IT skills games

1: Create A Guessing Game

Game link: Guessing game

In Create a Guessing Game, students will make a guessing game where they create a question about themselves and challenge others to guess the correct answer.
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

Achieve the following objectives: 
Use the CHAR and RANDBETWEEN functions to create a random set of ten letters.
Combine letters to create words.
Calculate score totals using the COUNTA function.

Answer the following essential questions:
How can a digital tool like Google Sheets help me improve my vocabulary?
How can I use functions and formulas to perform tasks and calculations in a spreadsheet?

Internalise the following enduring understandings:
Formulas are instructions that perform a specific calculation on data (numbers or text) in a spreadsheet.
Functions are pre-set commands used to perform a calculation or task quickly.
Using formulas and functions is a way to perform complex calculations quickly and with little chance of error.

As they complete this lesson, students will learn and practice the following digital skills:
Enter text in a spreadsheet
Use functions
Write formulas
Paste with “values only.”
Format text
Create a new sheet

Description
Introduce the lesson and prompt students to think about the various uses of spreadsheets and how formulas and functions can be used to perform tasks.

Say
To get started and join our class, go to g.co/applieddigtialskills and select “Sign In.” Click on your Google account (or create one), choose “I am a student,” and enter our class code. (Teacher note: Locate your class code on your dashboard.) After you join our class, proceed to Video 1 and begin watching. 

Ask
What have you used spreadsheets for in the past?
Have you ever used a formula or function on a spreadsheet?
Describe the activities and outcomes for the lesson.

Say
In this lesson, you will use a spreadsheet to create and play a word game with a partner. You will build your word game using formulas, then score your word game using a function.

Say
Go to g.co/applieddigitalskills and select “Sign In” to log into your profile. If you see “Wait,” click it and move on to the next unit. If you already see “Introduction to Make a Word Game,” then you are ready to begin watching the first video. Watch the first video and complete the steps described.

Teacher Note
If students need help accessing the lesson, have them navigate the curriculum menu by clicking “Curriculum” at the top of the page, then scroll down and select the correct lesson.

Intro/Closing Questions
Have you ever played a word jumble game before?
This lesson will have you pair into partners. What are some benefits of working with a partner on a lesson like this?

Engage
Which part of this lesson surprised you?
What is the difference between a formula and a function?
If you could invent a function to do anything, what would you want it to do?
Wrap up the lesson.

Wrap-Up
Summarise the lesson and celebrate that they created an exciting project as a result of the skills learned.
Say
In this lesson, you used spreadsheet functions and formulas to set up, play, and score your word game. 
Ask
What other things could you use the CHAR and between and COUNTA functions for?
What surprised you about playing the word game with your partner? Was it easier or more complicated than you expected? 
How will you apply the new skills you learned here to your life or work?

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2: Make a Word Game

Game link: Make a Word Game

In Make a Word Game, students will use spreadsheet formulas and functions to create a word game and play with a partner.

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

• Achieve the following objectives:
  • Create a quiz in Google Forms.
  • Add questions, answers, and an answer key to a form.
• Answer the following essential questions:
  • How can I view responses collected in a form?
  • How can I create a digital form to share with others?
  • What is the best way to format information for a quiz?
  • How do I organise information in a form?
• Internalise the following enduring understanding:

Using a form is an efficient way to collect and analyse information from other people

This lesson is designed to be completed in a single class period. It has multiple videos for students to watch, which vary in duration and guide students through building a main project around a central theme. Also included are three optional extension videos, which should each take students 5-10 minutes to complete. They can be added to the main lesson to extend instructional time and allow students to add to their projects and reinforce skills.

Say: In this lesson, you will use Google Forms to make a guessing game where you create a question about yourself and challenge others to guess the correct answer.

Say: Go to g.co/applieddigitalskills and select “Sign In” to log into your profile. If you see “Wait,” click it and move on to the next unit. If you have already seen “Introduction to Create a Guessing Game,” then you are ready to begin watching the first video. Watch the first video and complete the steps described.

Teacher Note: If students need help accessing the lesson, have them navigate the curriculum menu by clicking “Curriculum” at the top of the page, then scroll down and select the correct lesson.

Intro/Closing Questions:

• Have you ever created a quiz or a form before?
• Have you ever taken an online quiz?
• Can you think of a question to ask for your guessing game?

Engage:

• Which was harder? Creating a question or making up some answers?
• Was it hard to find an image for your hint?

Wrap up the lesson:

Wrap-Up: Summarise the lesson and celebrate that they created an exciting project as a result of the skills learned.

Say: In this lesson, you created a question about yourself that others had to guess the answer to. You created a quiz in Google Forms, added a multiple-choice question and answers, and added an image as a hint.

Ask:
What question did you choose to ask about yourself?
What else could you use a form or quiz for?
Besides using an image, what other ways might you add a hint for your quiz question?

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3: Kahoot!

Game link: Kahoot!

Host a live Kahoot via videoconferencing to connect with students studying at home or via a big screen in class! Questions and answer alternatives will be displayed on the shared screen while students answer on their devices. Ace distance learning by assigning student-paced Kahoots that students can play at home. Questions and answers are displayed on players’ screens.

Assign a self-paced Kahoot that students can play anywhere, anytime on their own devices – especially in distance learning. Questions and answers will be displayed on their screens.

Students can also play in single-player mode in our app to practice or for fun.

After you’ve hit Play, choose a game mode to proceed.

Mix and match question types

• Quiz: add a multiple-choice question on any topic for any subject
• True/false: test attention and activate students with a simple true/false question
• Images as answers: Add images as answers and engage pre-readers and math students
• Poll: do a quick pulse-check or collect feedback with a poll question – no points will be awarded (Pro or Premium subscription required)
• Slide: give more context to questions and present additional info with slides – students need to look up and learn (Pro or Premium subscription required)
• Puzzle: test deeper understanding by asking students to arrange answers in the correct order (Pro or Premium subscription required)
• Type answer: Test knowledge retention by asking students to type a short answer. (Premium subscription required)

Adjust game dynamics: Some additional settings and options will give you complete control of game dynamics and help you adjust your Kahoot to your students’ learning goals.

2: When hosting a Kahoot…

• Randomise the order of questions – especially helpful when replaying Kahoots for revision!
• Randomise the order of answers.
• Enable a nickname generator to avoid inappropriate nicknames in the game or help learners get in the game quicker.