Anchor Activities
Quick Activities (<1 Day)
Tech Games (5-15 min) - For those times when you have a bit of extra time before class ends, but not enough to move on with classwork.
Bagels - A fun logic game where you try to guess the number based on clues from previous guesses. (Think Wordle with numbers)
Free Rice - Earn rice for people in need by answering trivia questions
Don't Flood The Fidgits! - Build a city for the Fidgets that will stay safe and dry during a flood.
Designit Buildit Fidgit - Solve the challenges and save the Fidgits!
Cybersecurity Lab - Defend a company from cyber attacks. Crack passwords, craft code, and defeat malicious hackers.
CSI Web Adventures: Learn forensic science and apply your knowledge
Aggie LIFE - Play the game of LIFE with a cyber security twist with Texas A&M's Aggie Life.
Brush Ninja - Create animations that can be exported as GIFs.
Monster Mash - Create 3D animations.
BrainPOP STEM - Information about various STEM topics and STEM games.
Satellite Game - Engineer your own satellite by choosing what science it will be used to study, and then deciding what wavelengths, instruments, and optics will help you learn the most about the science you’ve chosen.
Circuit Construction Kit - Experiment with an electronics kit! Design and Build your own circuits. Discover if everyday objects are conductors or insulators.
Nitro Type - Improve your typing skills while competing in fast-paced races with up to 5 typers from around the world. Compete against your friends, earn new cars, track your scores, and so much more!
The Inch Ruler Game - Practice your English measurement skills.
The Metric Ruler Game - Practice your metric measurement skills.
Tower of Hanoi - A classic logic game. The object of the game is to move all the disks to tower 3 (with your mouse). You cannot place a larger disk onto a smaller disk. This version was created by handyman in Scratch.
Mortimer's Nim - A variation of the classic game Nim. The object of the game is to take the last ball from the table. This version was created by jehsom in Scratch.
Wordle - Try to guess the word of the day. Each guess must be a valid 5-letter word. The color of the tiles will change to show how close your guess was to the word.
Tech Programs (15+ min) - For those times when you have all of your classwork completed and there are no additional assignments to begin or work on.
Microsoft MakeCode - Combine the magic of making with the power of code across a variety of different products.
Planner 5d - Online architectural CADD program that can be used to design houses and buildings. The program allows you to design in 2D and conduct a virtual walk-through in 3D. This program has been blocked by FCPS, but is a great program for designing homes.
Floorplanner - Very similar to Planner5d, but accessible at school. This program is used in 6th and 8th-grade classes.
Scratch - A block coding program that can be used to design and program games and animations. This program will be used in 6th and 8th-grade classes. ** This site is blocked in FCPSs **
Scratch at School - Use this link to design in Scratch within the FCPS system.
Tinkercad - A simplified CADD program that can be used to design things for fun or for 3D printing and laser cutting. This program will be used in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.
Article Review - Go to one of the following sites and choose a technology-related article of interest. Write or type a brief (1-2 paragraph) overview of the article and a brief overview stating your opinion about the topic. Submit for credit.
Short-Term Activities (1-2 Days)
Invention/Innovation Timeline - Create a digital or drawn timeline showing the history of a product, process, or device. This must be a general topic (e.g. - video games as opposed to PlayStation or cars as opposed to Ford Mustang). Include the initial invention date, place, inventor(s), and major innovations throughout history. This is a timeline, so the innovation and the date must be included. It is recommended that additional information be included if available. The final product should be neat, clean, and well-organized.
Medium-Term Activities (3-5 Days)
Create Your Own Rube Goldberg Device - This is a creative activity. Design your own Rube Goldberg device (at home). Use a minimum of 15 steps to complete a simple task (like popping a balloon). Document your work (written explanation, sketches of the proposed design, and pictures of the device as it is being created). Take a video of the final product in action. Submit documentation and video for credit.
Long-Term Activities (5+ Days)
Household Invention/Innovation Activity - This is a creative activity. The basic task is to create a new or better product using items at your house... useful combinations or uses that have not been heard of or seen in a store. See the design brief for the detailed assignment.