Show and Ask - Fun with a Mystery Object

There it was...an abacus and I couldn't resist. I'm going to get a big bang from the buck I spent at a yard sale this weekend!

Remember Show and Tell..why tell kids what your object is, ask them instead! But instead of having one kid blurt out the answer and then everyone knows, use a Google Form to see who knows what the object is and what it's used for. Dig a little deeper and also ask how kids would find out what it is (if they don't know) and how they would learn to use it. It's a great way to get kids thinking about how they learn.

Google Forms are great for surveys, but also lend themselves to a variety of other uses. You might or might not know that you can add images and videos to a Google Form. Look for the options when you click the "Add item" drop down. Inserting an image or video is a fun way to conduct a "Mystery Object" activity. Images can also serve as powerful writing prompts or story starters. Have a look at this simple Google Form: goo.gl/S1mKH1, a partial screen shot is below.

Once kids know what the mystery object is and what it's used for have them figure out how to use it and then create a short video to teach others.

Need help getting started with Google Forms? Visit the Google support pages for Google Docs and look for "Forms": https://support.google.com/docs/#topic=1360904