough for parents to keep up. Thankfully there are many great educational tools and tracking control software that can help give parents peace of mind. The Smart Social team has done the research for you. Here are some ideas of positive online activities for students of all ages:

Table of Contents

Free live streaming (or replay) classes and activities.

• Learn to draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing at the Kennedy Center. Just bring some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons to Lunch Doodles with Mo . Previously taped episodes are now available for replay.
• The Cincinnati Zoo is very active with their educational resources online. They have hosted ‘Home Safari Facebook Live’ to help kids learn all about animals. Join the Zoo’s Facebook page. Check out social media and the website of aquariums and zoos around the world, or in your backyard!
• The IMAG History & Science Center is keeping kids entertained with exciting lessons and experiments. Head to the IMAG Facebook page for replays of STEM@Home and Meet the Keeper episodes!
• Join James Dean, author of Pete the Cat, as he reads his books and teaches student how to draw his lovable characters. Replays of Pete The Cat Club are now available on Instagram .
• Petersen’s Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is offering educational courses and at-home activities for kids ages 12 and under. You can watch replays of the courses here .
• Replays of #DrawTogether with New York Times bestselling illustrator and graphic journalist Wendy MacNaughton are now available at DrawTogether with WendyMac
• Join the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy on their Gills Club app . The app includes interactive activities, in-depth shark facts, and guidance on how to be an ocean steward.
• The education team at Kennedy Space Center has hosted videos about living in space, Mars, and rocketry. Tours of Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Astronaut Training Experience. Replays are now available.
• Learn to cook with Delish ! Cooking classes for parents and students are now available for replay on Instagram.
• Go whale watching! Watch replays of Oceans Initiative’s marine biology camp.

Read Aloud Stories

• Audible Subscriptions – your students can learn from some of the world’s best books. Get a free book here with our partnership link .
• HarperKids – HarperCollins Children’s Books created the HarperKids YouTube Channel. Watch and listen to your kid’s favorite books, author interviews, and original content. All ages.
• Brightly Storytime , by Penguin Random House, features read-aloud and flip along videos, and more for kids. All ages.
• The Global Space Education Foundation presents Story Time From Space . Join astronauts aboard the International Space Station as they videotape themselves reading books to children on Earth. All ages.
• Join your favorite celebrities, including Oprah and Betty White, for storytime on Storyline Online by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

10 Audible Books for Listening and Learning (Parents- please preview these before giving to students)

• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths by Bernard Evslin
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
• Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
• Harriet Tubman : Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry
• The Science Book by DKNOTE: Amazon’s audiobook service just launched Audible Stories , a free destination offering educational and entertaining children’s and family content.

Free Worksheets and Coloring Sheets

• Crayola offers free coloring pages to download and DIY craft ideas. Just search by category and start getting creative. All ages.
• GreatSchools is a nonprofit empowering parents to unlock educational opportunities for their child. The website has thousands of articles, tips, free worksheets, and interactive tools to help parents support their child’s learning. All ages.
• Lakeshore Learning has free learning resources for kids including printable flashcards, lessons, and activities. All ages.
• Twinkl has teacher-favorite resources to support home learning. Download free printable learning packets for preschool to 5th grade students.
• Education.com is offering free Independent Study Packets for elementary students.
• WorksheetFun.com offers a large library of free PDF worksheet. They are sorted by subject.

Literacy and Writing Tools

• The Learning Network by The New York Times offers dozens of new writing prompts each week. The writing prompts are all based on articles, photographs, illustrations, and videos from The New York Times. Students must register for a free account to get the writing prompts. Ages 13+.
• Scholastic has online stories to read and corresponding activities for students. All grade levels.
• There are many YouTube channels that focus on teaching kids literacy skills. Here’s a list of 17 great ones by GrowingBookbyBook.com . Recommendations for all ages.
• Apps can provide amazing literacy lessons to students. Click here for a list of great reading apps for 4 to 8 year-olds.
• PBS KIDS for Parents offers free resources created by expert educators and child development professionals. The site has books, games, kid cooking tutorials, and more. Ages 13 and under.
• ABCmouse Early Learning Academy has self guided lessons filled with books, games, songs, and art. Ages 8 and under.
• Read and play games with the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch and more on Seussville . Ages 13 and under.
• Starfall is a great resource for young elementary students to practice reading and math skills through games and songs. Ages 9 and under
• Quill offers free writing and grammar activities for students including lessons for teachers to lead writing instruction as well as diagnostics. All ages.
• Many libraries offer digital book and audio book rentals for free online. Check your local library’s website.
• Reading Bear is a free online program to teach beginning readers vocabulary and English concepts using videos and interactive slide shows. Ages 8 and under.
• Sesame Workshop , the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, offers young students free learning videos, games, and more. Ages 6 and under.

STEAM Online Activities

• ScratchJr , designed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Labkids, teaches kids ages 7 and under how to program their own interactive stories and games. There is a more advanced free tool called Scratch for students ages 8+.
• Brickit will help you turn that pile of LEGOs on the floor into some amazing creations. Just scatter your bricks out and take a photo. The free app will come up with hundreds of ideas of what can be built with them and show you the exact location of each piece you’ll need.
• Mystery Science has at-home lessons like “Why do woodpeckers peck wood?” and “Why do we get hiccups?” Kindergarten - 5th grade
• The Smithsonian Learning Lab offers free interactive learning experiences for students using millions of resources from Smithsonian museums and galleries. All ages.
• CoolMath4Kids is a free “online amusement park” filled with games that are designed to make learning math fun. Ages 12 and under.
• CoolMath.com teaches more advanced math with explanations that are easy to grasp on topics like algebra, pre-calculus and more. Ages 13+.
• Science Mom has a kid friendly video feed full of fun at-home science experiments. Ages 13 and under.
• Elementari teaches students to create code and turn their stories into illustrations. All ages. NOTE: The company is currently offering free premium access to teachers. Learn more here .
• HelloKids offers kids free step-by-step tutorials to draw dozens of animals, objects, characters, and more. All ages.
• Nat Geo for Kids helps students learn about animals, geography, science experiments and more. All ages.
• Imagineering in a Box , by Khan Academy, teaches students how Disney Imagineers use story development, math, physics and engineering to create amazing experiences for theme park guests.
• Go birdwatching in your yard or out the window. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has great free resources to help students properly identify and track all the birds they spot. All ages.
• It’s time to experiment with Bill Nye the Science Guy . His website has more than three dozen free science experiments for students and parents to try at home. Ages 5+.
• Students can create their own songs on the Chrome Music Lab . The website makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments.
• Art for Kids Hub regularly uploads free new drawing lessons for students. Fun for all ages.

Take a Virtual Field Trip

• Discovery Education offers free virtual field trips around the world. Each location you click on comes with a companion guide and hands-on learning activities.
• At The Nature Conservancy , students can dive down to see a coral reef in the Caribbean and explore the rainforest in Borneo all in the same day – and all from the comfort of their homes.
• Check out our planet like you’ve never seen it before on Google Earth Virtual Reality .
• Your family will also love checking out 31 National Parks across the country on Google Earth.
• Yosemite National Park offers its own tour of its park, including popular spots like the Swinging Bridge and Nevada Fall.
• Take a virtual tour of the Boston Children’s Museum .
• Explore the surface of Mars as seen by NASA’s Curiosity Rover.
• Take a virtual tour of the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris.
• Head to the San Diego Zoo and watch the animals LIVE in their habitats.
• Let’s head to the farm! The American Dairy Association is hosting virtual farm tours to teach students where food comes from.

Brain Breaks and Physical Education

• Lumosity offers free brain games to keep student minds actively engaged. All ages.
• The Learning Station has a video feed of 32 Brain Break Action Videos for Kids . All ages.
• Solitaired is a great way to take a break and refocus. On this solitaire site your family can play a game of the day to challenge yourself and see who can win.
• Try Wordle from the New York Times. It's a free, once a day challenge to guess a 5 letter word.
• It can be challenging for students to unplug when school is out of session, but it’s important to take breaks. SmartSocial.com has lots of ideas for creating a fun family night without screens .
• 5 0+ Easy Indoor Activities for Kids by hellowonderful.co.
• EntertainKidsonaDime.com came up with this wonderful list of 100 activities to do at home with kids .
• SmartSocial.com created a list of safe, offline activity ideas for students to help regulate screen time. You can check them out here .
• GoNoodle helps teachers and parents get kids moving with short interactive activities. Ages 5 to 12.
• Jack Hartmann has created more than 1,000 songs for children on his albums and popular YouTube channel . His educational videos help students learn math, reading and language skills, nursery rhymes, science, physical fitness, and dance. Ages 12 and under.
• Cosmic Kids Yoga is used at schools around the world. Your students can learn yoga, mindfulness and relaxation on this popular YouTube channel for kids. Ages 3+.
• The whole family can exercise together on Beachbody Kids . Check out more than a dozen free workouts by celebrity trainers.
• Listen to a podcast! There are many podcasts made just for students, including But Why? by NPR which answers questions submitted by real kids or Wow in the World to learn about science, technology, and innovation.

Start Learning a New Language

• Salsa by Georgia Public Broadcasting is a Spanish language series for young learners that uses puppets, digital graphics, and animation to teach the language. Ages 5 to 9.
• The CASLS Games2Teach website has free downloadable classroom activities in over 17 languages for novice, intermediate, and advanced learners. Designed for students in grades K-12.
• Duolingo is a free game-based language-learning website for 30+ languages. Students ages 13 and up.
• Canticos has fun, engaging bilingual preschool resources for little ones to learn both English and Spanish. Ages 6 and under.
• Rosetta Stone immerses students in a new language. The program is designed by professional linguists to help students with long-term retention and correct pronunciation — without memorization or drills. Check out your local library's online resources to see if they have membership options with your library card!
• Learn Dutch, Spanish, Turkish, or Polish with short, 10 to 15 minutes on Babbel .

Resources for Educators to Use in the Classroom or at Home

• OK Go Sandbox is an online resource for educators, developed by the University of St. Thomas. It uses music videos and guided challenges to teach students STEAM concepts.
• Flipgrid is a social learning platform that allows educators to ask a question, and students to respond in a video. Students can also respond to one another to create a virtual class discussion.
• In collaboration with K-12 STEM teachers and CDC subject matter experts, the CDC Science Ambassador Fellowship program has designed a series of various educational activities, collectively entitled: Teaching Tomorrow’s Disease Detectives: Science skills for the problem-based world .
• ReadWriteThink has free materials for reading and language arts lesson plans.
• PhET offers free interactive math and science simulations.
• The Space Foundation and Peanuts partnered up to create free lesson plans for teachers or parents. You can download them here on DiscoverSpace.org . Grades PreK to 12.
• Scholastic has free resources for students and teachers, too.
• Statistics In Schools brings school subjects to life using real-world Census Bureau statistics to create materials for use year after year at all grade levels.
• EPIC! has free educational books, quizzes, and learning videos.
• EDSITEment offers free lesson plans and teacher guides.
• National Geographic offers teachers free lessons and activities.
• Arts Edge has arts-centered, standards-based resources for grades K-12 and is now available through the Kennedy Center's Digital Resources Library.
• Common Lit offers reading passages and text-based questions.
• Library of Congress is a great classroom resource full of materials to use in the classroom.
• Newsela keeps up with current events and stories tailor-made for classroom use.
• Share My Lesson is a database of early childhood through high school tailored lesson plans.
• ClassDojo offers free communication tool for schools and classrooms and is a great way to stay in touch when a campus is closed.
• EdModo is a collaborative space for students and teachers to turn in assignments and track progress.

SmartSocial.com Resources for Parents and Educators

The online resources on this page are wonderful tools for parents and educators to help keep their students educated and entertained. But with access to the internet comes concerns about excessive screen time, talking to strangers, social media addiction, and more.

Take a look at some of SmartSocial.com’s best advice for using social media and the internet responsibly.

How to be a good digital citizen

• 18 Teens Using Social Media for Good Deeds
• 5 Cyber Safety Tips For Parenting In A Digital World
• Get Educated, Supervise Your Kids & Play Games: 3 Cyber Safety Tips For Parents
• 3 Tips to be Safe and Smart on the Web

Social Media app guides and other tips

• Our Comprehensive Parent and Educator Guides for 100+ Most Popular Apps for Students
• Positive Impact of Social Media & Screen Time: What Parents, Educators, & Students Need to Know
• The Positive Impact of Using Social Media Together as a Family
• Teen Social Media Safety Tips for Parents
• Best Practices for Students Who Share Photos Online
• 5 Social Media Safety Tips for Parents

Establishing guidelines and rules for social media and smartphones

• Why Every Family Needs a Social Media Agreement
• Is It Too Late to Establish Smartphone and Social Media Guidelines?
• How to Set Social Media Guidelines for Your Family
• 20 Easy Tips for Using Social Media Responsibly
• 11 Safety Experts Share Teen Cell Phone Best Practices

Managing screen time as a family

• Apple Screen Time: Complete Guide for Parents
• Android Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls: Complete Guide for Parents
• Parental Control Software & Cell Phone Monitoring Comparison Guide
• How to Use Screen Time Productively
• 5+ Screen Time Management Tips to Prevent Addiction
• How to Handle and Prevent Excessive Screen Time
• Screen Time for Kids: 6 Experts Share Tips
• 7 Ways Parents Can Teach Teens to Have Productive Screen Time
• 5 Screen Time Recommendations for Younger Kids
• YouTube Kids Guide: What Parents Need to Know

Did we miss something? Contact us to suggest an update

Read More From Smart Social:

The Impact of Screen Time on Motivation

Social Media Student Internship at Smart Social

Parents Guide to YouTube Kids (2024)

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Kami Blog > Engaging Activities for High School Students

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Engaging activities for high school students.

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

Here are 5 icebreakers to start the lesson

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

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

3. Discussion

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

4. Flash fiction

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

5. Human knot

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

10 Classroom activities to engage students

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

1. Host a Jeopardy quiz!

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

2. Play Guess Who

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

3. Journalling

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

4. Entry tickets …and exit tickets

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

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

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

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

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

5. Brainstorming

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

6. Debate-style activity

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

7. Thumbs up / thumbs down

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

8. Create a video lesson plan

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

9. Think pair share

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

10. Roll the dice

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

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

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10 Activities to Engage Students

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25 Best Online Learning Platforms for Students & Teachers to Try in 2022

Written by Melanie Arden

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Students at one school district mastered 68% more math skills on average when they used Prodigy.

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Student and teacher communication platforms

Game-based learning platforms, classroom management platforms, online-only virtual learning platforms, what about elearning platforms for adults, is there a best virtual classroom platform.

Since early 2020, teachers like you worked tirelessly to ensure students continue their studies without disruption. Despite the challenges everyone faced, your hard work made sure online learning platforms provided a way to keep kids engaged and excited to study! 

As students continue to learn online, virtual learning platforms are a good way to help them:

• Have an effective remote learning experience
• Progress with their studies and receive feedback from teachers
• Learn in a safe environment in line with the school’s privacy policies
• Get more time back for homework and activities instead of traveling to school

We've compiled a variety of online learning platforms to suit the needs of parents and teachers. Keep reading to find out which one is right for you!

Types of virtual learning platforms & examples of each

Communication is key when it comes to ensuring students receive the education they deserve. Interactive video lectures help teachers and students communicate effectively in real time.

Education platforms encourage students to:

• Collaborate 
• Communicate
• Share videos, photos and homework assignments 

To help students learn, you can set up classes, distribute and collect homework assignments.

Plus, virtual platforms give parents the opportunity to take part and supervise their child's progress from home. 

1. FlipGrid

FlipGrid is a conversation-starter enabling students and teachers to share videos about a relevant subject. Starting guides and webinars are available to teach you and your students how to use this unique platform. Best of all, it's free! 

Zoom became the #1 choice for meetings and webinars for its ease and functionality. Why not use this video conferencing tool for online classes, too?

Zoom requires the use of a passcode to take part in real-time video lectures. Not only does this provide a secure learning environment for kids, but it also allows for safe interactions between students and teachers.

Slack is an instant messaging tool that helps you and your students communicate instantly. 

Teachers can set up channels geared toward separate topics, and Slack ensures data is secure so only teachers and students access lessons. Once you create a start hub, students can easily access everything they need for their studies.

Bloomz is a wonderful app that opens communication between parents and teachers. Easily line up parent-teacher conversations, receive class updates and track behavior with this user-friendly platform. Translation is available in over 100 languages to make learning accessible for everyone.

5. ClassDojo

Parents can join their kids in class through any device with this platform. ClassDojo gives students a way to receive praise for their skills, and parents have the option to share happy moments captured in classrooms.

6. Microsoft Teams

Classrooms are a true team environment when teachers and students can swap thoughts and ideas. Microsoft Teams makes it easy for you and your students to work together as you exchange videos, homework assignments and engage in chat conversations.

Game-based learning combines the fun of gaming with learning . Quizzes, badges and points systems coupled with classroom participation make for a joyful way for students to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills

We found four rewarding and helpful platforms to enhance your child's love for learning through games.

1. Prodigy Math Game

Prodigy's adaptive, game-based learning platform can help students fall in love with learning! Prodigy Math Game challenges students to complete questions, earn rewards and battle friends, all while answering curriculum-aligned questions. 

Plus, your free teacher account gives you access to all of Prodigy’s teacher tools. Use them to:

• Align Prodigy with your classroom lessons
• Differentiate math instruction for every student
• Track student progress and deliver in-game assessments

Whether students are learning in the classroom or at home, Prodigy is a great way to keep them engaged as they build math skills.

Nothing gets kids more excited than a good classroom quiz (and a little healthy competition). Kahoot! was created to work with live video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Skype and Google Meet and blends educational games with fun questions to promote learning.

Kahoot! also encourages kids to create their own games and share with other students.

3. Gimkit         

Gimkit Live unleashes clever educational content where students answer questions at their own pace. Each time they answer a question correctly, they receive in-game cash they can re-invest to buy upgrades and power-ups. 

4. Quizlet        

Quizlet uses flashcards and games to make learning more enjoyable. Study modes and sets are suited to each student's learning style, which makes small accomplishments feel like victories.

Quizlet helps kids to learn a variety of subjects, including:

Classroom management platforms are timesaving tools that make learning run smoothly . These ingenious platforms help you time tasks, manage and improve students' behavior and create a respectful and supportive environment.

You can also use these platforms to communicate with parents and enhance educational experiences at school or at home.

1. Google Classroom    

Google Classroom requires the use of a Gmail account to access Classrooms. This platform is fantastic for easy communication, teamwork and sharing homework files. Plus, you can even use Classroom to make a class website and store important resources or information for students. 

2. Buncee     

Buncee is a fun and simple tool that helps students and teachers create course materials, presentations and stories. The platform has over 2,000 templates that allow users to build charts and visual art creations.

Buncee is a multi-purpose, web-based tool for educational, business and personal applications.

As a global learning management system (LMS), EdModo is a collaborative platform that connects teachers, students and parents.

Teachers like you can:

• Support students 
• Distribute quizzes
• Share assignments
• Create posts and messages

Students have a greater chance of reaching their full potential thanks to EdModo's organized class folders and built-in planner. 

Parents may wish to create their own account so they can supervise their child's progress.

4. Edulastic

As a valuable online education tool, Edulastic's high standards help you administer assessments, help students and track their progress. Google Classroom synchronization is available free to use in combination with Edulastic. Students receive the best of both worlds: effective academic resources that are easy to use!  

5. Eduplanet21      

Eduplanet21 recently began allowing teachers and groups to receive a free subscription to use their platform. Developers also released a software module called "Lesson Planner," which helps you to produce and alter lesson plans for remote learning.

The website has great resources for "10 Minute Tuesdays," quick conversations with educators from around the world. Their webinars also offer valuable tips to help educators and students.

6. ClassMax

ClassMax's online education tool shows teachers exactly how to set up the system, so no guessing required. You can create seating charts, monitor behavior and track student progress. It also eliminates the need to use paper, which is an environmental bonus!

When the pandemic forced educators to change the way they deliver lessons, virtual learning platforms became the solution for administering tutorials and sending out learning materials.

There are countless platforms to make studies enjoyable while kids learn from the comfort and safety of their homes, and we found five excellent options for teachers and parents to choose from.

1. Skillshare

Skillshare's vast library of over 20,000 classes earns top honors as one of the best online learning platforms. Courses consist of presentations lasting 20 minutes or less along with a class project.

Skillshare membership levels include:

• A two-month free trial.
• Free membership allowing access to 2,000 classes.
• Premium membership for $15 per month or $99 for a year. You receive access to 20,000+ classes.

Students learn new skills through online courses about productivity, business and creativity. 

2. 3P Learning

3P is a blended software designed for mathematics and literacy. Incorporated gaming elements make learning more fun for students, and 3P's Mathletics program provides activities that help students practice and advance their understanding of mathematics.

Math and literacy subjects are geared toward students ages 3 - 16.

3. Dialpad  

Dialpad, a cloud-based phone system, allows educators to create an online campus and bring all their students together under one 'roof'. Teachers can set up a virtual classroom in seconds, students easily stay connected from any device and all communications are secure thanks to encryption. 

4. Docebo  

Docebo is an amazing collaborative learning platform perfectly suited for student interaction. Kids can take part in active discussions as they would in a physical classroom with a flexible and easy-to-use system.

Course content distribution and management has never been so easy!

Habyts' platform lets teachers and parents take control over students' screens to help kids stay motivated to complete their schoolwork.

Parents can have round-the-clock access to goals and rewards that help their kids remain focused. Use Habyts with your students’ parents to promote healthy learning even when they’re not in the classroom!

There are countless free and low-cost options available to adults who want to learn online. If you would like to upgrade your skills or sign up for professional development training programs, we've got you covered.

Below, you'll find four of our top picks to help you achieve your educational goals.  

1. Coursera  

Coursera has several certificates, degree programs and general courses to give you the tools for success. Learn from top educational institutions and companies like Duke University, Stanford or Google.

Coursera's affordable options include:

• Free courses
• Degree programs such as computer science and MBAs
• Professional certificates in social media or digital marketing 

The impressive list of training programs is available to anyone seeking career advancement.

MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses. An extension of EDx, you'll find free and affordable online courses to transform your career in engineering, data science, computer science, business, management and humanities.

Udemy is a fantastic, low-cost option where you can learn design, web development, marketing, music and countless other subjects. With over 155,000 online courses to choose from, you'll spend hours honing new skills for work or play.

EDx boasts affordable degree programs taught by respected educational institutions like Harvard, Berkeley University and MIT. MicroBachelor and MicroMasters studies enable adults to fast track their career advancement and start less expensive Bachelor and Masters programs.

Adult eLearning platforms are a boon for those wishing to expand their education from the comfort of their home. During the pandemic, these platforms provide extraordinary value without a huge expense.

Well... choosing the best virtual platform depends on several factors :

• What age group are you teaching? 
• How many students do you have in your class? 
• Do you need to set up tutoring spaces for kids who need extra help? 

There are several things to consider before choosing a platform that is right for your students

One of the best ways to determine the right platform for you is to create a list of must-haves . Compare the list against each virtual platform's features and benefits. From there, you'll be able to settle on the best platform for your students.  

Our digital world opens up a staggering number of virtual classrooms to choose from. Each platform has their own unique advantages. Like everything else, there are limitations to consider.

But what happens when virtual classrooms do not meet all student needs? It is important to point out several caveats associated with virtual classrooms:

• Teacher compensation and workload require restructuring
• Students may lose interest in completing homework assignments
• Educators should be mindful of how student data is collected and stored
• Students miss their friends and the social interaction they received at school
• Technological limitations may exist especially for kids from low-income families
• It is not always easy to prevent unwanted visitors from entering a virtual classroom
• Unstable enrollment as restrictions lift and students attend traditional classrooms vs. virtual learning
• Problems with internet access could prevent students from logging into classes and missing important lessons
• Other limitations include length of each session and the number of participants allowed to enter the virtual classroom (this isn't an issue for paid versions of some platforms)

Before choosing a virtual classroom, consider the pros and cons of each platform and how they may influence your students' learning experience. 

There are several wonderful learning options available to educational institutions and teachers. A little research will help you arrive at the best decision for your students!

Virtual learning is changing education

For every state and school district, there are different opinions on the future of virtual learning. Some say it's here to stay while others insist a physical classroom is the best way for kids to learn.

Here are a few key points to consider about the future of virtual classrooms:

• Online courses offer flexibility and accessibility for everyone with internet access
• Several platforms offer an extensive selection of programs and courses catered to different interests
•  Most online learning resources are less expensive than traditional in-person classrooms and lecture halls, making virtual education more affordable

Although it’s hard to predict what online education will look like ten years from now, many online learning resources will be available in the near future. Online studies have become a great way to supplement traditional classroom learning.

Prodigy Math Game blends the adventure of an online game with curriculum-aligned math practice. As students explore the world of Prodigy through their wizard avatars, they’ll encounter skill-building math questions that help them earn rewards and level up.

With your free teacher account, you can align the questions students answer to your lesson plans, differentiate content and track student progress, even while students learn online. Get started today!

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27 Classroom Games Students Will Want To Play Again and Again

Practice important skills … and have fun!

The classroom games you choose to play with students may become their favorite memories. (I still remember playing Heads Up, Seven Up in Mrs. Merar’s first grade class!) Classroom games are a great way to build collaboration and community and practice important skills. Plus, they’re fun!

Benefits of Classroom Games

Classroom games capture what kids are naturally good at—playing—to improve other skills. Games support kids’ executive functioning skills , things like planning, organization, turn-taking, and problem-solving are all skills that students need to be successful. Playing games, from Memory to Monopoly, gives kids experience in focus and concentration, working memory, and flexibility in safe spaces where they can grow and stretch these skills. Plus, they’re a fun way to learn more about how your students think and work together.

In addition to all the classroom games listed below, check out our lists of most loved educational board games and best board games for 6-to-12-year-olds .

Here are our favorite classroom games that you can use to teach, reteach, and engage students.

Games for Practicing Academic Skills

Classroom games can help students practice things that they need to know—like multiplication tables, vocabulary words, and science facts. They’re great ways to do a quick review or practice for a quiz.

Math (or Fact) Baseball

Divide the class into two teams. One team is “at bat” and scores runs by answering questions that are worth one, two, or three bases. You “pitch” the questions using flash cards. If the at-bat team answers correctly, they move around the baseball field and rack up runs. If the at-bat team does not answer correctly, the defending team can respond correctly to earn an out. Once the at-bat team has three outs, they switch.

You can also put students into pairs and have them play a partner version.

Why we love it:  This game is great for upper elementary students who are able to follow the game and will love the strategy of earning runs.

Beach Ball Toss

Write questions on the sides of a plastic beach ball. You can write questions about a story (plot, theme, setting, characters, structure), about math (write numbers 1 through 6 on the beach ball and students have to select a math problem based on the number they choose), or simply silly questions that students can answer. As students catch the ball, they answer the question. When they’ve answered, they throw the ball to the next player. If you’re working with material that may be new for some kids, you can give each kid one “pass” and they can share the problem-solving with another student.

Why we love it: It’s flexible and works with students’ eye-hand coordination.

Buy it: Beach Balls at Amazon

Learn more: More Than Elementary

Create a list of topics that students can visualize (think: science concepts, vocabulary words). Students work either in two teams for the entire class or in small groups that are divided into two. One student selects a card and has to draw an image that the other team uses to guess the word. The rest of the group guesses the term that’s being drawn. Add a timer for an added challenge. Provide additional differentiation by allowing students to provide one, two, or more letters in the word as well.

Why we love it: Kids who have strengths in drawing and thinking outside the box can really shine.

Learn more: Differentiation Daily

There’s the Simon Says you know from the playground and the Simon Says classroom game. In this Simon Says, tell students to do something that lets them show off what they’ve learned or practices a skill. So you might say, Simon Says spell “conundrum.” Or Simon Says solve this equation. Play either as a whole class with you as Simon or in small groups with cards of prompts that students can use when they take turns being Simon.

Why we love it: In addition to practicing skills, students also practice listening and impulse control.

20 Questions

Prepare cards with related words or topics. Group students into teams of two to four students. One at a time, students choose a card and the others have to try to guess what the card is by asking questions that can only be answered with a yes or no. Keep track of how many questions are asked, because you’re only allowed 20 questions to get to the answer. Have students put aside the cards they didn’t get for review.

Why we love it: Students practice working memory as they add new information to what they already know.

Also, Guess in 10 is a great 20 Questions–style game played around various topics, including animals, countries, and cities.

Buy it: Guess in 10 at Amazon

Memory is a game that students can do with any content—vocabulary words paired with their definitions, chemistry terms paired with images that depict them, or text structures paired with graphic organizers. First, have students create card pairs. Shuffle the cards and put them on the table. Take turns flipping cards over and finding the matching pairs.

Why we love it: Memory is so versatile you can use this game with anything from procedures to vocabulary to history facts.

Buy it: Blank Memory Cards at Amazon

In charades, students choose a card and act out the information on the card. For a unit on weather, you may have the words cloud , tornado , or hurricane for example. Scaffold this game with three rounds. In the first round, students can explain the topics using a few words. Then, in the second round, they can only use one word to describe what they are acting out. And in the third round, they have to be completely silent, using only their bodies to act out each word.

Why we love it: This game gets students up and moving around and thinking creatively about how to show what they know.

Learn more: Savvy Apple

Put students in the hot seat to review the plot points of a story, practice answering questions, or review for a science test. First, choose vocabulary to review. Then, select a student to sit in the hot seat. The other students ask questions about the topic or information. The student in the hot seat must answer as quickly as possible. If their answer is correct, they stay in the hot seat. If they get a wrong answer, they can pass the seat to someone else. (You can take the pressure out of this game, which can make some students nervous, by removing the timed aspect.)

Why we love it: Hot Seat is a great way to get students to practice information they need to have right at the tip of their tongue.

Scattergories

Scattergories can be played for academics or for fun. It also helps students improve their creative thinking. You’ll need a list of at least 10 categories—mix serious topics with silly ones. Then, select a letter of the alphabet. Have students brainstorm words to go with each category that starts with that letter. So, if the categories you have are Weather, Bees, and Favorite Places, and the letter is H, students might write: hurricane, hive, Hawaii. Give a set amount of time for students to complete their own brainstorm, then share out. Students can rack up points for the number of categories that they complete. And sharing out helps them connect their brainstorming with everyone else’s.

Why we love it: The boundaries that kids have to work in when playing Scattergories is ideal for inspiring creativity.

Get printable Scattergories sheets on Pinterest.

Fix It Relay Race

Divide the class into teams of four to six students, and prepare sentences that each have an error—it could be a factual error for content classes or grammar or spelling mistakes for language classes. Arrange students in a line, with students standing a few feet apart. The first student in each team must correct one mistake in the sentence they are given. Then, they pass the card to the next teammate. The next student corrects another mistake. This continues until each team member has seen the card and they think all the errors are corrected. Then they run the card to the front to complete the relay.

Why we love it: Teams work together to complete each task.

Buy it: Fix It Sentences at Teachers Pay Teachers

This is another classic game that can be adapted to any academic content. Each student gets a card that is taped to their back or their forehead. The card has a name of a person you’re studying or a topic on it. Then, the students circulate and ask questions of other people to try to figure out who or what is taped to them.

Why we love it: This game is easily differentiated by providing students with personalities that you know they are familiar with, and by providing them with questions to ask or a checklist of personalities that they can be thinking about as they figure out who everyone is.

Word Scramble

Each student or group has a word. The goal is to pull as many words out of the original word as possible within the time limit.

Why we love it: Word Scramble encourages flexibility, and students may be surprised at what they see in each game.

Stickyball Bingo

Create a bingo board on your whiteboard with the words that you want students to work with or the math problems you want them to do. Then, have students throw a sticky ball at the board to select their game.

Why we love it: When their aim is poor, students may have to answer questions that push them out of their comfort zone.

Musical Chairs

Prepare a list of discussion questions or prompts. Students choose a card, then walk around the room while music plays. When the music stops, they find a partner and work on the questions they see on the card. You can prepare cards with math or science problems, questions from social studies, getting-to-know-you questions, or silly questions. Changing the type of questions that students are working with keeps this game fresh.

Why we love it: Musical chairs really gets students up and moving, and if you remove the loss of a chair each time, all students can stay in the game.

Check out these school-appropriate songs kids love .

Flashcard Duel

Students each have a set of flash cards and use them to “duel.” In pairs, students show each other a flash card one at a time. If they answer the card right, they get to keep the card. If they don’t, their partner keeps the card.

Why we love it: It’s fast-paced and easy for students to pick up and play during a few minutes of downtime.

Classroom Games for Communication

Games that require students to talk and listen to each other are great ways to encourage communication.

Yes, No, Stand Up

Have a list of sentences prepared. When you read a sentence, students stand if their response is yes and stay seated if it’s no.

Why we love it: Students practice listening skills and inhibition by standing or not in response to your questions.

Blind Square

Use a long rope and blindfolds. Have students stand in groups of four, then put the blindfolds on and hold the rope between them so it creates a square. They have to work together to put the rope down on the floor in front of them.

Why we love it: This game is great for middle schoolers to learn to work together.

Odd One Out

Prepare this game with a set of words or phrases written on slips of paper. Have students work in pairs or small groups to categorize the words or phrases as they relate to each other. Students have completed the game when they find the odd one out. So, students may have a group of four people from the Revolutionary War but only three who were presidents, so the one who is not a president is the odd one out.

Why we love it: Odd One Out requires students to use critical thinking and working memory as they come to each answer.

Can You Hear Me Now?

This is a fun warm-up or cool-down for the day. It’s also a great classroom game to play if you’re teaching virtually. Play as a class or in groups. Each student takes a turn describing an item for the others to draw one step at a time. For example, if the object were “cat,” the description might be: Draw a circle. Draw two triangles on top of the circle. And so on until a cat is drawn. It’ll surprise students how their directions are interpreted, and how hard it is to get people to follow their directions.

Why we love it: This is a humorous way to reinforce that students need to be clear in their directions and listen to yours.

Classroom Games for Collaboration and Team Building

Games that require teamwork are ideal for helping kids practice collaboration in short bursts and around a common, if silly, goal.

Minute To Win It

Challenge your class to compete in tasks that can take under a minute. You could:

• Speed-stack paper cups.
• Roll a coin between fork tongs.
• Transfer pom-poms with chopsticks.
• Build a tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks.
• Pass a balloon from one person to another without using your hands.
• Put together a puzzle.

Why we love it: It’s a quick way to engage students and shift students into a positive frame of mind.

Learn more: Fun and Easy Minute To Win It Games

Over the Electric Fence

Put two chairs in a row, and tell students that they are connected by a wire that is 3 feet high. Even better, string a rope 3 feet high. Students have to imagine that this is an electric fence and if they touch it they are dead. They’ll help everyone get over the fence and work together to do so. Make it even more challenging by telling students that they have to hold hands while moving everyone from one side of the fence to the other.

Why we love it: Students will have to slow down and figure out exactly how to solve the problem.

Create a square in your classroom using tape. Then, place plastic cups or cones around the inside of the square. This area is the minefield. Break students into pairs. One student is blindfolded and the other leads them. The students have to cross the minefield without touching or knocking down the plastic cups. The non-blindfolded student gives directions and the blindfolded student must follow them to cross the minefield without blowing up a “mine” or knocking over a cone.

Why we love it: Students will get out of their comfort level while playing this game.

Start with general everyday scenes (eating dinner, brushing teeth). Have two people act out a scene while everyone else watches. After a time, stop the scene and have someone swap out for a new player. Then, they have to change how the scene is being done. They could, for example, turn eating dinner into taking care of a pet. Once students are familiar with the game, make it more challenging with prompts from the book you’re reading or history scenarios (e.g., Washington crossing the Delaware turns into the French Revolution).

Why we love it: This game gives older students the opportunity to work with a variety of people and get creative connecting scene to scene.

Check out more team-building activities for kids and cooperative games for kids .

Classroom Games for Fun

Sometimes you need classroom games that simply let students have fun and blow off steam!

Freeze Dance

This is a great brain break. Put on music and dance (challenge kids to a Floss-off or the Macarena to get everyone moving). Then, pause the music and any student who unfreezes before the music starts again is out.

Why we love it: You’ll see some students come out of their shells once the music starts.

Heads Up, Seven Up

Why we love it: This is a classroom game we remember from our elementary school years, and now we’re passing it along!

Tic-Tac-Toe

Use a version of tic-tac-toe during the dreaded indoor recess or as a brain break.

Tic-tac-toe with Hula-Hoops:

Human Tic-Tac-Toe:

Why we love it: Whichever version you choose, tic-tac-toe is a quick game that’s always a winner.

Place a number of objects (up to 20) on a table (or post on a slide with 20 words or pictures) and have students take one minute to try to memorize as many as they can. Then, cover the objects or hide the slide and have students write down as many as they can remember. Play this game once a week or so and see how students improve their memory strategies.

Why we love it: Students will sharpen their focus and memory skills trying to remember as many objects as possible.

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Educational Games

Educational games for secondary students.

✅ Educational games online for secondary students, middle school / high school, around age 15.

FRUIT NINJA online

COMPARE THE CALCULATIONS Game

MATH GENIUS 2: Mental Calculation [RESULTS]

MATH GENIUS 1: Mental Math [OPERATIONS]

PICTURE MEMORY Game for Adults

TYPING CHAMPION: Rewrite a text in english

BALLOONS and SCISSORS Puzzle Game

SWAP PINS! Puzzle Game

COMPUTER KEYBOARD Letter Puzzle Game

QUICKMATH PRACTICE: Number Typing game

ROLLING CHEESE Physics Puzzle

MANCALA online

LINGO (Wordle) Game

TETRIS ONLINE: Falling Cubes

Quadratic EQUATIONS and AREA Problems

MAHJONG DELUXE: Classic Mahjong Game

EASTER EGGS SUDOKU for Kids

MATH SCRAMBLE Puzzle Game

CONNECT THE ROADS Game

COLOR PARKING: Colot-Match Car Puzzle Game

ROPE STAR: Rope Puzzles

FIND THE PANDA BABIES: Escape Game

REFLEXION and REFRACTION Simulator Online

FRACTION PYRAMID

HEXADECIMAL to BINARY Game

HEXTRIS: Hexagonal Tetris Game

6 MONKEYS: Logic Game Online

MATH MEMORY: Memory and Mental Calculation

LINEBRIGHT: Light Puzzle

WORDSCAPES Online Game

BLOCK BLAST

DECIMAL PYRAMID Game

BLINKY’s WORLD: Sports (Code the Robot)

VIRTUAL PIANO Online

3D BUILDER: Construction Game

DOODLE GOD: Ultimate Edition

ORBIT INTEGERS: Math Game Arcademics

SNAKE FALLS

HEXA PUZZLE Game: Swap Pieces

BLOXCAPE: Block Escape

THE SHAPE: Psychometric Test

INTERNET and DIGITAL CONCEPTS Letter Soup

BIG TALL SMALL Game

COLOR MAZE: Puzzle Game

EGG ADVENTURE: Draw and Save the Egg

WEIGHTED SEESAW: Balance Game

Welcome to our world of online educational games for high school teens! Here you will find an exciting collection of games designed especially for you, ages 12 to 15, with the goal of learning concepts and strengthening skills specific to your stage of life. Our educational games also encourage the development of skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and creativity. You will face exciting and stimulating challenges that will allow you to develop important skills for your daily life and your academic future.

EDUCATIONAL TOPICS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

• Percentages
• Letter Soup
• Scramble Words

The secondary school stage, between the ages of 12 and 15, is an important stage in the education of adolescents, where a wide range of subjects and contents are covered.

What do children learn in secondary school?

Some of the most important content learned in school during the secondary stage includes:

• Mathematics: Middle school students continue to develop their math skills, tackling more advanced topics such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. They learn to solve equations, work with mathematical functions, calculate areas and volumes, and apply mathematical concepts to real-world situations.
• Language Arts: Middle school students continue to improve their reading and writing skills, as well as their listening and communication skills. They study classic and contemporary literature, analyze texts, and learn to write essays, reports, and research papers.
• Science: Students study a variety of sciences, such as biology, physics, chemistry, and earth science. They learn about the fundamentals of biology, such as the cell and genetics, the physics of forces and motion, the chemistry of elements and chemical reactions, and geology and meteorology in earth science.
• Social studies: High school students study the history, geography, economics and politics of their country and the world. They learn about important historical events and movements, world geography, economic and political systems, and civic participation.
• Foreign languages: Many high school students continue to study a foreign language, such as English, French, Spanish, German, among others. They learn reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in the foreign language, and study the culture and society of the countries that speak that language.
• Physical education and health: Students participate in sports activities and physical education to promote a healthy lifestyle. They also learn about nutrition, mental and emotional health, and disease prevention.
• Art and music: Students may have art and music classes, where they learn about art appreciation, creativity, artistic techniques, and the history of art and music.

These are just some of the most important content learned in school during the high school stage. Curricula may vary by country, region and the specific curriculum of each school, but in general, they seek to provide students with a solid foundation of knowledge in a variety of areas to prepare them for their academic and professional future.

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17 Fun Interactive Games For Students in 2024

Here is our list of the best interactive games for students.

Interactive games for students are fun activities and games in which students participate in groups. These games also offer a fun and hands-on learning experience. Examples include Charades, Four Corners, and Pictionary. The purpose of these activities is to help students absorb educational material and make them feel comfortable in school. These activities are also known as “classroom games.”

These ideas are similar to interactive games for kids , study game s, team building games for students , online classroom activities and team building exercises . Two examples of these activities are vocabulary games and communication games .

This list includes:

• interactive games for college students
• interactive games for kids
• interactive games for high school students
• online interactive games for students
• interactive classroom games
• interactive quiz games for students
• education games for students
• school appropriate games
• school friendly games

Here we go!

List of interactive games for students

Interactive games for students are necessary for schools because they provide a new learning experience while giving a break to the students from the mundane school routine. These games also develop skills and competencies in children. To help you engage students in the classroom, here is our list of the best interactive classroom games for students.

Hangman is a fun and interactive game for students, which you can play in the classroom or online. When playing in the classroom, you will need an interactive display or a whiteboard. When playing online, you can use a virtual whiteboard app.

Every student participates and takes turns guessing while the teacher draws on the board.

The rules of the game are simple. The teacher will think of a word and draw blanks according to the number of letters. For example, if the word has six letters, then you draw six blanks. To make the game easy, you can also tell about the category, like if it is the name of a singer, a movie, or a famous place.

The students will think of some letters, and for every wrong letter, the teacher will draw a portion of the hangman. When the drawing is complete, the game is lost. However, if players guess the correct letters, then they save the hangman.

2. 10 Questions

10 Questions is one of the best interactive games for college students because it uses collective critical thinking.

In this game, you will divide the class into two groups. One group will think of an item. Then, the other group will prepare ten questions to ask to guess the object. Since the group has a limited number of questions, they must choose strategically.

You can set a rule that every group member will ask one question. The group can decide on the questions, and their answer will be either yes or no. The groups cannot ask for explanations or details.

After getting all the answers, the other group will think of an object and give their guess. The group will get a point if they make the right guess.

This game highlights the importance of group discussion and indicates how the groups must analyze the information and develop a unified answer.

Check out more question games .

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• icebreaker games
• bingo cards

3. 101 And Out

101 And Out is a fun game that will test your students’ math skills. This game is also easy to play, which makes it among the best interactive games for kids.

Here is how to play:

• Divide the class into two groups.
• Give a die to each group.
• Each group gets two dice rolls.
• With each dice roll, they can either keep the exact number or multiply it. So, for example, if one group gets a five on a dice roll, they can keep the same number or multiply it and keep 25.
• The groups will keep adding numbers with each dice roll.
• The goal is to reach 101 or close to it to win the game.

If you are playing this game with children, then you can set easy rules and ask them to add the numbers only and eliminate the multiplying rule.

4. Don’t Answer

Don’t Answer is a fun and engaging game that will check how well your students know each other.

In this game, you will make the class sit in a group. It is better to make good friends sit with each other because it will make the game easier.

Each student will randomly pick another student from the crowd and ask a question.

For instance:

• What is the name of your favorite superhero?
• Which is your favorite dish?
• When was the last time you got scolded?
• When is your birthday?
• How many siblings do you have?

However, this game has a twist. The addressed student cannot directly answer. The asked-about student cannot speak and can tell the other players whether an answer is right or wrong by a thumbs up or thumbs down. If the initial response is wrong, then they can ask follow-up questions to get the correct answer.

Trivia can be a great choice if you are looking for interactive quiz games for students. These challenges can disguise learning as a fun and spirited competition. Facing off in feats of knowledge can bring lessons alive and help students better retain information.

To make this game interactive, you can divide the class into groups. Then, when children discuss the answers in groups and decide mutually, it will strengthen their bond and friendship.

The best idea is to tell the kids about the trivia beforehand. Then, when they give the correct answers after coming fully prepared, it will boost their confidence and morale as well.

Here is a list of starter trivia questions and a guide to team Jeopardy .

6. Simon Says

Simon Says is a fun game that will get groups laughing. The fact that you play it both in-person and online makes it among the best online interactive games for students.

This game also builds a friendly relationship between the teacher and students.

How to play:

• Make all the students stand while keeping a distance between them.
• When everyone is ready, the teacher will say a sentence.
• The rule is that if the sentence starts with “Simon says,” the students must do it. If it does not begin with “Simon says,” then the students will not act. For example, the teacher will say, “Simon says, jump on both feet,” In this case, the children will jump.

To make the game more challenging, rattle off commands quickly. Rapidfire instructions will test and sharpen students’ focus. You will be surprised at how the students will act without listening for the particular phrase.

7. Charades

Charades is an interactive game you can play at any event. In this game, you will divide the class into two groups.

Each group will decide on a word for another group. Then, one member from the other group will come to act that word for their team. However, the member who acts cannot speak the word.

The team members will keep guessing until they reach the correct answer.

You can also set a time limit to make the game enjoyable. You can also make it more fun by asking the students to do activities specific to the classroom. For example, you can ask them to act like their favorite teacher.

8. Blindfold Conversation

Blindfold Conversation is an engaging game that will make your students interact and collaborate during the activity.

In this game, you will make your class stand in a circle. Then, one student will come to the center, and you will blindfold them. Next, a few students will make the blindfolded child spin in a circle. When stopped, he will point to one student. That student will speak in a funny voice, and the blindfolded student will guess their name.

9. Scrambled Eggs

Scrambled Eggs is the best game for a large classroom. The more participants you have, the more fun this game will be.

In this game, you will choose one student and make them leave the classroom or blindfold them. Then, you will pick one student to hide. You can hide them under the chair or make them leave the class to be out of sight. Then, all the other students in the class will change their places.

Then, the blindfolded student will enter the class and guess which student is missing.

This game boosts students’ powers of observation, which can come in handy while studying.

10. Pictionary

Pictionary has been the favorite game of children and adults alike. Pictionary can be a great choice if you are looking for some interactive games for high school students.

This game involves drawing a picture on the board without speaking the word. One student will come to the board and draw the image of the word given. Then, the whole class will participate in guessing the picture.

You can also play Pictionary online if you have online classes. The online version offers the same level of fun as the in-person version of this game. You can play online Pictionary on Drawize or conduct a Zoom meeting and use the digital whiteboard.

Learn more about Drawize.

11. Geography Puzzles

Geography puzzles are a great idea to make the geography class fun and engaging for students. Children often get bored in such classes. You can bring a twist with a class activity.

To do a geography puzzle, first, divide the class into groups. Then, you will give blank maps to each group. Finally, ask the class to fill out the maps and write the names of the countries.

You can also make it specific and include the topics in the puzzle taught in the class.

12. Ad Making

Making an advertisement is a unique and creative activity that students will enjoy. As this activity requires critical and creative thinking, it best suits high schoolers and teenagers.

First, give a product to your students. For example, soap, pencil, or notebook. It is better to hand out familiar, everyday objects to make the activity easy.

Then, ask the students to make an advertisement in groups to sell the product. The students can take inspiration from the ads they watch on television. Then, the students will perform in the class, and the team with the most creative idea will win.

13. Minute To Win It

Minute To Win It is a beloved game show. This exercise consists of different activities and games that participants will only have one minute to complete. The player who gets the most points in one minute will win the round. The best part about this game is that multiple players can participate, making it ideal for the classroom.

It is better to have the theme and decor of the original game show to improve the competitive skills of the students. Some examples of activities are:

• Stack plastic cups on each other without making them fall.
• Get a biscuit from your head into your mouth without using your hands.
• Keep three balloons in the air.
• Using a straw, such up skittles from one plate and transfer them to another.
• Throw ping pong balls into a basket from a distance.

These activities will make the students focus, and due to the limited time, they will try their best to be as quick as possible. The best part of this activity is that you can play multiple games, as each challenge takes under a minute.

Check out more Minute to Win It games .

14. Invent A Solution

Inventing a solution requires critical thinking, as students will work together in groups to fix a problem.

In this game, you will give an imaginary scenario to your students. For example, an alien spaceship has attacked the world, and the aliens want to invade your hometown. How will you make a deal with them or kick them out?

You can also use examples from everyday life, like giving a scenario of your friend who is in trouble and you have to save them.

Then, the students will get five minutes to discuss the answer in the group. Once done, one student from each group will come on the stage and explain their solution to the class.

Check out more problem-solving activities .

15. GoNoodle

GoNoodle is the favorite online platform of teachers. This website contains many fun games and interactive activities that help students participate and boost their confidence. If you are looking for some online interactive games for students, then GoNoodle can be the right platform.

The website gives you different categories of games to choose from. You can play games according to specific subjects and topics and do activities like stretching in video sessions.

Learn more about GoNoodle.

16. Debate Competition

A debate competition is among the best interactive games for high school students. Such competitions and activities improve students’ critical thinking skills, boost their confidence, and improve their communication skills.

To ensure interaction, you can divide the class into two groups and give an argumentative topic for discussion. One group will focus on the cons, and the other will highlight the pros. For example, you can provide globalization as the topic for discussion and ask the class to have speeches and arguments on it.

17. Four Corners

Four Corners is among the best interactive classroom games. This challenge involves four groups of students. You will also blindfold one student.

The rest of the students will run to four corners of the room. The blindfolded student will point to one corner, and students at the other corners will be out of the game.

Then, the remaining four students will run to the four corners again. Finally, the blindfolded child will again point to one corner, and the student there will win.

This game is easy to play, takes limited time, and only has one winner in each round.

Interactive games for students are necessary to boost their focus on their studies and keep them active in class. These games also build trust and friendly relationships as students play in groups to win.

Our list of interactive games for students includes in-person and virtual games that can keep students engaged and boost their confidence. For best results, match activities to the subject and your class’ age group, learning styles, and personalities.

For more fun with students, check out virtual field trips and family day activities .

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FAQ: Interactive games for students

Here are answers to questions about interactive games for students.

What are some interactive games for students?

Here is a list of some interactive games for students:

• Scrambled Eggs
• Making an advertisement
• Debate competitions
• Solving puzzles

In these games, students participate in groups or help one student with a problem. Such games also boost the thinking skills and confidence of children.

How do you get students to interact through games?

The best idea to get students to interact through games is by making them participate in groups. The students will use their abilities and work will full confidence. Also, they will be anxious about not letting their teammates down with poor performance, which will help them focus on the game. Also, the students will discuss the solutions before taking action. Discussing in groups and putting forward their points will also help them build trust and eliminate shyness.

Why are interactive games important for students?

Interactive games are important for students to help them learn better and develop or improve their skills. Interactive games also take the students out of the standard classroom routine and provide a new learning path.

Interactive games also build confidence, improve communication, and help students determine what to do in situations using their critical thinking.

Author: Grace He

People & Culture Director at teambuilding.com. Grace is the Director of People & Culture at TeamBuilding. She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University.

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6 Super Fun Games For High School Students

High school students can lose interest easily, and if your lessons are not fun and engaging, it can be difficult to get students to focus. But don’t worry! There are lots of fun and energizing classroom games you can use to keep high school students engaged. Below you’ll find our favorite fun games for high school students .

Fun Games For High School Students

1: thumbs up game.

This first activity is a classic classroom game that high school students love to play! To play, first, choose three students to come up to the front of the class. These students are the ‘walkers’. Next, tell all other students to put their heads on their desks, close their eyes, and put their thumbs up. Now the game can begin.

The three ‘walkers’ will then walk around the class and choose one student each by touching their thumbs. If a student’s thumb is touched, that student should put their thumb down. Once all three ‘walkers’ have chosen one student, they should return to the front of the class, and then the teacher should tell all students to “ Wake up !” (i.e., open their eyes and sit up).

The three students whose thumbs were touched should stand up, and then they must guess which of the ‘walkers’ touched their thumb. If they guess correctly, they get to swap places with the ‘walker’. If they guess wrong, they sit back down.

To make this game more fun for high school students, you can try giving each of the ‘walkers’ a funny name. This can be something silly or names from their favorite pop group, TV series, etc. Another thing you can do to make it even more fun is to get the ‘walkers’ to make a silly sound or to say something with a different voice when they touch another student’s thumb.

2: The Liar Game

This next activity is very versatile and can be used in almost any high school class. To play, you’re going to need some ‘game cards’. If you’re teaching vocabulary, these can be small flashcards , or if you’re teaching reading, these can be cards made from a passage of text split up into sentences. For the purpose of this explanation, the cards will be numbers. Create sets of 6-8 game cards and give one set to each student.

Next, you need to tell students the order in which the game cards will be played during the game. A great way to do this is to include the order number on the top of the cards when you create them. Finally, put students in groups of 3/4.

To begin, all 3/4 students in a group must put all their cards in the middle and mix them all together. Then, they must each choose 6/8 random cards (depending on how many are in each set) and make sure not to show these cards to other members in the group. Now the game can begin.

Students will take turns placing the game cards facedown in the middle in the pre-determined order. So, the first student should look at their cards, find the number 1 card, and then place it facedown in the middle and say “ Number 1 ” (or say the word/text that is on the number 1 card). The second student should then look at their cards, find the number 2 card, and place it facedown in the middle and say “Number 2”. Then it’s the next student’s turn to place the number 3 card in the middle. And so on.

The fun part of this game is that a student may not have the correct card to place in the middle because they chose random cards at the beginning. And so, if a student doesn’t have the correct card, they must lie! In this situation, they would choose any of their cards and pretend they are placing the correct card in the middle.

At any time, if any of the other students think someone is lying, they can shout “ Liar !”, at which point the last card to be placed in the middle would be turned over to check if the last student did in fact lie.

If a student is caught in a lie, that student must pick up all the cards in the middle. If a student is accused of lying, but they did not lie, then the accuser must pick up all the cards. The first student to get rid of all the cards is the winner!

3: Word Association Game

The are plenty of word association game variations , but the one we find works best with high school students is a version with a particular topic. To play, first, you must choose a topic. A great way to do this is to ask the students for ideas. This way, you will get topics that the students are interested in, which is a great way to keep students engaged. For example, students might choose a topic such as ‘ computer games ‘, ‘ pop groups ‘, ‘ types of food ‘, etc.

Once you have a topic, tell students that they will take turns saying a word associated with the topic. For example, if the topic is ‘ types of food ‘, one student might say “ Mexican food “, and the next student might say “ fried food “, etc. If a student is not able to say an associated word or repeats a word that has already been said, then that student is out! Play until only one or two students are left. These are the winners. Choose another topic, and start again.

4: The Chain Game

This next activity is similar to the above word association game but with a fun twist. To start, one student would say a word, and then the next student must say a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word. This ‘chain’ continues until a student can’t think of a word or repeats a word that has already been said.

If your high school students have a particularly large vocabulary, this game might be too easy. However, a great way to make it more challenging is to make a rule that each word must be from a particular category. For example. ‘ things that are blue ‘, ‘ girl’s names ‘, ‘ famous people ‘, etc.

5: The Hula Skirt Game

This game is superfun and a great way to get your high school students out of their seats, speaking, and having fun. To prepare for this activity, you’ll need to prepare some questions to create the ‘hula skirt’. You can use any questions, but if you’re stuck for ideas. these 30 Ice-Breaker Questions work great with this activity.

Once you have your questions, type them up, one question per line, and print them on an A4 piece of paper. Next, with a pair of scissors, cut a line between each question to make strips. Don’t cut all the way to the end of the page so that the strips are still all connected. This is our ‘hula skirt’. Finally, tape the ‘hula skirt’ securely on the board and place a trash can about 5-10 feet from the board. Now the game can begin.

Make two teams and have them line up at the far end of the classroom. When the teacher says “ Go! “, one student from each team must race to the board and tear off one of the strips of paper. At which point they must read the question that is on the paper out loud and answer the question as quickly as they can.

After answering the question, a student must roll up the strip of paper into a ball and try to throw it into the trash can from where they are standing. If they get it in, they get 1 point for their team. Next, the student runs back to their team and tags the next player who runs to the board to choose the next strip of paper.

6: The Mafia Game

The Mafia Game is a really fun game that high school students want to play time and time again. The game is quite complicated, however, so you may need to practice a few times before students get it. Here’s how to play the Mafia Game step by step.

Step One: Choose A Narrator

The narrator’s job is to assign the roles, read the scenario, and moderate the gameplay.

Step Two: Choose The Number Of Mafia Members

The number of Mafia members should be about 1/3 of the total number of players. For example, if you have 30 students playing, then 10 of them will be in the Mafia.

Step Three: Assign Roles

In addition to the Mafia members, there should also be police officers, doctors, and civilians. Police officers try to catch the Mafia members, doctors heal people who have been attacked by the Mafia, and civilians are just innocent bystanders.

While assigning the roles, it is important to keep the roles secret or the game won’t work. A great way to do this is for the narrator to tell everyone to close their eyes and assign the roles by saying, “ I will now touch the Mafia Members on the head. “, “ I will now touch the Police Officers on the head. “, “ I will now touch the doctors on the head. ” Those that are not touched are the ‘civilians’.

Step Four: Round 1

Next, it’s time for round 1. The narrator should tell everyone to close their eyes. Then, the narrator will then say, “ Mafia members open your eyes. ” The Mafia members will open their eyes and choose one person to ‘kill.’ So that this is a secret, they should silently point to one person to make their choice. Once the Mafia have made their choice, the narrator should take note of who they killed, and then they should close their eyes again.

Next, the narrator says, “ Police officers, open your eyes. ” and the police will point at someone to ‘interrogate’. Later, this person will be asked if they are the Mafia and they cannot lie. The narrator takes note of who will be interrogated and then the police officers close their eyes.

Next, the narrator says “ Doctors, open your eyes. “, and then the doctors point at one person they will ‘save’. If this person was killed by the mafia, they are ‘saved’ and get to stay in the game.

Step Five: The Narrator Explains The Scenario

Next, the narrator says “ Everyone, open your eyes .” and then explains what just happened. For example, “ The Mafia Killed Chris. The doctors saved Kelly, and the police chose to interrogate Tom. ” Then the narrator will ask Tom if he is a member of the Maffia, and he must tell the truth.

In this scenario, Chris is out as he was killed by the Mafia. Kelly wasn’t killed and so there was no need to be ‘saved’. And if Tom answers “Yes” to being in the Mafia, then he is out. If he answers “No”, he is still in the game.

Step Six: Everyone Discusses

Now, that everyone has heard the scenario, it is time for everyone to discuss who they think is the Mafia. After the discussion, everyone will vote on who they think it is. The person with the most votes is ‘lynched’ and are out of the game. The narrator can then tell them if they caught a Mafia member, or killed a civilian, doctor, or police officer.

Step Eight: Repeat

Repeat the above steps until either all the Mafia members have been caught, or all the civilians are out.

As you can see, the Mafia game is quite complicated but it makes a fantastic classroom game for high school students once they get the hang of it.

Thanks for reading. I hope your students have lots of fun playing these classroom games. Before you go, here are some more activity ideas and resources you might find useful: Reading Games For Middle School Students Classroom Games For Middle School Students Middle School Icebreakers PowerPoint Game Templates ESL Activity Videos

8 Easy, Awesome Brain Break Games for High School Students

When people first begin thinking of the concept of  Brain Breaks , they often think of children in an elementary school classroom playing some type of silly game. The fact of the matter is brain breaks are effective for anyone at any age, especially high school students who need short breaks just as much as anyone. You may have to get a little creative with  brain break games for high school  students, but when you find something that works for your particular students, it’s absolutely golden.

Brain break activities don’t need to take up much time in the school day, but incorporating something like a quick movement break, even if it’s just a minute brain break, will help with energy levels (both increasing and decreasing, depending on the situation). These quick exercises and regular breaks will help your entire class refocus, be it because of the mental break or whole-body physical activities.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT IN HIGH SCHOOL

It’s somewhat difficult to comprehend what good brain break games for high school could actually work. You   don’t want to come up with something that students will feel is childish (unless you have that one awesome class that lives for stuff like that), but at the same time, it is absolutely vital that high school students learn what they need to do to help refocus, reenergize, and also are able to recognize when their mind needs a moment.

They’re about to embark into the real world after all and these are life skills that will take them throughout their journey. You need something that is fun for them, but at the same time is mentally engaging.

Brain break games for high school allow the students a quick brain break to help them focus. They can be a few minutes of (potentially) intense physical activity to help rev up the engine again. A mind break, on the other hand, helps kids learn how to focus their energy and refocus when they’re mentally drained.

Studies are finding that  students today are ill-prepared to be able to focus and concentrate  like generations before them. With the ever-increasing life of technology surrounding us, our students are not building the same muscle tone that previous generations had.

Though this is certainly different, it’s not limiting and is something that we need to be aware of and to work within the classroom.

Simply put, the right-hand needs to know what the left hand is doing to make this work.

Couple that with teenagers who are most likely more interested in the social aspect of school than what is actually being taught, and you have the recipe for absolutely needing brain breaks in your classroom.

So I set out to do some research on the best brain break games for high school students based on my own experience and those of others. I was looking into ways that work well with various subjects and ages of students too, so this isn’t just “brain breaks”. These are actually “mind breaks”. I always feel that the two are different.

WHO IS RESISTANT: TEACHERS OR STUDENTS?

It seems that High School teachers seem to be the ones who show the most resistance to this concept of good, meaningful brain break ideas. The common misconception is that taking a few minutes to perform one of these brain break games for high school will completely disrupt the flow of the classroom . There is a vision of students doing the cha-cha slide or dancing until the music stops. Though these can be a fun brain break concept, as a general rule it isn’t necessary to have a full-out dance party to implement physical brain breaks.

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Simply put, with all of the expectations of testing and curriculum put on our plates, it seems like this will just waste time and there will not be enough time to cover what absolutely must be taught.

On the contrary, utilizing  brain break games  for high school students (ad) will actually help them stay more focused and more productive with the tasks at hand. Brain break games for high school students do not need to be corny with some patty cake or sensory bins like with younger kids. They just need to be something that helps your students get the blood pumping and oxygen flowing to their brains again so they can legitimately focus on their work.

Focusing on Student Buy-In

The importance of student buy-in for brain breaks in high school cannot be overstated. High schoolers often find themselves engrossed in rigorous lesson plans, sitting for extended periods, and needing a little break to recharge their mental faculties, plus it is important to give them tools to help themselves refocus as they get older and move on from K-12 education. Effective brain breaks, those short activities designed to increase blood flow and engagement, serve as a means of respite from long periods of academic concentration or can merely help refocus the brain when distracted or exhausted.

When students embrace these moments, it can positively impact their overall learning experience. Whether it’s a quick dance break, a game of beach ball toss, or a challenge involving a medium-sized ball and a single spaghetti noodle, it’s crucial that students willingly participate. 

Their involvement not only promotes physical exercise but also nurtures social skills and a growth mindset. As students guide one another in these activities, they create bonds, learn to appreciate the benefits of brain breaks and foster a sense of unity. This buy-in ensures that brain breaks become a cherished part of the high school day, rather than just a fleeting distraction or something they’re “too cool” for.

To make brain breaks successful for high school students, it’s essential that teachers vary the brain break activities to cater to different interests and grade levels. By incorporating movement songs, dance moves, and even sign language into these short breaks, instructors can appeal to a wide range of preferences.

Activities like the water bottle toss or the inner circle game, where students pass a piece of paper with instructions like “touch your right hand to your left shoulder” around the group, invite students to participate in a fast brain break that reinforces their understanding of different movements and sign language. When students have the freedom to choose their favorite brain-break ideas and propose variations of the games, it not only keeps them engaged but also empowers them to take ownership of their learning experiences.

In essence, it’s an easy way to ensure that brain breaks serve their intended purpose – reenergizing young minds while promoting engagement and enthusiasm in high school classrooms. So, encouraging student buy-in and adaptability to meet specific criteria are the keys to making brain breaks a great asset in high school education.

MAKING IT WORK

Games are an excellent way to engage high school students in the learning process, making educational content enjoyable and interactive. Whether it’s through board games, card games, strategy games, or online games, the variety of available options caters to different subjects and grade levels. In small groups or large circles, games encourage student participation and social interaction, fostering a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. From relay races to scavenger hunts, students work together towards a common goal, enhancing their problem-solving skills and critical thinking.

Fun activities such as vocabulary games or educational board games help reinforce important concepts, ensuring that students have a deep understanding of the main ideas in a particular topic. The best part is that games can be adapted to accommodate a small number of students or the whole class, making them a flexible and dynamic addition to the high school teacher’s toolbox, especially in today’s educational landscape, where online learning has become increasingly common.

Whether it’s a simple game of “Roll of Toilet Paper” for ice-breaking or a more complex strategy game, these games create a playing field where everyone has the chance to shine, learn, and have fun while doing so.

The key to this is knowing your students to determine what is a good idea. If you have a group of fun-loving teenagers who would love to play some silly brain break games for high school students, then, by all means, go to town.

There’s nothing better than a group of older students who want to revert a little bit back to their childhood and play the same games that the younger students will.

I have had classes with these types of students before, and they are an absolute blast to work with. They may buy into a game such as  Brain Break Bingo  or get super competitive with Simon Says.

However, finding a full class of students who will buy into this is hard to come by (though they are so much fun to have). Given this, you need to make sure that you have different Brain Break games for high school in your arsenal that would be appropriate for students who are, literally, too cool for school.

MAKING SURE YOU’RE CREATIVE

Again, how this looks really is dependent on the students that are sitting in front of you. You may need to get creative with your brain break games for high school with new brain breaks ready to go when they’re needed (especially if you are teaching any type of distance learning !).

It might involve creating something like having a permanent station set up where students can just walk over be able to stretch or do some yoga poses, or perhaps play some type of a game on a bulletin board so they can just have a few moments to move on their own accord.

It might be a quick game of “This or That” where you ask a question and students have to move to one side of the classroom or the other depending on their answer or utilize some good YouTube videos where music plays or another great activity that is interactive.

You could quickly split into teams and play a lightning round of “ Pictionary ” or “ Spontuneous ” (ad) (and to make it fun, you could keep a running score for a specific amount of time to add that competitive buy-in). It might be when they’re having a particularly low-focus day getting up and taking a quick lap around the school.

There are a lot of possibilities depending on your group size; you just have to make sure whatever you’re doing is something that your particular group of students buys into.

The key here is to not give up. You may have a challenging group that isn’t willing to buy into your brain break games for high school. That doesn’t mean you should just give up hope. It means you have to find something that works for them.

One of the great ideas for using games in the classroom is to divide students into smaller groups when working with a large class. This allows for better student participation, ensuring that each student has a chance to shine and contribute. As each group races to be the winning team, they learn valuable problem-solving skills and critical thinking while working with limited resources, often starting with just a single student’s quick thinking and ending with the last person in the group.

The variety of different games in the teacher’s repertoire keeps the classroom environment dynamic and engaging throughout the school year, ensuring that learning remains a vibrant and fun activity for all.

If you’re really stuck, survey them.

They’re old enough that they can tell you things that interest them or they think would be fun in terms of good brain break games for high school. If they come up with stuff that’s off the wall, find a way to create something that will work for them in your classroom. The possibilities are endless, and once you have something created, you have it for all time.

You may need to tweak it a little bit for the students that are sitting in front of you in any given year, but you already have the template to get yourself going with some amazing brain break games for high school.

No matter what you come up with, the key is just to make sure that you have opportunities for your students to take a moment when they need it. It might be because I need to be energized or it could be because they need to relax.

If you have just small opportunities throughout your class to do this, you will get better results from your students than you would any other way. Again it’s worth taking just a few moments (most brain break games for high school can take less than 5 minutes) to energize and focus your students to give you their best work. It’s worth sidetracking for just a couple of moments in order to get better results in the long run.

At the end of the day, we want to see our students succeed. They are not actually living in a time where they are naturally doing their best in the same fashion that previous generations did and we need to help them achieve more.

We know that  Generation Z  is different from any other generation that has walked into our classrooms (and Generation Alpha is coming right behind them). That is the reality; we can’t change that. But we can change how we approach it in our classroom.

Brain break games for high school students are not difficult to create, we just need our students to buy in and then the possibilities are endless.

IDEAS FOR BRAIN BREAK GAMES FOR HIGH SCHOOL

This list is a bit different than your usual fare in that respect, but I think it’s important to look into stuff like that. It’s not just about physical activity either. Some of these games actually require some mental engagement and allow students to refocus on their studies by doing so! So here we go!

1. HIGHLIGHT GAME:

Basically, you write down words that students should be able to define and understand easily on separate pieces of paper. Then, you give them a sentence or two and they have to find the words in the sentence and highlight them. They have to find all of the words correctly in a certain amount of time.

Not only does this give students a fun way to practice what they’ve learned, but it also gives them a chance to improve their reading skills and decoding abilities while refocusing and reenergizing at the same time!

2. THE PAPER AIRPLANE TOSS:

This activity is a great way to help students refocus and reenergize for a few minutes. I love that it’s also a lot of fun! You take some paper airplane templates, ask students to make them as best as they can, and then let them go through several rounds of tossing those planes into garbage cans or onto designated desks.

Not only does this provide a little bit of mental engagement, but it also gets kids up and moving around for a few minutes! It’s so easy for these students to get lethargic, so having activities like this is so important!

3. THE CONCENTRATION GAME:

This is a great way to help students who need a little bit of time and focus to re-energize. Basically, you give each student a few pieces from a puzzle and have them try to put the puzzle together without any verbal communication whatsoever. You can also do this with math equations or anything else that has multiple steps.

This activity is not only great for refocusing, but it’s also a good way to help students learn a little bit about each other in that they have to communicate in other ways. I love that this activity is easy and straightforward, but the results are just amazing!

4. 20 QUESTIONS:

This is a classic game that you can use for just about anything that has multiple steps. You give students a topic and then they have to ask the teacher 20 questions until the teacher says yes or no to every single one of them. The good thing is that it’s really easy to see whether someone is asking smart questions because you can focus on depth, not length.

I like this activity for a few reasons. One of those is that it not only refocuses kids but also helps them learn how to be on their toes and ask smart questions instead of just trying to play along or goof off!

5. THE JENGA GAME:

This one is a lot of fun. You give students some  Jenga pieces  (ad) and have them build a tower as you talk about a topic. Each student has to hold one piece of the tower at all times as you teach, but as the teacher talks about the topic, students can reach out and take other pieces from surrounding towers until they’ve taken enough that their own tower begins to wobble. Then they have to sit down.

This activity is great for refocusing while also teaching kids how to be more aware of what’s going on in the room so they can prepare themselves if their tower starts to wobble! I love this game because it really helps students get the most out of what you’re trying to teach them.  

6. MATCHING GAME:

This is another classic game. Give each student a paper with words from a certain topic or idea on it and have them try to find their matches as you teach the material. They can only use one hand, so they’ll have to pay attention!

I like this activity because it not only helps kids refocus for a few minutes but also helps them learn how to follow instructions in an active way.

7. THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE:

This is my favorite way to refocus kids for a few minutes at least once per class when they’ve been getting rowdy or when I see that they need a little bit of time. All you have to do is give them a simple task to complete before the timer goes off–something that’s not too big or overwhelming. I usually give students either 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or 20 minutes of time for this activity.

When students are working on these tasks, they need to stay focused and silent until the bell rings to let them know their time has expired.

This technique is best for students who need a little bit of time to refocus themselves and get back on track. It also gives them some mentally engaging work so they can learn how to stay focused when doing something they might not be interested in.

8. THE ENERGY BANK:

This game is fantastic for when you’re teaching after lunch. All you have to do is make a “bank” on the board with two columns labeled “Energy” and “Fatigue.” Then, write some examples of things that give students energy along with what it feels like.

You should also include some examples of negative things that cause fatigue. Underneath “fatigue,” you should also put some examples of how it feels.

The whole point of this activity is to give students a visual representation of what will help them stay focused and what makes it hard for them to concentrate. It’s the perfect activity for keeping kids on track during those after-lunch classes!

…and these are just a few brain break games for high school. Give them a try or see what else you can come up with. You’ll be surprised at the effect they have.

Stop Driving the Teacher Struggle Bus

Are you struggling with student engagement, apathy, or keeping your class on track? 

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Join my free teacher workshop “ Choosing Choice ” and in just 45 minutes, you’ll craft a practical plan to revitalize your teaching. Discover the magic of student choice in boosting engagement, gain quick implementation ideas, and explore strategies for year-long success. 

Unlike overwhelming workshops, my approach guides you in real-time, providing more classroom options, reducing stress, and giving you more personal time. 

Plus, you’ll earn a 45-minute professional development certificate and have 7 days of access. 

Don’t miss this chance to transform your teaching; click below to secure your spot now!

This article was originally published on April 5, 2019

About the Author: Jenn Breisacher

After moving from a teacher-dominated classroom to a truly student-centered one, Jenn found herself helping colleagues who wanted to follow her lead.  In 2018 she decided to expand outside of her school walls and help those out there who were also trying to figure out this fantastic method of instruction to ignite intrinsic motivation in their students.  Read more about her journey with Student-Centered World at studentcenteredworld.com/about

You May Also Like

6 fun brain breaks for kindergarten, teaching kids why empathy is important 100% of the time, adaptable, calming brain breaks: instituting movement breaks in the k 12 classroom, margaret mbabazi.

I loved JENNs Work on student choices, and the whole way of engaging learners. I would love to continue following her lessons

I love hearing this! There are many ways we can continue working together. I would love that 🙂

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25 Online Summer Programs for High Schoolers in 2024

What’s covered:.

• 25 Remote Summer Programs for High Schoolers
• How Impressive Are Summer Programs to Colleges?
• Other Ways to Spend Your Summer

Remote summer programs allow you to explore career paths and passions from the comfort of your home. In this post, we’ve compiled a list of the best online summer programs for high school students in 2024. These opportunities range from programs in math and economics to programs in film and writing.

25 Remote Summer Programs for High Schoolers  

1. harvard summer school’s secondary school program online.

Dates: June 22 – August 10

Application Deadline: February 14, or April 10 (space permitting)

Cost: $3,900 – $7,600

Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program Online is a seven-week program where students can take classes in a variety of subjects taught by Harvard faculty. Though the program is virtual, those taking classes remotely can get a taste of college academics while building connections with other students from around the country.

The program is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors and while there is no minimum GPA requirement, the program requires your transcript and a counselor report. Financial aid is available.

2. Iowa Young Writers’ Studio

Dates: June 16 – July 28  

Application Deadline: April 21

Cost: $475 

The Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, hosted by the University of Iowa, is a summer program for high school students interested in creative writing. The program provides students with the opportunity to study with graduates of one of the most renowned writing programs in the nation—the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. 

Participants in this program choose a focus—poetry, creative writing, or fiction—and share their work, practice their craft, and improve their writing while working alongside other high school writers from across the U.S. To apply, students need to submit a statement of purpose, letter of recommendation, transcript, and parental permission form. All applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

3. Economics for Leaders

• Session 1: June 10 – 14
• Session 2: June 17 – 21
• Session 3: July 1 – 5
• Session 4: July 29 – August 2

Application Deadline: N/A

Cost: $800 

The Foundation for Teaching Economics offers leadership seminars that teach economics at college campuses across the country to interested current high school sophomores and juniors. If none of the host schools are near where you live, they also offer the program virtually. Over the course of a week, students will learn about fundamental economics concepts and develop economic reasoning skills, as well as their leadership, during “live” online lectures and activities.  

The program is fairly competitive—roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.  

4. LaunchX  

Dates: June 17 – July 19 

Application Deadline: April 24

Cost: $6,500 

LaunchX is a program for high school students who want to learn how to design and develop a successful startup company. The program invites expert guest speakers to discuss the process and the logistics of beginning and maintaining a startup. 

Acceptance into the LaunchX program is competitive—its acceptance rate is roughly 30%. Financial aid is available.

5. New York Film Academy Online Summer Camps

Dates: Varies depending on area of focus

Cost: $300 – $2,625

Through New York Film Academy’s online summer camps, students can learn about creation and performance in a medium of their choice—filmmaking, acting for film, or 3D animation. Students receive live interactive instruction, participate in group meetings, and complete practical, creative projects, all while learning about the exciting world of storytelling through film.

6. NYU Tisch Online High School Filmmakers Workshop

Dates: July 8 – August 2 

Application Deadline: May 1 

Cost: $7,376 

Hosted by the famed NYU Tisch School of the Arts, the High School Filmmakers Workshop allows students to work together online with other emerging artists on skill-building film projects. In one-on-one virtual meetings with experienced instructors, participants will learn to develop their writing, directing, shooting, and editing skills in order to produce a variety of short films.

Applicants must be current high school students with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicants must submit a personal statement, creative resume, and transcript. Standardized test scores will not be reviewed.

7. NYU Tisch Online High School Screenwriters Workshop

Dates: July 8 – August 2  

Cost: $7,376

In this program, which is hosted by NYU Tisch School of the Arts, students will participate in intensive screenwriting exercises to learn the basic principles of writing for film and television. Students will have the opportunity to develop story ideas and characters while learning film language and script structure. There will also be workshops where students will analyze important works, as well as have a dialogue about each other’s works. 

Application requirements include a personal statement, creative resume, and transcript. The program is open to current high school students with at least a 3.0 GPA.

8. High School Conservatory at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy Summer Conservatory  

• Session 1: June 23 – July 5
• Session 2: July 7 – 19 

Cost: $2,475

Hosted by The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, the High School Summer Conservatory offers two-week virtual programs in two fields—Musical Theatre and Acting. In each of these programs, students will participate in an immersive and rigorous exploration of their chosen domain. Besides learning essential fundamental skills from industry professionals, participants will produce works of their own.

9. Boston Architectural College Summer Academy for High School Students

Dates: July 1 – August 2 

Application Deadline: June 3 

Cost: $1,800, or $2,000 if you want to receive college credit

In this program offered by Boston Architectural College, students will gain a deeper understanding of fields like architecture, interior design, and landscape design. Virtual participants will explore case study buildings, attend virtual site and professional firm visits, and receive kits in the mail to participate in hands-on design and building. 

No design experience is required to participate in the program. At its conclusion, all students will have developed a digital and physical portfolio suitable for design school applications. 

10. The AFSF Build San Francisco Summer Design Institute  

• Session 1: June 10 – 28 
• Session 2: July 8 – 26 

Cost: $3,000 

This summer program offered by the Architectural Foundation of San Francisco provides high school students with many tools and skills that will help them succeed in the world of architectural design. Students will receive one-on-one professional feedback and guidance from architects and engineers, as well as instruction in computer-aided design tools—including SketchUp and the Autodesk family of modeling software.

11. Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)

• Session 1: June 17 – July 5 
• Session 2: July 8 – 26

Application Deadline: March 29

Cost: $3,550 

In a three-week virtual experience, SUMaC participants immerse themselves in advanced mathematics through activities such as lectures, guided research, and group problem-solving. Students engage in daily problem sets, work with teaching assistant Stanford students, and attend virtual guest lectures from mathematicians and others who use mathematics in their respective fields.

12. Tufts Leadership for Social Change

Dates: July 28 – August 9 

Application Deadline: May 1

Cost: $3,800 

Open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the Tufts Leadership for Social Change pre-college program helps students develop their leadership skills. Participants will discuss issues including educational inequities, environmental justice, public policy, and more. They will also develop change-making skills, resiliency strategies, and civic knowledge to build connections, work collaboratively, and emerge as agents of change who can inspire others.

13. The Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program

Dates: Mid-June to early August

Application Deadline: March 31

The Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program, hosted by The Adroit Journal, gives high school students, graduating seniors, and gap year students the opportunity to work with experienced writers and to explore the creative writing process of drafting, redrafting, and editing. Instead of traditional class instruction, the program offers flexible, individualized correspondence to students interested in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, or memoir.

To apply, you will need to submit two application essays and a sample of your written work, as well as your high school transcript, if you would like. Financial aid is available for qualifying students.

14. Sarah Lawrence College Virtual Writers’ Week  

Dates: July 15 – 19  

Application Deadline: N/A  

Cost: $1,025 

During Sarah Lawrence College Writers’ Week, participants will explore the creative process in workshops led by experienced Sarah Lawrence faculty and alumni. This program celebrates the risk and adventure that is part of the creative process, by giving students the opportunity to meet in small groups with workshop leaders. Writers’ Week also includes faculty and student readings, as well as a celebration of student work on the final day of the program. 

15. Boston University Summer Journalism Academy

• Session 1: June 17 – 28 
• Session 2: July 1 – 12
• Session 3: July 15 – 26

Application Deadline: May 10 

Cost: $1,500 

In BU’s Summer Journalism Academy, high school students will have the opportunity to develop their writing skills and learn journalism from real working journalists and reporters. Each lesson is bolstered by practical, real-world applications and actual reporting assignments that will help participants learn what a news reporter’s life is like. Students can choose between two domains—News Reporting and Writing, and Photojournalism.

16. Columbia Scholastic Press Association Summer Journalism Workshop

• Session 1: July 8 -12 
• Session 2: July 15 – 19 
• Session 3: July 22 – 26 

Application Deadline: May 24

Cost: $899 

Hosted by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association at Columbia University, this program unites high school students interested in developing their journalistic skills. During the program, students develop interviewing and reporting skills. Students can choose to study mediums focused on a number of skill sets—writing, editing, design, photojournalism, and leadership.

17. Columbia Online Summer

• Session 1: July 1 – 12
• Session 2: July 15 – 26
• Session 3: August 5 – 9 

Cost: $2,810 for one week; $3,960 for two weeks

Participants in Columbia’s pre-college programs will not only get to dive into the university’s world-class academic offerings in their areas of interest, but also bond with their peers and learn more about how to succeed in college. Students who participate in the program for two weeks will also have the opportunity to take part in a workshop on college essay writing.

There are some scholarships available to residents of New York City.

18. Girls Who Code

• Two-week Summer Immersion Program: June 14 – 28
• Self-Paced Program: June 14 – August 9

Girls Who Code offers two free summer programs for young female and non-binary high schoolers ages 14 through 18: a two-week-long immersion program and a self-paced program. Both programs introduce participants to careers in tech, deliver hands-on computer science experience, and help cultivate a community of like-minded peers.

Eligible students can receive a $300 need-based grant for their participation.

19. UC San Diego FUTURES Programs

Dates: Varies depending on area of interest

Cost: $350 per course

UC San Diego’s FUTURES programs introduce high schoolers to potential college and career paths. Courses range in length and are self-paced, so that even the most time-crunched high schoolers can squeeze them into their busy schedules. Programs are designed specifically for high school students and offered in a number of in-demand fields, including business management, front end web development, and machine learning.

20. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Virtual Architecture Summer Camp Academy

Dates: August 4 – 10

This summer program for high schoolers in grades 9 through 12 is a great choice for students interested in architecture and design. Students participate in hands-on activities and workshops to learn how to communicate their ideas through models, drawing text, and presentations while also gaining an understanding of how to use digital models, read architectural drawings, and document their work.

Although this program is online, students are given the opportunity to visit Milwaukee in person to take architectural tours and have lunch at UW-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture.

21. BETA Camp

• Session 1: June 17 – July 16
• Session 2: July 18 – August 2
• Session 3: July 22 – August 16

Cost: $3,950

Participants in BETA Camp tackle an MBA-inspired curriculum designed especially for high schoolers. Students are thrust into the startup world and tasked with building a revenue-generating business that solves a real problem. Along the way, they learn business fundamentals, explore career opportunities, receive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, and build skills like teamwork and communication.

22. Summer Springboard UX/UI Design Online

• Session 1: July 1 -11
• Session 2: July 15 – 25
• Session 3: July 29 – August 8

Cost: $1,798

This summer program provides students with real-world knowledge of UX/UI design, by helping them better understand the UX design process and how to create meaningful products. While honing their fundamental design skills, students will explore how humans interact with computers, how to incorporate research into the design process, and how to build a visual identity. Students will test their newfound skills with a hands-on project and develop a prototype using their research and analysis.

23. University of Pennsylvania: Wharton Global Youth Program: Essentials of Leadership

• Session 1: June 17 – 28
• Session 2: July 8 – 19

Cost: $4,099

This program introduces students in grades 9 through 12 to undergraduate business education and helps them build skills that will serve them in college and beyond like emotional intelligence, problem solving, communication, teamwork, and collaboration. Students will take part in business simulations, discuss business topics with peers and instructors, and participate in experiential learning opportunities.

24. CU Denver GenCyber Summer Camp for High School Students

Dates: July 15 – 19

Application Deadline: June 1

This free summer program is open to all high school students in Colorado and introduces students to a variety of aspects of cybersecurity, such as computer operating systems, the internet of things, online safety, and computer and digital forensics. Students will gain hands-on cybersecurity experience through games and exercises, learn about potential career paths, and earn a certificate of achievement.

25. University of Massachusetts Juniper Young Writers Online

Dates: August 5 – 9

Application Deadline: March 7

Cost: $1,280

Young wordsmiths in grades 9 through 12 can share their creativity, writing, and ideas with a community of their peers in this summer program. Over the course of the week-long program, students will develop their craft, draw inspiration from their peers, and receive advice as they participate in writing labs, readings, craft sessions, and life talks.

How Impressive Are Summer Programs to Colleges? 

Extracurricular activities such as summer programs are a great way to develop your interest in a particular field and meet like-minded students. College admissions value extracurriculars because they can demonstrate a student’s passion for a particular subject or field.

Generally, there are four tiers of extracurricular activities that colleges think about when reviewing applicants’ activities. Tier 1 extracurriculars are the most impressive and rare whereas Tier 4 activities are more common and less prestigious. Below is a small summary of the different tiers of extracurriculars. 

Tier 1: National achievements, such as attending a very prestigious summer program or winning a renowned national science fair.

Tier 2: State-level or major achievements, such as ranking #2 in wrestling in your state, making an all-state orchestra, or being student body president. 

Tier 3: More minor leadership positions, such as being secretary of the debate club, a class representative, or captain of the varsity soccer team. 

Tier 4: Participatory activities, such as volunteer work or involvement in common school clubs without a leadership position. 

Typically, summer programs fall into Tier 3 or 4. Nevertheless, selective and impactful programs may be considered Tier 1 or 2 activities. The most impressive programs will often be free and selective; programs that are expensive and open to everyone won’t boost your chances as much, even if they’re hosted by a top school.

Other Ways to Spend Your Summer 

Attending a summer program isn’t the only way to learn and grow over the summer. We’ve compiled a list of other projects you can participate in that may be even more impressive than attending a summer program.

1. Self-Driven Projects 

You don’t necessarily have to participate in a formal program to learn something new. There are a variety of engaging activities that you can do on your own . These activities include: 

• Creating your own small business
• Teaching or tutoring a class or subject
• Learning a new language
• Building a computer
• Publishing a book or starting a blog
• Starting a YouTube channel
• Creating artwork for public spaces
• Running a half marathon
• Starting a band
• Raising money for a local political candidate  

Admissions officers love self-driven activities, as they demonstrate your initiative and passion.

2. Internships

High school internships can be a great way to differentiate yourself on your college application, pursue your passions, and/or develop a new interest. When you start your search, reflect on your interests and leverage your personal network to get your foot in the door. If you can’t think of any relevant connections you may have, check out websites such as Glassdoor, LinkedIn, or Indeed for opportunities. We also have a list of remote high school internships you can explore.

As a high school student, it can be hard to find jobs—especially online—that pay well. However, many different options exist depending on your interests and skill set. For example, you could: 

• Become a freelance blogger on Fiverr
• Design your own products on Redbubble
• Teach an exercise class
• Become a tutor online or privately
• Provide customer service
• Do voice-overs
• Do a computer programming project
• Sell your used items online 

Whatever you decide to do with your summer, be sure to check out how your summer plans will impact your chances of admission using our free chancing calculator ! Based on your extracurricular and academic profile, the calculator will estimate your personal chances of acceptance at each of the schools on your list, and categorize them as safeties, targets, or reaches. You’ll also receive tips for how to improve your profile, which might just include participating in a summer program or internship!

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6 Creative vocabulary activities for high school

• April 25, 2024

Darri Stephens

• Education Tips & Tricks , Implementation , Lessons and Ideas

Vocabulary acquisition has always been a crucial indicator for school achievement, specifically in younger grade levels, but it’s also just as important in high school. Vocabulary is one of the ten components of literacy according to the Science of Reading (SOR) . SOR underscores that reading comprehension is a product of decoding and language comprehension: RC = D x LC (Gough and Tunmer 1986). And vocabulary learning continues far beyond the emergent reader years. Continued vocabulary development, whether through listening, speaking, reading, or writing, supports reading comprehension and increases achievement throughout the grades. So how could and should secondary teachers focus on vocabulary for their high schoolers?

Why is it important to reinforce vocabulary instruction for high school students?

Without vocabulary learning across key content areas, students are at risk of entering college and the workforce ill-prepared. When it comes to vocabulary activities for high schoolers, students need multiple instances of practice to hear, speak, read, and write words in a variety of contexts in order to expand their breadth and depth of understanding. As standards become more robust and classes become more rigorous, one’s vocabulary is often the lynchpin to having meaningful discourse, which helps to illustrate how well content has been processed and understood. Both reading-to-learn and writing-to-learn are ways to help students make or construct meaning long into their high school years.

“There’s a strong, statistical link between a person’s vocabulary knowledge and students’ comprehension ability; and there’s a very strong link between these two and academic success.” Nancy Padak, Kent State University professor emeritus

Flocabulary for high school vocabulary instruction

Flocabulary is rooted in comprehension and vocabulary. Flocabulary’s hip-hop videos present a high volume of words through rhyme, making them a perfect format to teach academic vocabulary . Hip-hop has a more extensive vocabulary and more unique words than any other genre and the rhythm and rhyme make those words memorable and “sticky.” Students are exposed to vocabulary terms multiple times in context within a genre that promotes recall. Plus, there’s more than just a video; each lesson offers extended practice through the corresponding activities. These rigorous and intentional learning experiences are designed to engage students through quality music and rich visuals, creating an emotional connection—and this approach is an ideal way to foster an optimal learning environment.

New to Flocabulary? Teachers can sign up for a trial to access our lesson videos and assessment activities. Administrators can get in touch with us to learn more about unlocking the full power of Flocabulary through Flocabulary Plus.

1. Introduce and reinforce new vocabulary

Some educators believe that pre-teaching or previewing vocabulary before reading provides the “velcro” or stickiness for students to better build meaning by activating prior knowledge and scaffolding concepts. Although previewing allows for repetition, others argue that such vocabulary strategies for high school students are too isolating—they believe that vocab words are best discussed after reading, when students have had the opportunity to make inferences and analyze words within context.

One strategy to help cement new high school vocabulary before and after reading involves using the Frayer Model , also referred to as the Four-Square Strategy. This graphic organizer method provides multiple ways to analyze and concept-map a new word. Students write the vocab term in the center circle, and then they add a basic definition, key characteristics, examples, and non-examples.

Flocabulary’s Vocab Cards are modeled off the Frayer model for effective vocabulary instruction . Therefore, students can use this activity to make connections to their prior knowledge, dissect new learnings into digestible chunks, and think critically about the application of this vocabulary word. Multiple instances of exposure is key!

Using a vocabulary-rich video like Flocabulary’s Shakespeare Is Hip-Hop , for example, you can challenge students to examine the accompanying lyrics and identify which words they are likely to encounter on the SATs or ACTs—words such as forage , goad , gregarious , hiatus , incessant , ingenious , pervasive , profuse , and more! Assign students Flocabulary’s Vocab Cards—which are modeled on the Frayer Model. They can read the definition and part of speech and then practice writing and drawing the word on their own.   Then, turn to the grades 9-12 SAT Word Up collection , containing 12 video lessons, for more vocabulary test prep.

 2. Test prep!

One of the more challenging parts of ELA testing for students is the vocabulary section. Vocabulary tests can be taxing due to the way questions are asked and responses are presented—often in isolation and without the contextual cues that help us when we encounter new words. High school students commonly refer to such difficult or foreign words as “SAT words.” (In recent years, the SAT stopped testing vocabulary via analogies and sentence completions). There are many strategies to help support your students during standardized test-taking periods.

In Flocabulary’s Test-Taking Strategies lesson , students learn how to implement their own test-taking strategies for success. This lesson is perfect to use during test prep season.

Flocabulary even has video lessons to review Tier 2 words which are used generally in academic settings across all subject areas. They are critical for students to master. Instead of leaning on stacks of flashcards, consider ways that these vocabulary words can be presented and shared through media-rich methods. Both native English speakers and second-language learners can benefit from methodologies that appeal to various learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Flocabulary harnesses the sounds, rhythms, melodies, and tones of rap songs along with the visual art, storytelling, humor, drama, and poetry of the videos to create emotional connections. The high-quality videos authentically engage and captivate students by making the learning experiences memorable and interesting.

3. Tie to academic domains

Often, high school curricula are laden with specific academic vocabulary that may not be used commonly in social settings or across subject areas. These subject-specific words are called Tier 3 words. Within subject-specific areas, consider how you can reinforce such key vocabulary for high school students by using core concepts or strategies. For instance, in math, how can you encourage students to weave in math vocabulary in an authentic manner? Repetition of use is important, so try to use math talk. Empower your students to “speak math” and become more familiar with using technical language. Learning such academic vocabulary will help to level the playing field, challenge higher-thinking skills, and push students to think outside of the box.

When it comes to subject-specific concepts, immerse students in high school vocabulary words. For instance, in math, consider those keywords that will be used repeatedly in directions or in the problems themselves with the video Math Terms . Then level up by sharing videos like Congruence & Similarity , which is rich in concepts such as translation, rotation, and reflection on a coordinate plane. Don’t forget that with any and every Flocabulary video, you can emphasize vocabulary with the visually rich Vocab Cards and by building the beat with the accompanying Vocab Game.

4. Go back to your roots

When exploring vocabulary activities for high school, challenge students to take their decoding skills to the next level by using their critical thinking skills to deconstruct words into Greek and Latin roots. These common roots provide clues to the meaning of many abstract vocabulary words. Morphology speaks to the study of the forms of words, and a morpheme is the smallest meaningful part of the word, usually a base word or root. Encourage your high school students to dissect and analyze by adopting the mantra, “New, new, review!” to introduce and review roots in a three-week cycle .

“More than 60 percent of academic words have word parts  (also called morphemes or roots) that always carry the same meaning. Knowing that words can be broken down into meaning units is a powerful strategy for vocabulary development.” Authors Padak, Rasinki, Newton, and Bromley

5. Encourage career readiness

High school is a crucial time to expose and introduce your students to a variety of careers so they can begin to think of their next step. Many careers have their own vernacular (hello, education with our acronyms!) and field-specific speak. As students begin to consider college majors and career pursuits, showcase the different opportunities that are in reach. Help prepare them for job exploration and interviews by introducing them to language that is socially expected within the professional world as well as that which is core to a future industry.

Flocabulary offers Life Skills videos , including a collection on Financial Literacy . The video lesson Banking familiarizes high schoolers with key terms like rate, balance, and principal, while illustrating the fundamentals of how banks function and are insured. Furthermore, teachers can use Flocab’s career lessons about Dietitian and Architect career paths.

6. Make learning fun!

James Paul Gee outlines 16 principles for Good Video Games and Good Learning . As the godfather of game-based learning (GBL), Gee emphasizes the importance of agency, challenge, and performance in learning. There are many such active learning strategies to make vocabulary learning more participatory and more engaging. Remember, repeated exposure is critical, so giving students the opportunity to play with their words is key.

Flocabulary has several instances of word play in the form of vocabulary games for high school: 

• In the Lyrics Lab , students can weave vocabulary words into original songs. They can turn to the word bank or rhyming dictionary for support. The Lyrics Lab promotes student voice.
• Each February, in honor of Black History Month, Flocabulary holds a national contest encouraging students to be researchers, lyricists, and rappers. In September, students can also enter the Hispanic Heritage Month Rap Contest.

Start using Flocabulary for high school instruction

While the rapid development of vocabulary can be exciting, vocabulary learning is truly a lifelong pursuit. Many learning activities can be reinforced across the high school curriculum so that students are constantly stretching their vocabulary prowess. Work collaboratively with colleagues in a cross-curricular manner to strategize about how best to teach vocabulary in high school. Engaging high school students in vocabulary learning activities will prepare them personally and professionally for life beyond their diplomas.

Darri Stephens is a dedicated LX (learning experience) designer, passionate about creating quality content and programs for kids, families, and educators. With MAs in Education from both Harvard and Stanford, and work experience at best-in-class ed tech organizations including Wonder Workshop, Nickelodeon, and Common Sense Education, she is steeped in the design thinking process and committed to agile and iterative project management, which has resulted in multi-award-winning programs and products.

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Three approaches to improve your online teaching

When designing online courses and teaching remotely, teachers need to select the framework that supports learning goals. Here, three academics break online learning techniques into their key parts

Antoni Badia

.css-76pyzs{margin-right:0.25rem;} ,, consuelo garcía, julio meneses, additional links.

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Many university teachers need help identifying the right conceptual framework for designing online courses and teaching in virtual learning environments (VLEs). A quick online search will suggest a multitude of pedagogic approaches and supposed innovative teaching methods, but many of these are not evidence-based. 

So, here we will summarise three research-based  online teaching approaches that teachers can use to guide their work in VLEs. We explain the focus, roles of teacher and students, the online learning environment and learning resources for each approach.

The content-acquisition approach

The main aim of this approach is to provide subject content to students. It is designed to cover all the essential concepts and principles of the subject matter. The content should be accessible, clear, concise, relevant, interactive, well explained and up to date to facilitate the students’ comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

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Teacher role: The teacher is the primary source of knowledge. They are responsible for selecting and organising the course content, choosing the appropriate learning resources for students, designing the learning activities and assessing students’ learning outcomes.

Student role:  The student   is expected to acquire and learn the course content from the provided resources and complete the learning assignments. Each student’s acquired knowledge should accurately represent the course content. Most students’ learning time is devoted to self-paced learning.

Online learning environment: This should facilitate learners’ content acquisition. Thus, technology-based tools are mainly used to produce, provide access to and deliver learning resources and materials. The VLE will contain lesson plans, activities and grades and class recordings. The technology used needs to deliver live online classes, with teachers’ real-time explanations, to many students worldwide. A prototype example of the content acquisition approach can be seen in most  massive open online courses (Moocs).

Learning resources: Learning resources may be selected and designed to accurately represent the nature of the content and enhance students’ learning experience. Various kinds of resources may be used to represent and deliver the content, such as multimedia (video and audio tools), authoring tools, interactive resources (computer simulations, games, virtual labs), mobile resources and adaptive resources (intelligent tutoring systems).

The knowledge-building approach

The key feature of this approach is the knowledge-building processes through which students expand their individual understanding.

Teacher role: The teacher’s primary role is to guide, help and supervise students’ learning. The course design includes learning objectives, content, activities, scaffolding and support, and assessments. Course implementation involves supervision to ensure the correct application of learning skills and adequate task completion, correcting students’ misunderstandings, and monitoring and assessing the learning process and learning outcomes.

Student role: The student should actively engage in an individual knowledge-building process and activate high-level thinking processes. This is encouraged through enquiry-based assignments in which students must find solutions to project-based challenges or work through real-world or theoretical examples. Such assignments require a deep understanding of the content, challenging students to explore information, apply critical thinking , ask questions, design enquiries, interpret evidence, form explanations and communicate findings. Students must make connections, and apply and use their knowledge in authentic learning situations.

Online learning environment: Technology should help students to develop the best individual knowledge-building processes, learn content and complete activities. These environments integrate learning tools that support students’ learning and work on specific higher-order-thinking processes such as solving authentic problems. The  web-based inquiry science environment (WISE) provides a good example of an online learning environment of this kind.

Learning resources: Generally referred to as instructional scaffolding, resources combine content and learning guides, question prompts, model examples and conceptual, procedural, strategic and metacognitive supports to guide learning.

The collaborative learning approach

The critical feature of this approach is students’ collaboration in learning in virtual environments, usually using synchronous and written communication. 

Teacher role: The teacher aims to facilitate high-quality social participation among students in collaborative learning activities. To achieve this, the teacher should create a learning environment that promotes relationships of trust and mutual commitment and provide learning resources that guide students’ social participation and collaboration in groups and in the community. The teacher should encourage communication, solve student conflicts, control learning periods and monitor students’ learning pace. Content and activities, such as online debates and team presentations, should be designed to facilitate collaboration and learning among equals.

Student role: Students engage naturally and proactively in community participation and group work and collaborate with peers to complete learning assignments, solve problems and share knowledge and perspectives. They participate in discussion and group work, and use critical thinking and creativity .

Online learning environments: Digital tools should be used that facilitate group-work organisation, promote group communication and collaboration, support knowledge exchange, and elaborate on shared outcomes. One example of such an online environment is Moodle, particularly the chat, forum, wiki and glossary functions.

Learning resources: Participants are expected to take an active role, building on the initial selection of learning resources the teacher provides according to their learning needs. For example, a shared learning task for students may be solving a problem or tackling a learning challenge collaboratively. In that situation, the students should search for and select new information related to the specific issue or challenge of the learning assignment and share it with their peers.

Teachers may use a single teaching approach to design an online course, but it is more likely they will take features from all three and combine them to best fit the different elements of the course and its learning objectives.

Antoni Badia is director of the bachelor’s degree in primary education, and  Julio Meneses is director of learning and teaching analysis at the eLearning Innovation Center; both are at the Open University of Catalonia. Consuelo García is vice-rector for teaching and educational innovation at the Valencian International University.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter .

For more teaching and learning insight from the authors, see “ Emotions in response to teaching online: Exploring the factors influencing teachers in a fully online university ”, as published in Innovations in Education and Teaching International .  

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For Earth Day, Try These Green Classroom Activities (Downloadable)

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Earth Day is April 22 in the United States and the day the spring equinox occurs in some parts of the world. It’s a day to reflect on the work being done to raise awareness of climate change and the need to protect natural resources for future generations. Protecting the earth can feel like an enormous, distant undertaking to young people. To help them understand that they can play a role by focusing on their backyards or school yards, educators can scale those feelings of enormity to manageable activities that make a difference.

We collected simple ideas for teachers and students to educate, empower, and build a connection with nature so that they may be inspired to respect it and protect it. Classrooms can be the perfect greenhouse to grow future stewards of the environment.

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11 Things to Consider When Choosing a High School

Take these factors into account to determine the best fit for a soon-to-be high school student.

Choosing a High School: What to Consider

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For the high school experience to be fruitful, experts say it's important that students are in the right environment.

Whether the goal is to attend college or take another route , much of the groundwork for a student's future is laid in high school .

But for the experience to be fruitful, experts say it's important that students are in the right environment.

"Choosing a high school isn't just about the brand name," Pierre Huguet, CEO and founder of admissions consulting firm H&C Education, wrote in an email. "Parents want to make sure their child will be happy on a campus that meets their academic, extracurricular, and personal needs."

Some families have more choices than others when it comes to high schools, depending on their financial situation and where they live. For those who can choose and are considering a private or boarding school , looking at public schools outside their district , or thinking about a charter or magnet school, here are 11 things experts say families should consider.

Academic Program Offerings

One of the first determining factors for many families is the type of academic programs a school offers, experts say. Parents should research whether a school offers dual enrollment , Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs, "or other ways that courses can be accredited or partner with another external institution to provide that level of academic rigor," says Sasha Chada, founder and CEO of admissions consulting firm Ivy Scholars.

"Parents who want their children to go on to higher education should look for more rigorous coursework," he says.

If the student is interested in pursuing a particular subject area, such as theater or journalism, parents might also want to consider whether the school provides related opportunities.

Determining how much money to spend – if any – on a child's high school tuition can be a challenging but important decision for parents.

“Take a hard look at the public schools in your area ... before you start applying to top private schools, because you just might have a gem in your neck of the woods," says Brian Taylor, managing partner at college admissions consulting firm Ivy Coach. "That public school might be more highly regarded than the top private school."

Many private schools offer financial aid or scholarships to help offset the cost.

Extracurricular Activities

In addition to academic success, extracurriculars play a significant role in college admissions. Many students participate in clubs, sports teams and school organizations, so it's important to weigh the options a school offers, especially if a student has a specific hobby, experts say.

If an activity isn’t offered, students should ask if the school would allow them to create their own club or be creative in accommodating an interest, says Nellie Brennan Hall, a senior private counselor at education consulting firm Top Tier Admissions. Launching a club demonstrates leadership, experts say, which can be a differentiating factor for students in college admissions.

Extracurriculars can also play a vital role in helping students enjoy their time in high school. For students whose plans don't include college, extracurriculars can be a way to develop skills and further cultivate interests and relationships that help forge a path for their future, experts say.

Parents should consider the location of the school and the logistics of how their child will commute. In-district public schools generally offer bus transportation, and students who live close enough may also be able to walk or bicycle to school.

A private or magnet school or out-of-district public school may not offer buses and require a longer commute, which may be tiring for students and cut into free time or fun activities, Huguet says.

"Not only is this a time sink, but being located far from school can make it much harder for students to get involved with extracurriculars there," Chada says.

Getting a feel for a school's diversity should be a high priority for families, experts say.

No matter what type of school a student attends, there are often tradeoffs when it comes to racial, economic and other forms of diversity, Chada says, so families should consider what's most important to them. In addition to demographics, parents might want to examine how schools demonstrate sensitivity to various cultural issues and how they teach about race and racism.

A 2016 report from the Century Foundation, a progressive New York-based think tank, says there's a body of research indicating that students benefit from being in diverse classroom settings.

"If reams of social science evidence is correct in arguing that diversity makes us smarter, and if higher education researchers are correct about their findings related to college students," the report says, "our elementary and secondary education students have much to learn and gain from public schools that are diverse and in which professional educators know how to build on that diversity to help all students learn deeper, better, and more creatively about themselves and others."

School Size and Environment

Whether it's a small school that can provide students with more personal attention or a larger school with more opportunities to build relationships, parents should pick the environment that's best for their child.

Families may also want to consider the school's student-teacher ratio. Though Chada favors smaller class sizes , he says large schools with bigger class sizes can still provide quality learning opportunities and support for students.

School counselors are a vital part of the college admissions process, Brennan Hall says, and a school's size may affect a counselor's availability to students. If a small teacher-student ratio is important to families, they may want to also consider a school's counselor-student ratio.

Resources for Special Needs

Experts say one advantage of larger schools is that they tend to have more resources available for students with special needs. And public schools are required by federal law to provide an appropriate education for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment possible.

Private schools are not subject to this requirement, though some cater specifically to students with disabilities. Families for whom this is a priority should determine if their child's needs can be met at a particular school.

"Visit learning centers and schedule times to speak with representatives who can explain the services available for students with special needs," Huguet says. "If your child has special needs, this step should take precedence over all of the other variables."

School Culture

The culture or vibe of a school can make or break a family's decision. The best way to determine if a school's culture is a good fit is by visiting the school and seeing how students interact with each other and with staff, experts say.

"Parents need to think deeply about their individual child and what type of culture will help them thrive," Brennan Hall says. "Some students love a competitive environment. Some prefer a religious school where many students share their faith. Others truly blossom in a nurturing culture."

Graduation and College Attendance Rates

While families may not want to base their decision on numbers alone, certain statistics can suggest how successfully a school prepares students for the next stage of their lives.

Two stats to consider are graduation rates and college attendance rates, experts say. Many schools also list the colleges their students attend. This information is typically found on the high school's profile page, which is generally linked on the school's website.

Students should look at average SAT and ACT scores from the school and match them to the target test scores of the colleges they're applying to, Chada says. Average AP scores can also show how strong a public school is, he says.

"Also look for the number of universities that students matriculated at from your school and ask yourself if these are the kind of universities that you’d want to go to," he says. "It’s easy to figure out if you’re going to be a good fit."

Safety and Security

School shootings and cyberbullying are increasing, according to a 2023 report prepared for the National Center for Education Statistics. The number of shootings with casualties increased from 11 in 2009 to 188 during the 2021-22 school year, according to the report, which was based on data from the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

The report also indicates that nearly 8% of public schools reported at least one incident of cyberbullying among students per week during the 2009-2010 academic year. That number increased to nearly 16% during the 2019-2020 academic year.

Issues of student safety and security "have become differentiating factors for families over growing concerns about violence in schools," Huguet says. "Parents should look into the school's safety policies, procedures, and request records of incidents."

As technology plays an increasing role in teaching and learning, it's important to understand what technology is available at a school and determine whether it fits the student's needs or interests.

Huguet also recommends asking whether schools restrict or encourage access to certain new digital tools, like ChatGPT .

"Parents should feel free to ask about how technology is used in the classroom and whether the school adapts its curriculum accordingly to help students develop critical thinking skills and learn about new systems," he says.

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Delaware Student of the Week is a familiar STEM mind from Brandywine High

And then there was another student to spotlight.

Delaware Online/The News Journal is running a new initiative to recognize achievements of high school students across the state through reader voting. This "Delaware Student of the Week" honor looks to highlight academic excellence, extracurricular activities, volunteerism, perseverance and more attributes that make up the lives of so many young scholars.

School principals and other educators sent in nominations — while readers, like you, handled the rest. So in this round, who is our Delaware Student of the Week?

That's Malti John of Brandywine High School , with nearly 64% of the vote this week.

This honors student also helps lead the school's team in Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow STEM Competition, now a national finalist . She's a programming mentor for Brandywine Bots teaching students how to program robots and how to read sensor data, according to her nominator. She's president of the technology association BHS TSA chapter, lead developer for the Augmented Reality Fitness Games for Nemours Children's Hospital and — if that isn't enough — attending Stanford University this fall.

Other students honored this week were Maiss Hussein, Hodgson Vo-Technical High; Brynn Moor, William Penn High; and Hayden Avery of Woodbridge High School.

Readers: Come back for our next poll, now in two weeks. Educators: There's still time to make additional submissions.

ICYMI: Brandywine students redesign classic board games for players of any ability: Education roundup

[ Editor's note: This is a budding initiative. Did we miss your institution on our email list? Have a comment? Let us know:  [email protected] ]

Big changes proposed for Utah high school sports involving local, international students

By amy donaldson, ksl podcasts | posted - april 24, 2024 at 3:27 p.m., juan diego catholic high principal galey colosimo speaks to the utah high school activities association executive committee wednesday in midvale. a proposal was approved that would limit athletic opportunities for international students. (amy donaldson, ksl).

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

MIDVALE — Some massive changes could be coming to high school sports in Utah.

Two proposals — one aimed at students attending schools on F1 visas and the other targeting all athletic transfers — were approved Wednesday by the executive committee of the Utah High School Activities Association.

The changes are an effort to do two things. First, reduce the number of transfer appeal hearings conducted when student-athletes want to switch to another high school. Second, crack down on allegations that some schools are recruiting international student athletes to play at local private high schools.

"In my time here, this is the most organized, widespread, and pernicious recruiting scheme I've seen," said Mark Van Wagoner, attorney for the association for nearly 50 years, referring to a network of club coaches and independent scouts who sent teenage athletes from other countries to private schools in Utah. He encouraged the committee members — mostly high school principals — to take action and send both proposals to the group's board of trustees, which will consider the changes on May 1.

"We can't continue to not meet the problem," Van Wagoner said. "Because this is causing harm to the association, it's causing harm to children."

Van Wagoner said there are ongoing investigations into the recruiting of F1 visa student-athletes, and at one point, he held a thick envelope of documents aloft to indicate he has been inundated with evidence of recruiting complaints.

KSL has been investigating the same allegations for two years and has found evidence of issues in private schools ranging from engagement in recruiting or accepting recruited student-athletes (through intermediaries like club coaches) for the main purpose of playing sports at the schools. There are also allegations of waived or reduced tuition, which all of the principals who spoke Wednesday denied.

New transfer rules

The changes to the transfer rules will simplify movement between schools for students, schools and the association staff.

"We had 150 appeal hearings last year," Van Wagoner said. "We thought the rules were self-enforcing. They're not.​​ So we made some significant changes that I think are fair and probably make it more open than it was in the other direction."

The new rules state that students who have played a sport at any Utah school within the past 12 months can transfer for any reason, but they will automatically be ineligible for 30 days or 50 percent of the games — whichever is greater.

There are exceptions, but they're specific and will mostly be handled between schools. Those exceptions are: school closure or elimination of a program, disciplinary removal (expelled from a school), divorce, death of parent, documented bullying, and bona fide change of residence.

No more guardianship situations if a student has a living parent, unless "there is a determination of abandonment."

Visa students

The group also unanimously approved changes to the athletic eligibility of students who attend Utah schools on F1 visas.

Students who attend Utah schools on an F1 visa will not be eligible to play varsity sports under the new rules unless one of two things happens at the school level: A school can opt to go independent in a sport and not be a part of the Utah High School Activities Association, or a school can play F1 athletes on varsity teams but be ineligible for postseason play.

Three private school administrators spoke out against the proposed rule change before Van Wagoner addressed the issue with the committee — Patrick Lambert, principal at Judge Memorial High; Aaron Schrader, principal at Layton Christian Academy; and Galey Colosimo, principal at Juan Diego Catholic High.

"As one of the largest international schools in the United States, obviously, this decision has the potential to have a huge impact on Layton Christian," Schrader said. "Our primary goal is that we would like to maintain our standing as a member in good standing with the UHSAA. … And we want to make sure that our students continue to have those opportunities (sanctioned by the association)."

The principals said it diminished the experience students could have at schools if they weren't allowed to fully participate in whatever activities interest them, including sports.

Colosimo said he didn't understand singling out F1 visa students.

"But what might be an issue that's underground here," he said, "but I'm sure we're all aware of, is the undocumented population. … International students tend to be in private schools. But undocumented students tend to be in public schools. And if you put those two side by side, it's kind of the same thing. Except that with international students, they follow the rules."

He said Juan Diego High's F1 visa holders "complete the paperwork, they pay tuition, contrary to rumors, they all pay tuition, room and board. They do everything legally that they're supposed to do in order to be in this country. Undocumented students don't do anything. Right? … There's no paperwork; you can't even ask if they're undocumented, and yet their participation is full."

Many of the principals later expressed anger at Colosimo's comparison of undocumented students to F1 visa holders and said there are no similarities. Undocumented students are considered local students, unlike those attending on visas, who are almost always part of an international or exchange program.

Van Wagoner read an email from a woman who is currently hosting an international student who said some international students are not protected by coaches and principals and could now be punished by not being allowed to participate in the "full high school experience" if they aren't allowed to play sports. She said the adults that allowed these children "to be mistreated and used" should be held accountable. Van Wagoner said the association is concerned about all students and keeping them safe.

There was some discussion Wednesday about allowing F1 visa holders to play after one year, but it was rejected without much discussion.

"We are at a point, in my opinion," said Northridge High Principal Jason Smith, "we have a major trust issue with some of our schools. ... I don't trust the schools. I don't trust the coaches, I don't trust what was just said. … Personally for me, and in Region 5, the trust is gone."

Pinnacle Academy Principal Roberta Hardy said she sees the proposed rule change as just a first step in addressing what she described as a human rights issue.

"This is the first part," she said. "But I want to go on record saying this is not the end. … I'm for sanctions, kicking people out whatever it takes, because this is ridiculous. … This is so heinous toward kids, that we're bringing them here simply to use them.

"And I'll fight with every last breath to keep going on. So I want the member schools that have come in today … I want them to hear what I'm saying. We're not done. This isn't the end. We're just beginning."

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