Boom Cards are for Middle Schoolers Too
Boom Cards are for Middle Schoolers Too
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Boom Cards sound really cool, but aren’t they just for elementary? Nope! Our middle schoolers love Boom Cards. They really enjoy the change of scenery and having a variety of activities. This new situation of distance learning, due to COVID-19 , has caused us to explore new websites and interactive assignments. Initially I thought Boom Cards were mainly for the elementary age, but after using them with my students, I realized that it was just what they needed. Anything novel and unique sparks a new level of engagement. Boom Cards offered that new perspective. My favorite aspect that sets them apart from other resources is the mastery component. It allows students to see their areas of weakness and continue learning until they reach a strong understanding.
What are Boom Cards?
What are Boom Cards?
Boom Cards are interactive task cards that provide immediate feedback. Students are given multiple chances to demonstrate their understanding.
Each set of Boom cards, called a deck, are presented to students in random order. Working in random order helps ensure that students are working on their own set and prevents them from simply memorizing answers. Then, students are able to practice a deck multiple times for mastery. Another cool component is that it provides four different methods of interaction.
Multiple choice: Students click on one or more correct answers.
Fill in the Blank: Students type in the correct answer.
Clickable pieces: Students click on an object or area on the page, either a green circle (correct) or red circle with line through (incorrect) appears.
Movable pieces (drag and drop): Students drag a picture or word to the correct landing spot, which is ideal for matching or sorting.
At BodenKelly Science, we like to use a variety of these methods in one deck. This helps prevent students from becoming disinterested or bored with the same actions.
Where do you find Boom Cards?
Where do you find Boom Cards?
Middle school level Boom Cards can be found in the store at Boom Learning. Many sellers also sell their decks on Teachers Pay Teachers. Boom Learning is a membership site, however they do have a free version with unlimited Fastplay.
Two ways to play:
Fastplay: When you purchase the deck, you have lifetime access using the fastplay link. Fastplay is a specific link you provide to your students which allows them to play without any login or usernames to remember. During this time of distance learning it was easy to just provide our students with a website link for them to play. I didn’t have to worry about giving them any other login information.
Assign to students: If you choose to create a paid membership which has 3 affordable options, you are able to assign decks to students and monitor their progress. These classrooms can transfer quickly and easily from Google Classroom as well. Students will have a “library” of cards assigned to them, which they can play multiple times and their progress will be recorded for your viewing.
How much do Boom Cards cost?
How much do Boom Cards cost?
Boom cards come in a variety of prices from FREE to a few dollars. There are many free sets available, which is a great way to try out the website. Check out our free Science Tools deck to see how it all works. You can search in the store by topic and grade level. You might notice that decks are available all the way up through high school.
Before you purchase a deck, you can preview the first 4 cards in the deck. This will allow you to make sure the content is a good fit for what you are working on.
How do I make them?
How do I make them?
Even though there are many decks available in the store for middle school, you can also create your own! With a free membership you are able to create decks to meet the needs of your students. You can create them right on the Boom Learning website, or if you’re feeling adventurous you can create on Powerpoint and transfer them over. Boom Learning has produced many tutorial videos that can be found on Youtube to help.
This blog post is just meant for a quick introduction to Boom Cards and using them with your middle schoolers. One feature that I really enjoy on the Boom Learning Site is the searchable FAQ page. They have everything clearly answered on that page. Good luck on your adventure to transition your teaching to meet the needs of your 21st century learners.
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