fun computer assignments for middle school

15 Meaningful Activities for Short Lesson Periods in the Computer Lab

Short lesson period for technology class? That’s no reason to give up on your students engaging in something meaningful in the computer lab!

Short lesson period for technology class? That’s no reason to give up on your students engaging in something meaningful in the computer lab!

Trackpad Gestures

  • Students practice moving, clicking, swiping, scrolling, right-clicking, and clicking and dragging on paper work mats before they even get on a computer.

Color by trackpad gestures

Mapping the Way Home

  • In this online activity, students use Google Maps to pinpoint their home address and get directions to and from school.

Exploring Pictographs

  • In this interdisciplinary lesson, students try to interpret what a set of pictographs –pictures that symbolize a word or concept — really mean. They then “write” a few sentences using their own pictograph system.

Middle Elementary

Fill in the Keyboard Letters

  • On each printable worksheet there are 3 keyboards for a total of 15 fill in the letters activities.  With Cut and Paste Keyboard Puzzles it is deceptively tricky for students to cut the puzzle pieces and then find their places to create a completed keyboard.

Fill in the keyboard letters

Create your own Vocabulary Review

  • Students define 4-5 words, create crossword puzzles with a free online tool, and then share their puzzles for review purposes.

Upper Elementary

Technology Vocabulary Word Searches

  • Students can keep their technology vocabulary terms in mind by completing word searches. 

fun computer assignments for middle school

Word Processing Review

  • Review and assess basic word processing skills with this short pre-made assignment.

Middle School

Digital Citizenship Discussion Prompts

  • All Digital Citizenship Standards are addressed with these 42 task card style discussion prompts.

Digital citizenship discussion prompts

TedEd Lessons

  • Pick from over 200 videos about technology. Then use the provided discussion prompts, questions and other resources as time allows.

Programming Practice Writing

  • So much in programming depends on being exact.  Have students write sentences, common phrases, or even single words then change or eliminate one letter to change the meaning (i.e. startling > starting > staring > string > sting > sing > sin > in > I.).  Another version could be punctuating sentences differently in order to change the meaning!

Short lesson period for technology class? That’s no reason to give up on your students engaging in something meaningful in the computer lab!

Early High School

Crack the Code Puzzles

  • Binary Code, Hexadecimal, and Morse Code Encoded Messages with silly phrases as well as technology facts. These are still Tech lessons but on paper!

Hello World

  • A “Hello, World!” program is a computer program that outputs the message “Hello, World!”. Such a program is very simple in most programming languages, and is often used by students learning the basic syntax of a programming language.

Judge a Book by its Cover

  • Students build visual literacy and engage in close reading as they investigate the text and imagery on book covers to make judgments about the content they might contain.

Late High School

Respond to a Podcast

  • Have your students listen to a news podcast and use a graphic organizer to record what they learn.

Introduce Tessellations

  • Students use the drawings of M.C. Escher, as well as online research, to deduce what tessellations are. Then each student creates tessellations from both regular and irregular polygons.

Short lesson period for technology class? That’s no reason to give up on your students engaging in something meaningful in the computer lab!

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Fun and Easy Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

February 21, 2016 by Selena Robinson 4 Comments

Sharing is caring!

It’s hard for me to believe, but I’ll have a middle schooler this fall. (Yikes!) And one of the subject areas I really want to focus on with her is STEM.

But – here’s my conundrum – I wasn’t really that interested in science as a kid. And, to make matters worse, the sciences have vastly expanded since I was in school.

I had no clue about computer programming as a kid and no real desire to learn it after I grew up. Today, though, it’s obvious that our kids need to learn (at least) the basics of coding.

Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners FB

Personally, I want to encourage my daughter to learn anything without feeling that it’s “too hard” or “too complex”. And programming can certainly appear that way, especially at first.

So I’ve found middle school coding projects that are perfect for beginners! Trust me, they’re even easy enough for us parents to teach!

Try some of these easy coding projects with your middle schooler over summer break! By the way, find out how to use Bitsbox to get a new set of coding projects for middle schoolers each month!

Help your middle schooler learn to code with these middle school coding projects for beginners! These are easy enough for any first-time coder to try!

Images c/o: iofoto & belchonock / depositphotos

Easy Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

Coding itself is a bit abstract for my kids to grasp. But when I tell them “You can learn to do ______”, they get way more interested.

And that’s what I like about these easy middle school coding projects for kids. They all teach kids to  make something . Even better, they’re all absolutely free!

1. Learn to make a website. Really. With CodeAcademy , kids (and adults) can learn to create a website from scratch in as little as four hours.

2. Draw a waving snowman.  Khan Academy’s  Intro to JavaScript  course is simple enough for middle school kids to learn.

3. Make a GIF. GIFs are everywhere and, I’ll be honest, I love them. Kids will love using Google’s Made with Code program to design their own!

4. Build a Star Wars galaxy.  Code.org features a simple and super fun Star Wars drag and drop exercise that’s perfect for beginning coders!

5. Design digital art . Another Code.org project, this one lets kids use coding and math to create art from angles.

fun computer assignments for middle school

6. Program a virtual robot. Lightbot is a project that teaches kids how to send program commands to a robot that follows their instructions.

7. Make your own beats. This Made with Code project lets kids use Blockly to create their own music.

8. Code a 3D Solar System. In this Scratch project, students can alter and design an existing solar system project and add their own touches.

9. Design an animated story. Google CS First, a resource for introducing computer programming, offers this project to kids of all ages, but it’s ideal for middle grades.

10. Create a video game. With W3Schools, students who have a basic understanding of HTML and JavaScript can build their own games.

Beginner Middle School Coding Projects

More Resources for Middle School Coding Projects:

For more help to get middle schoolers started in programming, try these affiliate resources from Amazon! (For details, see our Disclosure Policy .)

10 Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

See more coding ideas below!

Stumped by how to teach computer coding? Make basic coding for kids easy and fun with Bitsbox!

And get even more ideas for STEM education from my STEM for Homeschoolers board on Pinterest!

fun computer assignments for middle school

Don’t miss these other great posts!

Free The Grouchy Ladybug Printables

This post is part of the 28 Days of Hands-On STEM Activities for Kids linkup! Stop by to get a look at all of the awesome STEM resources being shared this month!

28 Days of Hands On STEM

March 17, 2016 at 12:56 pm

This is an excellent list! I offered 8 of these to my classes today (grade 6) and the variety covered many interest levels and skill levels and the students can’t wait to code again.

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March 19, 2016 at 6:18 am

Yay! I’m glad that your students loved it! Since my daughter is going into sixth this fall, I’m planning to share more middle school resources. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Black History Month for Kids: Google Slides, Resources, and More!

9 Collaborative Technology Projects Your Students Will Love!

If your classroom is far from a 1:1 environment (more like 1:32), it can be hard to find great technology projects that really work.

fun computer assignments for middle school

If your classroom is far from a 1:1 environment (more like 1:32), it can be hard to find great technology projects that really work. Here are some simple tech tools students can use to create awesome projects. Students can work together in cooperative learning groups or independently depending on your access to technology in your school district. Bonus: They’re all free!

inkle

Inkle   is a fun digital storytelling tool for students. Rather than having students use Microsoft Word, change things up by having them create a digital book. Students will love adding images to make their story come to life! Cooperative learning idea: Students can collaborate and create a Choose Your Own Adventure story! Each child adds a paragraph to the story and at least two options for readers to choose from. They insert images by adding the link to an image they like online. This Web 2.0 tool is free and the children’s work can be saved and shared.

story-bird

2. Story Bird

With Story Bird , kids can choose images and invent their very own unique story to go along with the pictures. Students must use their inference skills to depict an image. What is the character feeling? Where does the story take place (setting)? What’s the plot? It’s up to kids to decide after they carefully examine every detail of their image. There is no right or wrong answer.

Cooperative learning idea:  Have students share a computer and agree on an image. Then they go off and depict the image as they see it. The students can then compare and contrast their results.

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3. Build Your Wild Self

New York Zoos and Aquarium / Wildlife Conservation Society has an interactive game called  Build Your Wild Self!  Students choose different body parts and limbs for their creature. Then, they choose a habitat. When they’re all finished, the site describes each attribute they chose. For example, orb spider eyes: “You have six eyes, but you can’t see very well. You use your keen sense of touch to track down prey.” 

Cooperative l earning idea:  Have students work together to build a “wild self” and write a paragraph describing what their animal would eat, their animal’s habitat, exceptional characteristics and talents, as well as their unique adaptations. You could also group students into teams to create a habitat that would be suitable for all of their animals!

4. Blabberize

Blabberize is a free tool that makes photos come to life! Students upload a photo, create a mouth and record whatever they would like their image to say!

Cooperative learning idea: Students can take turns talking. This tool can be used to give a history or science report. Students could describe an animal’s adaptations by making the animal they researched talk!

little-bird-tales

5. Little Bird Tales

Students can create digital books, add or draw photos and insert their very own voice with Little Bird Tales ! You could have each student create a page to create a class book. Click here for an example.

Cooperative learning idea: Older students can work in teams and create a digital book for a presentation. This is a great project for students who don’t enjoy giving oral presentations.

what-if-genie

6. What if? Genie

If students aren’t feeling inspired, have them ask the story genie ! The genie randomly generates a “what if?” question for kids. The “what if?” questions are crazy and imaginative, ones kids would have a blast writing about! Hit the genie square to generate a question.

Cooperative learning idea:  Students can share a computer, generate a “What if?” question, then go off and write! Then they can compare and contrast their results.

free-rice

7. Free Rice

Have students make a difference by practicing their math, chemistry, anatomy, geography, foreign language, vocabulary, grammar, humanities and even for the SAT. “For each answer they get right, 10 grains of rice is donated  through the World Food Programme to help end hunger.”

Cooperative learning idea: Students can go on Free Rice and calculate how much rice they donated as a group and create a graph to show their weekly results. This can be an ongoing project throughout the year. Groups can compare and contrast their results.

A free Animoto account lets students create 30-second videos, which can be challenging!

Cooperative learning idea: Have students explain something in 30 seconds through music and images. Above is an example of a water cycle video.

boggle

How many letters can you chain together to form a word? Point value: 3 or 4 letters = 1 point, 5 = 2 points, 6 = 3 points, 7 = 5 points, 8 or more = 11 points. Goal: Try to form as many words as you can before time runs out! Visit  Teacher Led  for a free letter generator!

Cooperative learning idea: Have students work in teams to create words. Then as a math project, they can create fractions (words created / how many times they rolled the dice) or graphs (compare/contrast the number of words created).

Erin Bittman is a designer turned teacher. Check out her blog E Is for Explore ! You can also find E Is for Explore! on Facebook and Pinterest .

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Computer Activities for Middle School

Computer Keyboarding Activities for Middle School

Computer Keyboarding Activities for Middle School

Middle school is great a time for students to build practical computer skills for high school and college. Given the ubiquity of computers in high school and especially in higher education, basic computer skills help students succeed.

Keyboarding

Keyboarding is the most fundamental of all computing skills. The ability to type words quickly and accurately increases productivity in many different computing tasks such as email writing, word processing, and even chatting with friends on an instant messenger or playing games. To start, give a lesson on "home row" (proper finger placement on the keyboard) and several basic lessons on which keys to strike with which fingers. Avoid repetitious drilling programs; instead, let the students use their typing toward more meaningful and engaging ends. Set up a chat room or instant messaging service and monitor students as they talk with one another by typing over the computer. This encourages students to learn typing, because they will want to be able to talk to their friends. To teach kids not to look at their keyboards, turn off the lights or cover keyboards with thin pieces of cloth for ten or fifteen minutes each class period.

Internet Use

Chances are a lot of middle school students already use the Internet, but it is still important to teach Internet skills for those kids with little experience. Devote some class time to a tutorial about how to open an Internet browser, use the URL bar to direct it to a specific website and conduct Internet search using search engines like Google and Yahoo. Spend some time familiarizing the kids with useful websites, such as Wikipedia and The Free Online Dictionary. In order to test knowledge and efficiency, make a game or race out of searching the net. Make a list of websites and questions based on content located on those sites for students to answer. Safety is an important part of Internet use, so spend some time teaching students about computer viruses, trojans, and the importance of firewalls and antivirus programs. Teach students to avoid chatting online with strangers and never to meet in person anyone that they met online.

Applications

Another important computing skill is knowledge of basic utility programs like word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software. Devote a few class periods to teaching different Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, or similar software. Students will likely have to word-process papers and projects in high school, so knowing how to manipulate text and print it out is important. PowerPoint can be fun for kids to learn, especially if you have digital cameras or scanners for kids to include photos and other pictures in their slides. Consider having kids give a PowerPoint slide show as a group project. To teach spreadsheets, have kids enter data into cells from a sheet or website, and then pull up graphs of the data. You can even have students set up email accounts and have them use email to send you their work as attachments during class. If you assign homework, consider allowing students with the Internet at home to send it in via email.

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Gregory Hamel has been a writer since September 2008 and has also authored three novels. He has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from St. Olaf College. Hamel maintains a blog focused on massive open online courses and computer programming.

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29 Amusing Tech Active For Middle School

December 12, 2023 //  by  Jill Webb

Technology isn’t easy fun because computers, it or comprises screen-free technology activities! The list below including a variety of low and high-tech activities for your central schoolers to try out! Whether they are interes in scientist, numbers, art, or even English, at are ways on implement technology inside their lessons. So scroll down to find 29 of the greatest creative craft for bringing more technological learning into yours classroom!

1. Create a GIF

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If middle schoolers had their own language- they’d be talking in GIFs! They’ll become totally stoked to must a lesson for how the make GIFs in Photoshop using animation. This is non only an engaged work, but it’s a great proficiency for them to learn how to create digital art using Adobe.

Learn More: The Art of Education

2. Circuit Business

Immediate here’s a single, yet vital lesson to teach your students about circuits! That video instructs they how to make on easily circuit, nevertheless you can furthermore do theirs make additional knotty ones once they’ve getting to grips with the basics.

Learn Show: YouTube

3. Digital Tale Activity

fun computer assignments for middle school

Using technics to notify stories is a great skill for your kiddos to how; especially as things become find technology-centered. Equal your reluctant artist will be excited to try out this program! Book Architect will help them understand wherewith up tell captivating, numeric stories that can breathe read time and time again.  Know how to bring computer scholarship general to to middle school students. Explore lessons and resources to related you get started.

Know Find: Book Creator

4. Technology Scavenger Chase

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Take your kids on a trip around the our from the seating of to schoolroom! Google Earth is an amazed resource for your kids to get a sense of travel by zooming into several locations are the world. For this scavenger hunt, you’ll combine geography with technology as they use Google Earth to explore different locations, using co-ordinates to navigate.

Hear Continue: Erintegration

5. StoriumEDU

fun computer assignments for middle school

StoriumEDU helps your kids post stories through aforementioned optical of video play play! It’s set up so that they can choose different characters and event cards the will prompt them toward fill at the blanks and write a whole story. They’ll learn character development press narrative organization through the excitement gameplay!

Learn more:  Storium EDU

6. Flippity

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Flippity is another cold digital resource that your kiddos will love! It’ll show diehards select to turn a Google Spreadsheet into a collection of games and flashcards. They’ll will able to take their own review games or featured materials, all while learning some basic computer literacy skills.

Learn More: Flippity

We love dieser collaborative differential platform is can easily be implemented in your classroom. Your kiddos can use Sutori to create timelines, informative graphics, real much view. It’s an commitment way with them to expres what i has learned through tech and you’ll loving the feature find you can present feedback! 

Learn More: YouTube

8. Digital Whiteboard

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How calm is this? It’s a student-friendly digital whiteboard that is great for storytelling or classroom presentations. Explain Everything is super easy to use and provides your young to map out hers learning by adding photos, images, video, audio, and print tools. It’s also adenine super source for you to use in your educating, or to use collaboratively as a type! CM Unlocked for Heart Schools

Learn More: Explain Everything

9. Virtual Choose Trip

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Ours love this product has present kids all over the world access to a variety of virtual field trips! Discovery Education offers virtual section trips that come with study and activities for each virtual uncovering. In this one, they’ll learn more about genomics- a fork of academics that studies DNA!

Learn Better: Discovery Education

10. Digital Breakout 

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Get your learners enthusiastically to outsmart technics with digital breakouts! This digital content activity the similarly to an escape place and to class will use different problem-solving and computer skills to “break out” of the room and win! My Science For Middle School - Ellipsis Education

Learn More: Sandy Cangelosi

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Here’s an game yours kiddos will be beseeching to play every day! Unruly Splats is a coding game that gets them moving and engraving for the same time. It uses simple codes to teach them these fresh skills through play.

Students More: Unruly Splats

12. Type Racing

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Typing is an clearly fundamental skill such your kiddies should be proficient in to we’ve added a great write game for you to embed down your classroom routine! In play Type Racer they’ll compete in a motor race as they try to accurately typing as many words as they can to move the car along an rennstrecke! The fastest hands will win! Enter the realm of technology because it science experiments. Control, create, and explore the wonders of it. Discover the perfect mid school ...

Learn Find: Type Racer

13. Builds A Calculator

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Let’s introduce our students to the world of programming by making adenine plain calculator! This is a cool coding activity somewhere they’ll learn how to make a functioning calculator use coding. Who knows, after teaching you who basics, your might even inspire them to erkundung coding as a future career choice! 

Learn More: Sphero Edu

14. Mosa Mack

fun computer assignments for middle school

Whirls you kids into science constables equal this exciting resource and accompanying lesson designs! The funny view will help you teach importantly science concepts and the interactive quizzes and digital worksheets help you to test learning. There’s also the opportunity for your kiddies to get hands-on, using real-life examples to demonstrate the concepts being taught.

Learn More: Common Sense Formation

15. AI Machine Learning

AI is appears rapidly and turn the media of a property of numeral discussion and debate. This machine is an fun way available your center schoolers to look first-hand how this innovative technician works! They’ll create and photograph a library of hand-drawn faces both use this as learning data into teach an AI how to determine moods based in facial expressions! Chill, right!? The Middle School Computers Curriculum | Yeti The STEM

Learn More: Science Buddies

16. Article Circuit Card

Get crafty with this next tech work. This see will help him teaching your kiddies how to make a circuit card using a select simple materials including some cord, a battery, and a small light! Urge she until received creative and make cute light-up images using their circuits! Computer Science

17. Replicate for Kids

Occupation all graphic designers! If your boys are interested includes education about digital drawing tools, then this the the your for them! Bardot Brush has a variety of digital drawing lessons made specifics for kids! We suggest following her on YouTube so that you can access her other lesson plans to go alongside the pictures!

18. Book Trailer Project

Rather than question yours learners to fill out a traditionally book report, why none utilize some technically both task i with making adenine digital book trailer? To site gives them a comprehensive lesson plan complete with a student cheque, a markers rubric, network to the national standards, as well such links to some examples to show for your kiddos!

Get More: Read Write Think

19. Ancient Egypt Strategy Select Game

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We’re safe you may some your in your class who love video games, right? If they’re learning about classical Egypt, this video game is perfect to add several tech time in the my lesson. The game is based turn real data from Gipsy times and our your learners to make strategic judgments to leadership their community! Middle School | Great School Lessons | The Internet · Web Quests | Web Quest ... ideas that I got created on online teachers and students have fun with computers.

Learn More: Clarus Vienna

20. Lego Laze Coding

fun computer assignments for middle school

Lego mazes are ampere great way to introduce basic coding skills to students to all ages! All they needed to do is form adenine maze using templates provided and legos. Then, it is they job to make a list the commands for you “character” to help them escape the maze. This knowledge cans then be transferring to real computer coding in one future! 

How More: Research Mother

21. DIY Smart Phone Projector

fun computer assignments for middle school

In this simple yet super fun technology activity, your kids willingness trim a hole in ampere cardboard box and fix a scale glass to the inside. And, they can build a resting stain since their smartphone within the box- and voila! They have a mini projector to play their favorite YouTube videos. Results 1 - 24 of 60000+ ... Middle school computers ; Computer Science Unit - Computer Coding Worksheets and Activities · STEM is the Middle ; Algorithm Flowcharts for ...

Learn More: The Stem Testing

22. Podcasting Projects

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular as they’re an easily accessible form about entertainment or information on which auf. This fantastic site will tell you all you need to knowledge into receiving your kids podcasting like professionals! They’ll my this fun activity where they’ll get to grow my digital skills as they learn how to record press revise audio about some by own favorite topics.

Learn More: neaToday

23. DIY Launcher Shadows

fun computer assignments for middle school

Cardboard projectors live adenine simple nevertheless engaging project such can be done beyond and about again! You’ll needs basic care including toilet paper rolling, plastic wrap, and a flashlight to get started, and have your middle schoolers draw photos or write words turn the obvious terminate of the roll. Turn off the lights, do ‘em power up those flashlights! Of results live a spectacular shadow show! Middle school personal | TPT

Learn More: Chalk Academy

 24. Piping Cleaner LIGHTED Christmas Decorations

fun computer assignments for middle school

It’s time in make some Holiday decorations! Head in your craft drawer for some pipe cleaners, a shallow battery pack, and LED bulbs. Your kiddos wishes possess a merry time shaping pipe cleaners in Christmas arbors and Rudolph shapes! Explain how the metallic in that tubular cleaner want act as a wire plus once they connect it to the batt and luminaire, they’ll hold their own light-up decoration! 

Learn More: Instructables

25. Harry Potter Wands

fun computer assignments for middle school

A magical take on technology, link include some wand-making action with this Harry Potter-inspired tutorial! Since this enjoyable activity, your tech assistants need toward stick policeman tapes along a select popsicle sticks and fasten a low LED light above. Once the battery is in place, their wand is finish to cast one “Lumos” zauberspruch! ... teach computer science concept without the use of a computer. The activities are created to engage students press serve such a vehicle to learn the ...

Learn More: Steam Power-driven Family

26. Simple Homemade Robot Car

fun computer assignments for middle school

For under eight dollars, this homemade robot car a definitely worth a try, and your kids will be amazed at their robot-making key! Skewers, foam, straws, and bottle caps will be aforementioned foundational materials for a new robotic friend while a small driving with batteries becoming bring she to lifetime! Resources on Grades 6 - 8

Learn More: Research Sire

27. DIY Morse Code Machines

fun computer assignments for middle school

DIY Morse Code Machines exist a great road to inspire your kids to stop texting and try a different way from communicating equally if just for a pairs starting hours! Helps them to follow the step-by-step directions to make a wooden box with wires and low connector inside. They’ll have a great time using the buzzer to communicate in Moralese code with each extra! Febru 13, 2023 - Explore TechnoKids Inc.'s board "Middle School Computer Activities", followed by 1,171 people on Pinterest. Understand view ideas about school electronics, middle teach, actions.

Teaching More: Surviving A Teacher’s Remuneration

28. Storyboard Creator

fun computer assignments for middle school

Storyboards are a great way on will students to practice summarizing stories they’ve read! Encourage them to focus switch the main events and key company elements to create the own online funny! Storyboard Founder enabled them in choose define backgrounds, characters, and more into virtually bring their overview to life! Centre School Computer Our

Learn More: Storyboard Is

29. Interpret Websites

fun computer assignments for middle school

Learning to tell good quality online sources from bad ones is a vital skill nowadays. Checking for six choosing, this your will give your learners practice evaluating websites and the request they presents. This is both a helpful expertise for middle and the real world; it’ll help them decide which websites belong quality sources real which units can’t be intimate!

Learn More: Education Globe

fun computer assignments for middle school

16 Ideas for Student Projects Using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms

July 31, 2016

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As you probably know, Google Drive is far more than a place to store files online. It also includes a suite of versatile creation tools, many of which perform the same functions as the ones we use in other spaces. These include  Google Docs,  a word processing program that behaves similarly to Microsoft Word,  Google Slides,  a presentation program similar to PowerPoint, and  Google Forms,  a survey-creation tool similar to Survey Monkey.  Although Drive also includes other tools, these three are particularly useful for creating rigorous, academically robust projects. If your school uses Google Classroom or at least gives students access to Google Drive, your students are probably already using these tools to write papers or create slideshow presentations, but there are other projects they could be doing that you may not have thought of.

Below I have listed 16 great ideas for projects using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms.

Annotated Bibliography By the time a student reaches the later years of high school, and certainly by the time she’s gotten to college, it’s likely that she’ll be required to write an annotated bibliography, a list of resources that not only includes the bibliographical information of each source, but also a short paragraph summarizing the resource and reflecting on its usefulness for a given project. Usually an annotated bibliography is required as a part of a larger research paper, but it could stand alone as an assignment that tasks students with seeking out and evaluating sources just for the practice of doing so. And the research tools in Google Docs allow students to locate, read, and cite their sources all in one place. To learn more, see this guide from Cornell University Library on How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography .

Book Review Instead of a book report, have students write a book review instead. This is certainly not a new idea, but publishing the work electronically allows students to enhance the final product with the book’s cover image, a link to the book’s page on Amazon, and even links to other titles the author has written or articles on related topics. For models and inspiration, elementary and middle school students can read student-written reviews on sites like Spaghetti Book Club . Older or advanced students might work toward more sophisticated, nuanced review styles like book reviews written on Oprah.com .

Collaborative Story Because Google Docs is cloud-based, multiple people can work on a Doc at the same time. So students can work together on a story, a script for a play, or any other kind of group writing project. They can use the comments feature to give each other feedback and make decisions together. And because students can work from any location with an Internet connection, collaboration isn’t restricted to school hours; each group member can work on the project from any location whenever they have time.

Media-Rich Research Paper Any kind of research paper can be given a big boost when done in a Google Doc, because students can insert images, drawings, and links to other relevant resources, like articles and videos. Using the research tools built into Docs, students can research their topics and include in-text citations with footnotes.

Super Simple Blog If you don’t want to mess with actual blogging platforms, but want students to be able to experience writing blog posts that contain images and hyperlinks to other websites, this could be accomplished easily in a single running Google Doc.

Table Being able to organize information visually is an important skill, and students who understand how to build a table in Google Docs will have a skill for presenting all kinds of information in the future. They can be used as a compare and contrast exercise, to display data from an experiment, or even put together a schedule. Yes, you could do these things yourself, print them, and have students fill them out, but why not have students practice creating the tables themselves? 

Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Story Because slides can contain hyperlinks to other slides, students could build a whole story where the reader chooses different options at key points in the story, leading them down completely different paths. The reader would consume the content as a slideshow, clicking on the links themselves as they go through. This could be a pretty massive undertaking, but we all know students who would be totally up for the challenge.

E-book These could take a variety of forms: mini-textbooks, children’s books, cookbooks or how-to manuals, personal art or writing portfolios, even yearbook-style memory books. To learn more about the possibilities, see my post from earlier this year on  Student E-Books .

Magazine Along the same lines as an e-book, students could use a similar template to create a PDF magazine or newsletter that is shared online on a regular schedule. The possibilities here are endless, useful for student clubs or sports teams, classroom or grade-level newsletters, or magazines put out by groups of students who share a common interest, like gaming systems, soccer, or books.

Museum Kiosk Imagine if we could enhance science fair projects with a looping video display that provides the audience with vivid visuals and text about our topic. Or imagine an art show, where a self-running informational slideshow could be placed beside an art display to share the story behind the piece and photos of the work in progress? This is possible and EASY in Google Slides: Simply create a slideshow, then use the “Publish to the Web” feature to create a slideshow that auto-advances and has no need for a presenter. Pop that up on an iPad or laptop and you’re all set. This mock-up of a slideshow on Coral Reefs shows you what it could look like (click the image to open in a new window).

Short Film Students can upload their own images and add text boxes to a slideshow to create an animated story, then record the slideshow with a Google extension called Screencastify . They can either record their own voice as narration, add background music, or both. There are so many different kinds of films students could produce: illustrated stories or poems, final reflections for a 20 Time or Genius Hour project, video textbooks on content-related topics, or news-like feature stories of school or community events. In this quick sample, I added music from YouTube’s library of royalty-free music that anyone can use to enhance their recordings:

Video Tutorial Using the same screencasting software mentioned above, students could also create their own video tutorials by creating a Slides presentation on their topic (such as “How to Open a Combination Lock”), then recording the slideshow with narration. This would make a nice final product for a unit on informational writing or a way for students to demonstrate their learning at the end of a unit in science (“How to Take Care of Lab Equipment”), social studies (“How to Measure Distance on a Map”), or math (“How to Multiply Fractions”). Student-made tutorials could even be created to teach classroom procedures. And any tutorials students make could be stored for later, so other students can also benefit from them.  Learn more about how Screencastify works right inside Chrome .

Peer Survey Whenever students need to gather data to support an argumentative essay or speech, let them gather data quickly and easily by creating a survey with Google Forms. Links to the survey can be sent out via email, QR codes , or through a post in a learning management system like Edmodo or Google Classroom. When results come in, students can use them to support whatever claim they are trying to make in their argument, or make adjustments based on what they discover in their research.

Feedback Form Have students provide feedback to each other’s presentations, speeches, even videos using Google Forms. Here’s how it would work: Each student creates her own form, asking for the kind of feedback she wants on the project. As other students view or the project, they can be sent to a form to offer praise or constructive criticism, which the creator would then be able to view privately and use to improve the project. Students could even use their feedback to write a reflection on their process after the project is done.

Quiz One great way to learn material is to create a test or quiz over the content. Have students use Google Forms to create their own multiple-choice, True/False, fill-in-the-blank, or open-ended quizzes on the content they are learning.

Visual Representation of Data Sets Whenever people enter responses to a Form, Google allows the form creator to view responses in charts and graphs. Have students gain a better understanding of how data can be represented visually by accepting responses (or entering their own fake ones) into a Form, then looking at how the numbers are represented in graphs. This could work well as a series of math lessons.

Way Beyond Worksheets

Just this morning on Twitter, someone posted a comment along these lines: “A worksheet on a Google Doc is STILL a worksheet. Students should be using tech to create!” I’ve heard this sentiment over and over, and it’s exactly why I’ve put this list together. Google offers some incredibly powerful tools if we know how to use them. I hope this list has given you a few new ideas to put into your students’ hands. ♦

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fun computer assignments for middle school

Categories: Instruction , Technology

Tags: assessment , content area literacy , English language arts , Grades 3-5 , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , project-based learning , teaching with tech , tech tools

51 Comments

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This is wonderful.

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This is my first year teaching in an alternative high school. All students have IEP’s as well as social and emotional disabilities. I really want to focus on literacy as many are well below grade-level, ability wise. Writing of course is a big part of literacy. I’m looking for ideas that they can collaborate on, via Google Docs, Slides, etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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Check out Boomwriter: A Fun Twist on Collaborative Writing . Lots of good resources there that you might like. Also take a look at Student-Made E-Books: A Beautiful Way to Demonstrate Learning .

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I am an RSP teacher in Anaheim. For summer school I am going to have them build a “Bucket List” in Google slides.

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Thanks for compiling these resources. I use many already but haven’t tried Screencastify yet. My district uses Google Classroom, but the forms app is blocked on student accounts- I think because it’s a perfect medium for under-the-radar cyberbullying (“How much do you hate Linda?…A little, a lot, a ton…”). Before teachers plan a lesson using forms, they should make sure the feature is enabled for students in their district. In my district, students can access forms and create them but they cannot send them to other students.

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Thanks, Robyn. Good to know!

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I love these ideas! You are so creative and now I have GREAT ideas for my SS project! Thanks! XD

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this is all true

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Our district is allowing extra credit this year and I have always been totally opposed to offering extra credit. These ideas are worth extra credit, and my focus this year is on what the students can teach me and the rest of their peers.

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This gave me some good ideas for culminating activities. Thanks!

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Thank you so much for sharing these ideas about creating projects by using the Google Drive! The middle school I teach at implemented a 1:1 program last year with Chromebooks, so the students have easy access to all of the Google apps. I had always grown up using Word docs and I was a little hesitant to start using Google docs at first. After just a few weeks, I absolutely fell in love with it! It is amazing how you can access all of your docs, forms, slides that you create from any device you’re using and the fact that everything automatically saves is just the cherry on top. I am grateful for this feature, especially working in a middle school where it is easy for students to forget to save something before exiting out. Although I teach Math, I found a lot of your project ideas to be utilized cross-curriculum and I truly appreciate it. I got my feet wet last year and had my students create google slides presentations in groups. At the beginning of this year, I started with a google form I created where students answered review questions from 6th grade Math. I love that when you get the results from all of the forms, you can easily see which areas students are struggling in and which areas they are proficient in because it is presented the results in graphs and charts. I just learned recently that you can create quizzes now, which is awesome because all of the testing in my district is done on the computers, so this will help prepare my students. I want to borrow your idea of having students create peer surveys that they can post on Google classroom in order to gather information and analyze results. This is a great skill for students to have. Thanks again, I truly enjoy reading your blogs!

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Be positive at all time

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Great collection of resources! Easy to read and very helpful for teachers who often do not get the tutorials they need to instruct with GAFE. I particular like the Museum Kiosk idea. It will work great will my history classes.

– Kevin

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Hi everyone! I also would like to suggest my own (free) templates site. Im designing these presentations using “free” resources from other sites such as FreePik, FlatIcon,… and I think the result is pretty good. I invite you to have a look. The site is https://slidesppt.com

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In the section of student blog posts, can you clarify how all the students in one class could be writing and posting a running blog which everyone in the class can read and respond to ?

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This is Holly Burcham, a Customer Experience Manager. The idea Jenn laid out here is to simply create a shared Google Doc where each student would basically be responsible for his/her own page (literally page 1, page 2, etc.). Within a shared Doc, everyone with permission can be in and typing at the same time. Once “posts” are written, students can go in and add comments to others’ work. The comments would show up in the margins and would be arranged by corresponding content, not time like a typical blog post.

But, as you can imagine, this could quickly become very convoluted and a bit messy. The thought behind using Docs as a student blog is more for writing practice, getting the feel for writing a blog post without doing the real thing…

So, if you’re interested in your students truly creating a blog, we highly recommend checking out Edublogs and Kidblog . Hope this helps!

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How are these good for projects? you said that these are for kid presentations, all I see are essay templates and idea’s for teachers to map out their classroom jobs(other then the coral)

Hi, Isaac! I’m not sure what could be used to map out classroom jobs specifically from this post, and I think the ideas here go way beyond essay outlines–please get back to me to clarify exactly what you’re referring to, because we believe all the ideas here are good for student use. Thanks!

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You might update this post. Google Forms now supports branching which would be much easier to create a “choose your own” adventure type experience.

Thanks for the suggestion. I can picture how that would work, yes, but I guess the aesthetic experience might be lacking in a Google Form. With Slides you have complete creative freedom to design the slides like a real book. I guess it would be a matter of personal preference?

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Where do I go to find accessibility features of Google docs, slides, and forms? I am a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. This technology is wonderful but without the ability to navigate the site independently, my students are at a lost. Can you direct me?

Hi! A couple of things that may be of help: Go to “Tools” in the menu bar and select Voice Typing (use Google Chrome). You can also click on Add-Ons in the menu bar and add the Speech Recognition Soundwriter extension for free. Here’s a link to find more Google Accessibility features — you just have to spend a bit of time looking through the list to see what may be relevant to your needs. I hope this helps!

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You can also combine Google forms and docs to simplify book reports for elementary students: https://electriceducator.blogspot.com/2016/03/elementary-book-report-machine.html?m=1

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Is there an available rubric or assessment piece for the museum kiosk activity?

Hi Colleen! No, sorry, I don’t have anything on that!

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Hi I am a teacher at a elementary school and I was wondering if you had any ideas for what I could do for an autobiography book report.

Hi Madison,

There really are so many things you can have the kids do — I would first think about what you’re expecting the kids to be able to do in the end. What will actually be assessed and what will they be accountable for? (I suggest checking out Understanding Backward Design if you haven’t already.) From there, they can choose how to present what they learned, meeting the assessment criteria. I think using some of the ideas in the Slides section of the post could work really well, especially Student Made E-Books , or making a short film.

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Madison, I love the idea of using Google Slides for autobiography book report. I’m thinking about Jennifer’s Slides suggestions and just tailoring it to your book report criteria/rubric. Thoughts?

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thank you very much!!

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Thank you! I can’t wait to explore some of these options more. This list is very much appreciated! 🙂

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I really appreciate your kindness and your efforts and I’m going to try everything you have mentioned in this wonderful article

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Thanks. Higher Ed ESOL Prof -no lesson prep for me… but I DO have my reading list for the next several (10-12) hours! All suggestions added to the original post are appreciated.

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I am a huge fan of Google resources, but you have showed me some new ways I can use these. Thank you for sharing!

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Thanks for some great ideas! I have another suggestion that I have used before- my students really liked it- a collaborative Google Slides presentation. I did this for types of organic molecules as an intro to organic chemistry. Each pair of students in the class was assigned a specific molecule to research. They had to create 1 slide with some specific information and add to a collaborative google slides presentation that I shared on Google Classroom. When the slideshow was complete, they could all access it, and they used it to take notes.

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Great suggestion Susan! Thanks so much for sharing this idea.

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I am wondering if I can find similar google instructions to send to my students now that we are teaching remotely and 90% of them probably don’t know how to use Google. This would be a fantastic use of their time. Thank you

Take a look at Jenn’s Google Drive Basics video course ! I think it’s got what you’re looking for – it’s for teachers and students!

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I am thinking about doing a Rap Challenge in which they (as teams based on which class period they are in) create lyrics using WWII vocabulary we have used.

I create raps for my students and my though was that I would take parts of ALL of their submissions and create a WWII rap to add to the collection they have heard already.

Which of the Google Drive features would be my best bet for collaboration like that while the students are all working from home?

Hi Jim! I think this could be done in Google Docs pretty easily, as they are just writing a script, correct? If you want to share video or audio, you can just put these files into a shared folder in Drive and give all students access to those files. I hope this helps!

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Amazing ideas

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An innovative way to eliminate paper.

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Hi! I love this site. I am beginning to use technology in my higehr education classroom. Could you help me to suggest some kind of game to use in Communication Skilss? Thanks a lot

Hi! Check out our Gamification Pinterest board and see what might be relevant. Hope this helps!

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I’m a college student (who is now a nanny which brought me to this page) and for the screen recording, I highly reccomend Loom over Screencastify. In my experience using both during the remote learning period, the video quality is much higher on Loom, the user interface is easier, and you can’t edit Screencastify videos in an external editor like iMovie. (I had to do a group presentation and since partner lived in Kuwait we used this vs Zoom, etc. to record the presentation since we weren’t recording at the same time. It was very difficult to figure out how to merge our parts of the presentation into a single file.)

Also with screencastify the time limit per video on the free version (5 min I think) was frustrating as my work was longer. May not be a problem for students but for educators using the tool who don’t have the premium, this could be highly inconvenient. With Loom there isn’t a time limit.

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What an adventure for me, who’s relatively new to this google drive thing. Mind blowing resources. It’s amazing. I’m excited as to what I can do with and in google drive. I’m definitely taking it one day at a time, will surely enjoy this ‘CRUISE’. Thank you Jennifer.

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What does it mean to type I am from Germany?

Hi Flannery! It can mean a few different things depending on the context–either typing on a keyboard or the “kind” of something (“What type of ice cream do you like?”). We’d love to give a specific answer, so please let us know which part of the post or which comment you saw that you’d like more clarification on. Thanks!

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Thanks for sharing these ideas. July 2021

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I love all the awesome ways to incorporate technology in the classroom. This post had so many options to choose from and some that I personally loved when I was in school. There are so many different ways to make learning fun with technology!

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So glad you enjoyed the post!

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Computer Science Activities for Middle School

Computer science careers are in high demand, offering lucrative opportunities across the education spectrum. From high school diploma to PhD, there’s something for everyone! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , “employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 11 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations”. In addition to tons of new jobs being added every year, people with computer science skills earn more than DOUBLE that of non-computer science professionals ($88,240 in May 2019 compared with $39,810 for other occupations)!

Computer science is also a great way to develop high level computational thinking skills needed in the 21 st century.

“In both science and engineering, mathematics and computation are fundamental tools for representing physical variables and their relationships. They are used for a range of tasks such as constructing simulations; statistically analyzing data; and recognizing, expressing, and applying quantitative relationships.” National Science Teachers Association

Computer Science Education Week is coming – celebrate with these best-selling, easy distance learning resources for computer science, Hour of Code, and more!

Top 5 Middle School Computer Science Activities

1. Computer Science Careers Webquest : One of our top 5 best sellers! Expose students to lucrative careers in computer science with interactive online activities directly connected to what people do in these careers. 13 questions about careers in computer science including why computer science is important, career exploration, computer hardware matching game, hacking in the news, and much more. >> learn more

2. Computer Science Bingo: Use this fun Bingo game to guide students through the incredible world of computer science in a hands-on, easy way. Includes a total of 25 fun computer science related mini activities for students to research, explore, and do from home or in school! Name 3 careers in computers, act out a ‘loop’, and more! >> learn more

3. Video Game Design Challenge: Help students turn their love of video games into a career! The Video Game Design STEM Challenge is a self-guided distance learning mini course for teens to learn what a video game designer does, and test drive the career through fun online activities. >> learn more

4. Hour of Code Lesson Plan: How do sound, text, and images appear on your computer screen? Find out in this Hour of Code activity! Through video tutorials and practical applications, students learn the basics of computer programming to support MS-PS4-3. >> learn more

5. Computer Science Poster Bundle: Put your students on the fast track to their future career in computer science with this awesome Computer Science Poster Bundle. Purchase features five sets of computer science posters including Why Computer Science is Important, Things You Can Do With Coding, and more! >> learn more

BONUS: Use Quad Education’s database of over 240+  Summer Programs to find specific computer science programs that match your academic aspirations and interests in the ever-evolving field of technology! The time is NOW to start planning for summer adventures, as the best programs fill up fast.

Happy Computer Science Week!

CS for CA News & Updates

fun computer assignments for middle school

Six Computer Science Coding Games and Activities for Kids

What better way to spend time with your loved ones than by playing a few coding games and activities for kids? We put together a curated list of games and activities that youth - and their families - can do to keep their minds moving while also breaking down popular computer science concepts step by step!

Blockly and Blockly: Maze

A single and multiplayer game for middle school and preschoolers respectively, that teaches them to learn the basics of algorithms and solving puzzles using foundational programming visuals. Age range 6-12

Play Blockly and Blockly: Maze

fun computer assignments for middle school

Scratch and ScratchJr

MIT created this programming game and an online community where children can program and share interactive media such as stories, games, and animation with people from all over the world. The great thing about Scratch is it encourages parents as well as educators to get involved in the Scratch community. Age range 5-16

Play Scratch and ScratchJr

fun computer assignments for middle school

A problem-solving puzzle game that challenges players with producing molecules using chemical pathways similar in style to visual programming. It was designed to conceptualize principles of automation and chemical bonding. Age range 14+

Play SpaceChem

fun computer assignments for middle school

Human Resource Machine EDU

A programming puzzle game designed to introduce kids to computer science fundamentals. It tasks players with ‘programming’ little office workers to solve puzzles, thereby automating their boring, stale office job. Age range 8+

Play Human Resource Machine EDU

fun computer assignments for middle school

CS Unplugged Activities

Games for families with children ages 3-9 years-old that enable children to explore fundamental ideas in Computer Science, without having to use a computer!

Play CS Unplugged Activities

fun computer assignments for middle school

A “social puzzle game.” You solve puzzles by programming a robot to go in various directions and kids who complete 40 solved puzzles can create and submit their puzzles for other players to try. Age range 5+

Play RoboZZle

Learn more about the benefits of coding for kids and learning computer science .

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Integrating Technology in Middle School

Creative educator lesson plans can help you provide your middle-school students with an engaging and creative approach to content learning..

Depending on your student's abilities, you may also want to explore sixth-grade lesson plans.

Design a Book Cover

Design a Book Cover

Students create a new cover design for a book they are reading to demonstrate comprehension and explore character, plot, setting, symbolism, and conflict.

image of judge's gavel on pile of books

Do Judge a Book by Its Cover

In this lesson, students build visual literacy and engage in close reading as they investigate the text and imagery on book covers to evaluate whether they are worth reading.

image of books in a series

Take Reading SERIESly

In this lesson, students investigate the potential of a book's characters, plot and themes and develop a proposal for turning it into a series.

Hero's Journey

Hero's Journey

Students will create an eBook identifying and explaining the events in a hero's journey in a text they are reading.

Character Scrapbook

Character Scrapbook

Students will create a digital scrapbook that showcases the viewpoint of the main character.

image of an interview microphone

Interview a Book Character

In this lesson, students craft an interview with a character from a book they are reading to demonstrate comprehension.

Create a Card Game

Create a Card Game

Students create a card game based on the storyline of a book they are reading.

Jail terms

Students will create a mock social network page from the viewpoint of the protagonist or antagonist in a novel they are reading.

Create a Visual Poem

Create a Visual Poem

Students will create a visual, or video, poem as they analyze the imagery in a text.

Lead Type

Publish a Digital Magazine

Students take the lead and design and create their own digital magazine.

image of ABCs

The ABC’s of …

In this lesson, students create an alphabet book to share knowledge and information they have learned, organizing their writing using the ABC’s.

image of front of vocubulary trading card for the word verdant

Vocabulary Trading Cards

In this lesson, students create vocabulary trading cards that use images to help other students master the meaning of new words.

Book trailers

Book Trailers

Students will develop a movie-style trailer for a book they have read.

Persuade with Emotional Appeals

Persuade with Emotional Appeals

Students will build persuasive skills and media literacy as they explore techniques of propaganda and develop commercials that persuade viewers.

Heres to Your Health

Here's to Your Health

Students will research a health issue, write an essay, and transform their argument into a public service announcement.

Dont Let the Earth Down

Don’t Let the Earth Down

Students will write persuasively on a conservation issue and create a public service announcement to promote their cause.

picture of city plaza

Pop-up Plaza Proposal

In this lesson, students craft a proposal for a pop-up plaza or parklet where community members can relax, reflect and connect.

Persuasive and Presidential Writing

Persuasive and Presidential Writing

Students learn persuasive writing and presentation skills.

artwork of book burning by Fiza Kamran

Save from the Flames

In this lesson, students share why they would save a specific book from the "firemen" in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.

Infographics

Infographics

Students will create an infographic poster to share knowledge and data about an issue they are studying.

picture of napkin on table

Plan an Event

Students will plan for an event and create a proposal demonstrating how the event might look and how much it would cost.

Tessellation Sensation

Tessellation Sensation

Students will create their own tessellations study the mathematical concepts of patterns, planes, symmetry, and translation.

image close up of a Hieronymous Bosch painting

Surreal Symmetry

In this lesson, students use symmetry to create bizarre creatures around a self-portrait and then write a poem about the image.

Fastballs, Free Throws and Physics

Fastballs, Free Throws and Physics

Students will create an animated video that showcases how physics concepts apply to their favorite sport.

picture of person holding breaded chicken sandwich

Healthier School Lunches

Students will learn about nutrition and create a sample menu for a week of healthy school lunches.

Map with pins and a magnifying glass.

Virtual Museum

In this lesson, students create an online museum for their community.

image of candles and lights

Commemorative Ceremonies

Students develop a ceremony to honor a person or commemorate an event in history.

The White House Cabinet room

The President's Team

In this lesson, students nominate literary characters for each seat in the President's cabinet.

Artifact Interviews

Artifact Interviews

Students will research a historical person or event and retell the story as an animated interview with an artifact from that time or place.

image of travel postcards with come visit text

Tourism Trade Show

In this lesson, students develop materials to promote a specific region they are studying and make their pitch for a visit to this location at a tourism trade show.

Video Biographies

Video Biographies

Students complete research on a historical figure and create a video biography of that person.

image of historical postcard from the Library of Congress

Postcards from the Past

In this lesson, students will create a collection of postcards that demonstrate how different people in the past may have viewed a single event or culture and analyze the range of perspectives in all class postcards to gain a deeper understanding of history.

Image of SMART goal words

Set SMART goals

In this lesson, students set SMART goals for the coming school year, identifying action items they can complete to achieve them.

Image of clouds and sunspot

Create a Vision Board

In this lesson, students create a vision board to turn their goals into words and images that represent what life will look and feel like when they reach them.

cartoon of elephant and donkey fishing

Political Cartoons Then and Now

Students will analyze and share the history of a political cartoon and then create their own cartoon about a current event.

Not Your Average Portfolio

Not Your Average Portfolio

Students will learn about the life of a famous person and create non-fiction porfolio about the individual.

Historical Journal

Historical Journal

Students will create a historical journal from a fictional character's point of view.

Book trailers

Ancient Cultures News Broadcast

Students create a news broadcast while studying ancient civilizations.

A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life

Students will create a daily newspaper edition to learn about the politics and culture of ancient Rome.

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fun computer assignments for middle school

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Create custom rubrics for your classroom.

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A curated, copyright-friendly image library that is safe and free for education.

fun computer assignments for middle school

Write, record, and illustrate a sentence.

fun computer assignments for middle school

Interactive digital worksheets for grades K-8 to use in Brightspace or Canvas.

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32 Great Digital Literacy Activities For Middle Schoolers

December 19, 2022 //  by  Amy McInerney

It’s no surprise that students are spending more and more time online. As educators, we know that digital literacy skills are incredibly important, now more than ever.  Students need direct instruction and activities to practice these skills in the classroom.  This list of 32 activities covers digital citizenship, activities that will help students find online resources, and how to stay safe on the internet; ultimately setting students up for success in their digital learning journeys.

1. Save the Northwest Tree Octopus

fun computer assignments for middle school

Start this lesson by discussing how to evaluate online sources. For an activity that will up classroom engagement, divide students into two teams. One team will evaluate a real website and the other will evaluate the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus site, a fake website.

Learn More: Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

2. Use the Teaching Digital Natives Curriculum

fun computer assignments for middle school

This curriculum was designed to be engaging and provides video game-like situations for students to practice digital skills. The awesome curriculum covers cybersecurity, the basics of internet safety, and digital citizenship skills. 

Learn More: Teaching Digital Natives

3. Learn about Fake News

Academy 4 SC has created a really great tool for classroom teachers to use: a series of media literacy videos. One of them teaches about fake news. Along with this video, there are other resources and explanations.

Learn More: United 4 Social Change

4. Watch a BrainPop Video

fun computer assignments for middle school

BrainPop is a great way to introduce students to digital literacy.  They have several videos about digital literacy topics, including ones featuring digital etiquette, cyberbullying, media literacy, and online safety. Each video has other resources like worksheets and related reading.

Learn More: BrainPop

5. Follow your Digital Footprint

fun computer assignments for middle school

Challenge students to follow their digital footprints by using this lesson plan from Code.org. Perfect for students in grades 6 through 8, this lesson encourages students to think about the information they put out on the internet. 

Learn More: Code.org

6. Take a Khan Academy Course in Internet Safety

fun computer assignments for middle school

Looking for pre-made digital literacy lesson plans? Try out Khan Academy’s courses. Their lessons on Internet Safety are excellent and will certainly engage middle schoolers. 

Learn More: Khan Academy

7. Get Digital Literacy Tips on Instagram

Share this one with students’ families. For daily doses of digital literacy tips, try following accounts on Instagram. Teaching Digital Literacy is a great one that was created by a former technology teacher. 

Learn More: Teaching Digital Literacy

8. Celebrate Digital Citizenship Week

Created by Common Sense Media, this week in October is devoted to learning digital citizenship skills.  While there are a ton of resources with digital citizenship lessons ready to go, this website, for Canada’s Media Literacy Week has some great resources for teachers.

Learn More: MediaSmarts

9. Apply the CRAAP Test to Evaluate Websites

fun computer assignments for middle school

Teach students the skills they need to evaluate websites.  The CRAAP test is an easy-to-remember method for analyzing the Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose of a website. This can be adapted for all grade levels and gives students the skills they need to find great resources on the internet.

Learn More: CRAAP Test

10. KidsHealth Cyberbullying Lesson

Students will never forget this lesson on cyberbullying. Have students think about the effects of online bullying with the help of this activity. Complete with standards, handouts, and a teacher guide, it’s a ready-to-use, maximum-impact lesson! 

Learn More: KidsHealth

11. Read a Book

To get students thinking about misinformation and fake news on the internet, start with an old-fashioned book. Two Truths and a Lie is a great resource to use. Students will hear three “facts”. One of them is fake. Ask students to figure out which one is fake by doing some internet sleuthing. Discuss how this applies to the internet.

Learn More: Amazon

12. Do a Digital Literacy Self Assessment

Ask middle school students to self-assess their digital literacy skills. Checklists can be a powerful way for students to think about the gap in their skills. They can see what they’re already doing well, and get ideas about what skills they need to improve.

Learn More: You for Youth

13. Share a Powerful Video

This video provides a thoughtful way to explain how to behave online. It’s really well-made and will have students pause to think about how they connect to it. As an added bonus, have students create their own videos, using this one as inspiration.

Learn More: Gary Turk

14. Teach Kids to Be Internet Awesome

fun computer assignments for middle school

Use an interactive, already-prepared curriculum to teach students how to be responsible internet users. Here’s a great example of one from PearDeck. This engaging, ready-to-go curriculum is a complete tool that will help your students be internet awesome.

Learn More: Pear Deck Be Internet Awesome

15. Do an Escape Room  

fun computer assignments for middle school

If you haven’t tried escape rooms with your class yet, now’s your chance.  This escape room features cyber skills and is all digital.  Your students will be having so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re brushing up on their digital citizenship skills!

Learn More: The Digital Citizenship Institute

16. Complete a Read-Aloud

Share a read-aloud like Zenobia July with your students. This book follows a transgender teen as she solves a cyber mystery involving a cyber bully.  She uses her hacking skills and tech savviness to crack the case.  There are several lessons already created about this book, so you can guide your students through multiple discussions.

Learn More: Teaching Books

17. Google It

fun computer assignments for middle school

Google Education has created a ton of great videos to help your students learn about being safe on the internet.  You can easily set up a class and get your students to learn about topics including digital footprints, cyberbullying, and avoiding scams.

Learn More: Google for Education Applied Digital Skills

18. Attend the Carnegie Cyber Academy

fun computer assignments for middle school

Middle schoolers will love this learning platform, created by Cyberwise.  Full of real-world learning experiences, this online game will teach students how to be safe on the internet. The website also has a ton of other resources for teachers and families.

Learn More: Cyber Wise

19. Evaluate Fake News

fun computer assignments for middle school

Show students fake news sites and have them learn how to identify them. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about why people produce fake news. There are a ton of websites that may appear real but are not. 

Learn More: CBS News

20. Get Families Involved

fun computer assignments for middle school

Digital Literacy is an important skill in school. It’s also incredibly important at home. Students whose families model good digital citizenship, and who reinforce the skills, are more likely to practice them. Host a family information night, or send information home so that families can participate.

Learn More: Family Online Safety Institute

21. Become a Chief Technology Officer

fun computer assignments for middle school

In the future, your students may go into a career in cybersecurity. For now,  give them a chance to try it out! Through this simulator, students can become Chief Technology Officers and practice digital literacy skills. They’ll need to complete challenges and will learn cybersecurity vocabulary.

Learn More: PBS.org

22. Think Critically about What’s Online

fun computer assignments for middle school

Try this quick mini-lesson to get your students thinking about what they find online. Use a photo that isn’t what it seems. Tie this into the information they find online and discuss misinformation.

Learn More: We are Teachers

23. Play Kahoot

fun computer assignments for middle school

Put students’ digital citizenship skills to the test by playing a Kahoot game. You can create your own, or choose one that has already been made.

Learn More: Kahoot! Dig ital Citizenship

24. Go on a Goose Chase

fun computer assignments for middle school

Goosechase is a really engaging tool that works like a digital scavenger hunt. Have your students work through a goose chase while applying their digital literacy skills. Create your own, or use one that’s been made by another educator.

Learn More: Goosechase

25. Use an Infographic

Teach students the skills they need to know by showing them an infographic about Digital Literacy. Reading an infographic is a form of media literacy, so you’ll be activating their brains in many ways!

Learn More: EdTechReview

26. Talk About It

fun computer assignments for middle school

Simply having a discussion with your students about why internet safety is important is a great way to start your student’s learning journey. Come up with your own discussion points, or find some online.

Learn More: TeachYourKidsCode.org

27. Use an EdPuzzle

fun computer assignments for middle school

EdPuzzle is a great way to create engaging videos. Students will be asked to answer questions throughout a video. It’s helpful to know what your students are learning from the video. 

Learn More: EdPuzzle

28. Hang a Poster

Visual reminders of how to be safe online can be helpful for students. Have kids create one for your classroom, or find one online that you can use for free or buy. Hang it up in your class for students to see every day.

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

29. Use a worksheet

Find some ready-to-go worksheets online that you can use to help students learn about digital citizenship skills. Pair this with a video or another activity to make the most of it!

Learn More: Worksheetplace.com

30. Create Digital Literacy Centers

fun computer assignments for middle school

Here’s a fun one: create centers in your classroom that will help students learn digital literacy skills. At each center, students will focus on a different skill!

Learn More: The Butterfly Teacher

31. Read an Ebook 

fun computer assignments for middle school

How about using an ebook to teach your students digital literacy skills? Book creator is a great place to start, and has a ton of ebooks already made. After studying them, encourage students to create their own.

Learn More: Class Tech Tips

32. Model Great Digital Literacy Skills

fun computer assignments for middle school

Students look up to you. Every chance you get, model good digital literacy skills for them. Brush up on your own by undertaking some professional development if needed!

Learn More: Teach Away

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Let your students create their very own personalized stories using a variety of colorful and vibrant Illustrations that ignite creativity. Story Bird and Story Jumper are two great websites that allow students to bring creative writing into the 21st century with technology.

In these websites (which are especially great for students who are not good at drawing), students write and illustrate a story using the wide assortment of backgrounds by simply dragging and dropping a series of images onto the page.

With a classroom account, teachers can create assignments, and review and comment on submitted stories. They’ll also be able to arrange for printing and purchase of any student created work. Talk about becoming young authors!

2. Create their Own Quiz

another fun classroom activity using technology is kahoot which lets you create your own quiz

Challenge your students to create their own quiz using Kahoot !

Kahoot is a student-response gamifying tool that lets teachers create multiple-choice quizzes and polls and is a great way to incorporate fun and games in the classroom! It provides quick, real-time results and gives students instant feedback on their devices without anyone being called out individually.

I use this platform mainly to review concepts and vocabulary. My students always ask to play Kahoot again and again so I decided to establish a Kahoot day for quick revision and informal assessments. I also have them write their own test questions and allow them to create their own Kahoot quiz and take lead during the game.

3. Produce Book Trailers

book trailer project lets students engage in fun classroom activities like using technology

Book Trailer Project is a digital storytelling activity for middle school or high school students after they finish reading a book. Students need to take the key idea from the book to create a short video that persuades people to check out a book they have read.

Doing the book trailer project requires students to summarize, synthesize and analyze the book and put that analysis in their trailer. Furthermore, having students create book trailers is a great way to incorporate technology in the classroom and encourage reading. Thus, book trailer project is a great alternative to boring book report assignments, and can easily be done individually or in groups.

Check out this post to read the step-by-step guide in doing the Book Trailer Project.

4. Photo Scavenger Hunt

photo scavenger hunt

Students are handed a list of things that can be found within school grounds ranging from very easy (ex: a world map) to moderate (ex: a student reading a book) to difficult (ex: a lizard). Vary the amount of points for each level of difficulty.

Then, students are instructed to take photos on their smartphones or tablets and cross off the items they have found.  They can form teams or work individually. Each team should decide who’s phone or camera will be used to take scavenger hunt photos. It should be the same phone for all of the team photos.

The winner is the player or team that find the most items on the list.

Optional: I try to combine this activity with the elements of the Treasure Hunt game. For example, I give clues or unlock new challenges when a team has successfully emailed their photo to me.

If you want to take photo scavenger hunt to the next level, you might want to check out Goose Chase !

5. Web Quest

web quest

Webquest is an inquiry-based approach to learning and a perfect way for teachers to begin integrating Internet searches into their curriculum.  It provides an authentic, technology-rich environment for problem solving and information processing.

A web quest guides students to search the Internet for specific information. For example, in a webquest called What Is the Most Serious Problem Facing Earth? , student teams vie for funding from the fictional Help Our World (HOW) Foundation. Each team builds a case for a critical environmental concern. Which threat is the most  critical? Which team should be awarded the foundation’s $1 million grant? (see more here ).

There are tons of already-constructed webquests out there like these ones from Zunal.com or you can create your own based on your lessons. A well-designed webquest lets you turn your students loose on the web for a specific project and get results that both you and your students will love.

ALSO READ: CLASSROOM DEVICE MANAGEMENT

6. Hunt for QR Codes

qr code hunt

This game is similar to the classic treasure hunt game except that students have to search the school for QR codes which contain questions or clues to the game.

Playing this fun activity is easy. First, I prepare a list of questions from the topics that I want my students to learn or revise. Then I create and print the QR code for each question and place them across the school.

Students are put into small teams or pairs with one person owning a mobile device. They need to download a QR code reader first which is free on App Store or Google Play. Internet connection is not required once they have the app since the QR codes decode as text files.

Now, students need to search the school for these clues and scan each QR Code to get each question. They must then work together to find the answer to this question. The team that brings the most number of answers wins the game

Try this Pokemon Go-inspired QR Hunting activity that I made!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: No-prep ESL Vocabulary Games for Young Learners

7. Generate Word Cloud

fun computer assignments for middle school

A word cloud is a list of words arranged randomly and forms into a shape. It is a great way for students to summarize information, increase vocabulary and make connections between concepts. I love creating word cloud with my students because they are fun and easy to make!

There many word cloud generators online but the ones that I like the most are ABCYa  and Word It Out .

8. Sing with Lyrics Training

fun computer assignments for middle school

Lyrics Training is an awesome website to learn a language with music! Students will watch and listen to a music video and fill in the missing lyrics of the song. The website has a huge collection of songs in all genres and caters to different proficiency levels such as beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert.

9. Present Using Infographics

fun computer assignments for middle school

Incorporating infographics in the classrooms is one of the best ways to engage students in the lesson while having fun at the same time.

Allow your students to digest complex information they have learned by creating eye-catching infographics. It can help students learn to interpret data, organize ideas, and make important connections. There are different free web-based applications that students can use to create infographics such as Piktochart  and Venngage , but my students find Easel.ly very user-friendly.

10. Celebrate Diversity via e-Pals

letter exchange

Help students develop real-life writing and learning experiences, learn the format of a friendly letter and the proper etiquette of online communication. By integrating a letter-exchange program in the classroom, they can also learn about other cultures, languages, and geographic areas that align with the curriculum in your school.

There is a website called  ePals connects K-12 classrooms in more than 99 countries to share content and ideas and collaborate on projects (including pen pal exchanges). Teachers create a profile with a brief description about who they’re hoping to connect with and why; and can search for partner classrooms by language, age, and keyword, and can also factor in region/country and class size. Once connected, classes can communicate through a private workspace on the site.

Setting up classes is time consuming but once they are in you are good to go. Finding classes to work with can also be time consuming and frustrating due to the lack of responses from my requests but once you are connected it is so worth how excited your classes become.

Or, in the spirit of letter exchanges, you may want to join our yearly Holiday Card Exchange Project .

11. Scene it with Storyboard!

fun computer assignments for middle school

12. Be Creative with Social Media

Facebook templates

Using the concept of social media is one awesome way to engage students in the lesson, topic or theme. With a little creativity, teachers can bring the visual power of photos into the classroom! I developed Instagram and Facebook templates so that students can have real social media learning experience without actually having the need to log in to their accounts!

Using the Instagram template , students can create their Instagram post directly in a word processing document or hand out the blank templates to have them draw their photos.

With the Facebook template , students will be able to construct a Facebook profile for a person of study – whether a fictional character or a famous historical figure. This is a fun and highly motivating activity that will encourage your students to think deeply about characters, encourage cooperative work and great discussion, and keep students on task.

13. Publish an e-Newsletter or e-Magazine

classroom newsletter

Creating a classroom newsletter can be an excellent way for students to develop their language skills and to learn how to work cooperatively. They build vocabulary through writing and through interacting with others in the class.

Let students create a list of topics that they wish to write about in their newsletter. Allow them to work in collaborative groups and assign students roles such as “writer,” “editor,” “researcher,” or “graphic artist.”

There are many apps and websites that students can use to create their newsletter. Microsoft Publisher is the oldest one I know that is easy to use and free. It has the emphasis on page layout and design rather than text composition and proofing. Other web-based apps that are worth looking are Adobe Sparks and Canva .

They can print out the newsletter or convert it to PDF and attached to an email to share their newsletter with the school and with family members.

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activities using technology

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Article comments.

Great activities! I am excited to do the Qr code hunting with my middle school students. Thank you for sharing!

greg_faraldo

Kahoot is always a class favourite! I also let my students use online dictionary that doesn’t need an internet connection (to avoid cheating when writing essays, etc). Have you tried Wordle? It’s also a good app for making word cloud.

The digital age challenges us to use technology in ways that facilitate language learning. When teachers use technology responsibly, both teachers and students will benefit from technology in its supporting role not only in the ESL/EFL classroom but in other subjects as well.

Melchor Bernardo

You’re absolutely welcome! Let us know how your activity goes 🙂

Hi Greg! I love the offline dictionary idea! And yes, Wordle is also great on laptops. I don’t know why but it’s quite spotty (technical issues) on iPads or tablets.

to that I agree! cheers!

Thanks for this post because for some strange reason I had not been able to locate a working site that did not ask me for a lot of information about myself just to use the “word cloud” app.

You’re welcome @ghoskins I know the struggle! Sometimes its hard for students to get into or save the word cloud because some apps require too much info from the user. Word It Out is one of best and easiest app to use!

lots and lots of web 2.0 tools…truly amazing

Thank you, Fozia!

Firmansyah Kusasi

Hi Amazing, and full of inspiring activities I’ll try the web quest, qr code hunt and infogrphics which are more suitable to my class. Just suggestion..Why dont’t you give a try to video projects, and prezi presentation, and let’s see the students anthusiasm.

Thanks for the suggestion! Actually I have some videos but putting them together for a presentation takes a lot of time. I will definitely do that in the future!

And I’m glad you love the activities! Let us know how it worked for you 🙂

La caza de codigos QR me parecen interesante los empezare usar. Pero necesito mas sugerencias

Bertha Sillas

I may be teaching ESL in middle school and I appreciate the information, ideas, and resources you provide on the website.

Wow enjoy! Teaching in middle school super fun! 🙂

I will try Piktochart with my students

Wonderful suggestions! I’d love to try Lyrics Training with my music class. Thanks for your ideas ? ❤️

i think it will be very useful!!!

Syeda umme Humera

I teach history and geography to grade 8th students. The class strength is 39. Help me in different activities .specially project based. Thank you .

Radhika Jadhav

Thanks for the suggestion! Actually I will definitely do that in the future!

And I’m glad you love the activities! Let us know how it worked for you ?

Thank you 🙂

Great to hear that!

Great! Good luck with the activity!

You’re welcome! Have fun!

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Middle School Curricula

Browse the engaging offerings that enable you and your middle school students to explore computer science together.

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Grades: 6-10

Computer Science Discoveries

Free set of elementary curricula that introduces students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world.

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Grades: 3-12

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Demystify artificial intelligence (AI) by learning how it's changing the ways we live, work, and learn.

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Grades: K-12

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One-hour tutorials in over 45 languages. No experience needed. Hour of Code activities are available for free year-round.

Explore all of our courses in the Curriculum Catalog

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Each Unplugged activity is available to download in PDF format, with full instructions and worksheets. Background sections explain the significance of each activity to computer science, and answers are provided for all problems. All you need for most of these activities are curiosity and enthusiasm. There are photos and videos showing some of the activities in action, and we’ve collected links to other useful resources.

The activities are primarily aimed at the five to twelve year-old age group, but they are by no means restricted to this age range: we’ve used them to teach older children and adults too, with little modification.

Data: Representing Information #

  • Binary Numbers
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Algorithms: Putting Computers to Work #

  • Searching Algorithms
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Procedures: Telling Computers What to Do #

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Intractability: Really Hard Problems #

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Cryptography: Sharing Secrets #

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The Human Face of Computing: Interacting with Computers #

  • Human Interface Design
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Computer Parts Lesson Plan

  • July 10, 2022
  • Computer Science

So you’re teaching computer science… Now what?

This computer parts lesson plan will help you kick off your middle school computer science or technology course by teaching the basics. Using printable or digital materials, students will explore their background knowledge about computers and learn the basic components and characteristics of computers through class discussion and a webquest activity.

This image shows a "What is a Computer?" webquest and puzzle activity. This is part of a computer parts lesson plan.

Why start your course with learning computer parts?

Understanding how a computer works, including the parts and functions of various hardware and software components, builds the foundation students need to learn computer science. Your students will have a much deeper level of understanding of computer programming if they have the bigger picture of how information flows through a computer first.

What is included in the computer parts lesson plan?

The lesson begins with students exploring common misconceptions about computers in a class discussion based on 5 prompts, including: 

  • Are computers smarter than humans?
  • Are all computers connected to the internet?
  • Only “hackers” need to know about programming computers.
  • Computer science is for everyone.
  • Will understanding computers and how they work be more important in the future?

Then they participate in a self-guided webquest to learn about the invention of computers, define common terms in computer science, and learn about the components and characteristics of computers. Your students will learn about:

  • Central Processing Units (CPU)
  • Common input devices, such as mice, microphones, and keyboards
  • Common output devices, such as speakers, monitors, and printers
  • How a computer is similar to and different from a human brain
  • Random Access Memory (RAM)
  • The difference between hardware and software
  • The first modern computer and what it was used for

Finally, students close out the lesson and demonstrate their understanding with a fun matching puzzle activity.

This lesson will engage your students and ensure they have the basics down before jumping into more complex computer science and coding concepts. It also makes for a great sub-lesson plan and review activity!

What’s next?

Keep reading to find out more information about starting a computer science course and what to teach next.

If you want to save 20% and get 3 weeks of ready-to-go lesson plans and activities to teach your middle school students the fundamentals of computer science, click here !

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Richard Fausset, a national reporter for The Times, talks through the dramatic opening day of testimony, in which a trip to Belize, a tattoo parlor and Grey Goose vodka all featured.

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  1. 29 Fun Technology Activities For Middle School

    1. Create a GIF If middle schoolers had their own language- they'd be talking in GIFs! They'll be totally stoked to have a lesson on how to make GIFs in Photoshop using animation. This is not only an engaging activity, but it's a great skill for them to learn how to create digital art using Adobe. Learn More: The Art of Education 2.

  2. Middle School, Computer Science Projects, Lessons, Activities

    Mold Hard Boiled Eggs Enter the realm of technology with computer science experiments. Code, create, and explore the wonders of computing. Discover the perfect middle school science experiment in this huge collection of age-appropriate science investigations.

  3. 15 Meaningful Activities for Short Lesson Periods in the Computer Lab

    Primary Trackpad Gestures Students practice moving, clicking, swiping, scrolling, right-clicking, and clicking and dragging on paper work mats before they even get on a computer. Mapping the Way Home In this online activity, students use Google Maps to pinpoint their home address and get directions to and from school. Exploring Pictographs

  4. Fun and Easy Middle School Coding Projects for Beginners

    1. Learn to make a website. Really. With CodeAcademy, kids (and adults) can learn to create a website from scratch in as little as four hours. 2. Draw a waving snowman. Khan Academy's Intro to JavaScript course is simple enough for middle school kids to learn. 3. Make a GIF. GIFs are everywhere and, I'll be honest, I love them.

  5. 9 Collaborative Technology Projects Your Students Will Love!

    1. Inkle Inkle is a fun digital storytelling tool for students. Rather than having students use Microsoft Word, change things up by having them create a digital book. Students will love adding images to make their story come to life! Cooperative learning idea: Students can collaborate and create a Choose Your Own Adventure story!

  6. 32 Fun Technology Activities for Middle School

    Technology is just fun with computers but also includes screen-free technology activities. The list bottom contains a variety of low and high-tech activities for middle schoolers. Whether they what inquisitive in Science, Math, Art, or evenly English, on are ways to implement technology into their lessons. ... Middle School Computer Activities ...

  7. The 5 Best Computer Science Activities for Middle Schools

    3. Codesters (Python) Codesters combines a fun online coding platform for middle school students, a powerful learning management system for teachers, and built-out computer science lesson plans so you can start teaching kids to code right away.

  8. Middle School, Computer Science Lesson Plans

    2 reviews This eight-part lesson will guide you through building and programming Arduino-controlled autonomous cars with your students. Each part contains a detailed step-by-step video and a supplemental lesson plan PDF with learning objectives, assessment opportunities, and appendices with circuit diagrams and example code.

  9. Computer Activities for Middle School

    Keyboarding Keyboarding is the most fundamental of all computing skills. The ability to type words quickly and accurately increases productivity in many different computing tasks such as email writing, word processing, and even chatting with friends on an instant messenger or playing games.

  10. 32 Fun Technology Activities for Middle School

    Technology is just fun with computer but also does screen-free technology activities. The list below contains a variety of light and high-tech activities for middle schoolers. Whether they are interests in Science, Numbers, Art, or constant English, there are ways to implement technology into their lessons. Like scroll down into find some ...

  11. 25+ Coding Projects for Beginners and Beyond

    1. Robot, Make Me a Sandwich! With the Robot, Make Me a Sandwich! activity, even the youngest of students are encouraged to start thinking like coders.

  12. Computer Science Curriculum for Grades 6-12

    Explore the world of computer science with engaging videos, self-paced tutorials, programming activities, and more! Get Started with Hour of Code ... these short, self-paced modules for middle and high school students are a great way to learn concepts that span all programming languages and tools. Ages 11+

  13. 16 Ideas for Student Projects Using Google Docs, Slides, and Forms

    Thank you so much for sharing these ideas about creating projects by using the Google Drive! The middle school I teach at implemented a 1:1 program last year with Chromebooks, so the students have easy access to all of the Google apps. I had always grown up using Word docs and I was a little hesitant to start using Google docs at first.

  14. Middle School Computer Projects

    Middle School Computer Projects The purpose of this web site is to provide projects for middle school age students using computers. The hope is to provide ideas to have students produce a variety of different projects using different software applications. The menu bar above has the different areas.

  15. Computer Science Activities for Middle School

    National Science Teachers Association Computer Science Education Week is coming - celebrate with these best-selling, easy distance learning resources for computer science, Hour of Code, and more! Top 5 Middle School Computer Science Activities 1. Computer Science Careers Webquest: One of our top 5 best sellers!

  16. CSforCA

    A programming puzzle game designed to introduce kids to computer science fundamentals. It tasks players with 'programming' little office workers to solve puzzles, thereby automating their boring, stale office job. Age range 8+. Play Human Resource Machine EDU.

  17. Technology Lesson Plans for Middle School

    Students in middle school need to be challenged with creative approaches that get them thinking and moving beyond rote responses. Creative technology projects done for a real purpose can engage them in the work necessary high-level content learning at this age. Depending on your student's abilities, you may also want to explore sixth-grade ...

  18. 32 Great Digital Literacy Activities For Middle Schoolers

    4. Watch a BrainPop Video. BrainPop is a great way to introduce students to digital literacy. They have several videos about digital literacy topics, including ones featuring digital etiquette, cyberbullying, media literacy, and online safety. Each video has other resources like worksheets and related reading.

  19. 13 Fun Classroom Activities Using Technology

    Fun Classroom Activities Using Technology. 1. Write Illustrated Stories. Let your students create their very own personalized stories using a variety of colorful and vibrant Illustrations that ignite creativity. Story Bird and Story Jumper are two great websites that allow students to bring creative writing into the 21st century with technology.

  20. Middle School Curricula

    Middle School Curricula ... Free set of elementary curricula that introduces students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. ... Hour of Code activities are available for free year-round. Explore Hour of Code tutorials Explore all of our courses in the ...

  21. Activities

    Each Unplugged activity is available to download in PDF format, with full instructions and worksheets. Background sections explain the significance of each activity to computer science, and answers are provided for all problems. All you need for most of these activities are curiosity and enthusiasm. There are photos and videos showing some of the activities in action, and we've collected ...

  22. Middle School, Video & Computer Games Projects, Lessons, Activities

    Explore Our Science Videos. Change the Reaction Rate of a Foaming Reaction. Level up your science knowledge with a video game-focused science project from our collection. Combine technology and creativity for exciting results. Discover the perfect middle school science experiment in this huge collection of age-appropriate science investigations.

  23. Computer Parts Lesson Plan

    Your students will learn about: Common input devices, such as mice, microphones, and keyboards. Common output devices, such as speakers, monitors, and printers. Finally, students close out the lesson and demonstrate their understanding with a fun matching puzzle activity. This lesson will engage your students and ensure they have the basics ...

  24. An Explosive Hearing in Trump's Georgia Election Case

    Fani T. Willis, the district attorney, defended her personal conduct as defense lawyers sought to disqualify her from the prosecution.