Add Activities to Your Nearpod Lesson

Getting Ready ... 

• Login to your Nearpod account

• From your lesson library, hover over the lesson you worked on during last module's task and click Edit

Add a Discussion Activity to Your Lesson

The goal is to allow students to share an idea or otherwise contribute to or participate in the lesson. You can also aim to use this as a bell ringer or check for understanding pre, mid or post lesson. 

• Add 1 of the following Discussion Activities: Collaborate Board, Poll, or Open-Ended Question (please only add 1)

• Click Add New - Discussion

• Choose Collaborate Board, Poll, or Open-Ended Question and click Add

  • If choosing Collaborate Board - Type a topic and description. Set the Student Options and Media Types as desired.  IMPORTANT: make sure you have enabled Collaborate Board for Student Paced Lessons in your Nearpod Lesson Settings.

  • If choosing Poll - Add your question and answer options. You may opt to add a timer and reference media if desired. 

  • If choosing Open-Ended Question - Type your prompt. You may opt to add a timer, add reference media, and allow students to respond with audio if desired. 

• Click Save to add the Discussion element to your lesson AND position it where appropriate. 

Add Quizzes & Games Activities to Your Lesson

Quizzes & Games Activities can be used for many reasons. Mainly to assess students or check for understanding, but can also be used help reinforce content and provide brain breaks throughout the lesson. You will add 2 of these activities to your lesson as directed below.

A) Add 1 of the following Quizzes & Games Activities as a mid lesson check for understanding: Draw it, Fill in the Blank, or Matching Pairs (please only add 1)

• Click Add New - Quizzes & Games

• Choose Draw it, Fill in the Blank, or Matching Pairs and click Add

  • If choosing Draw It - Type your question and any details students will need to know. Add reference media and a background to annotate over if desired. NOTE: if you would like, you can use the Draw It Library to create your Draw It activity if one exists that is pertinent to your lesson. 

  • If choosing Fill in the Blank - Type or paste a sentence or paragraph where indicated and click Next. Click on at least 2 but no more than 5 terms that should be replaced with blanks and added to the word bank. 

  • If choosing Matching Pairs (Help students use vocabulary) - Type instructions for students then click Add Pair. For your first pair enter text, an image, or a mix of both. For example, if I was teaching the Causes of the American Revolution, on the left I might type Boston Tea Party and on the right I might add an image of the Boston Tea Party OR enter text to type a brief description.  Click Done. Repeat the process. You must have at least 3 pairs, but no more than 5 (it can get overwhelming for students and hard to read - the more you have the smaller the cards are!). NOTE: if you would like, you can use the Matching Pairs Library to create your Matching Pairs activity if one exists that is pertinent to your lesson. 

• Position the activity somewhere in the middle of your lesson where it makes sense

B) Add 1 of the following Quizzes & Games Activities as the LAST element in your lesson: Quiz or Time to Climb (please only add 1)

• • Click Add New - Quizzes & Games

  • Choose Quiz or Time to Climb and click Add

    • If choosing Quiz - For Question 1, type your question, add answer options, and select the correct answer. Add reference media if desired. Click Add Question to add a second question and repeat this process. You will need a minumum of 2 questions, but no more than 5.

    • If choosing Time to Climb - For Question 1, type your question, add answer options, and select the correct answer. Click Add Question to add a second question and repeat this process. You will need a minumum of 2 questions, but no more than 5. NOTE: if you would like, you can use the Time to Climb Library to create your Time to Climb activity if one exists that is pertinent to your lesson. You can edit questions and remove unneeded questions. 

  • When done, return to the lesson and position it as the LAST element in your lesson.

Save your Lesson & Exit

• Once the Activity elements are added and positioned, click the Save & Exit button at the bottom of your lesson.

Here are some additional resources for you to reference now or at a later time. 

• Moderate the Collaborate Board in Student Paced Mode vs. a Live Lesson

• Use Drag & Drop during a Nearpod Lesson - Drag & Drop is an interactive activity allowing students to sort or order images and text sequentially or in thematic groups. This feature is available for Gold, Platinum, Premium & Premium Plus licenses.

• Algrebra Tiles, Base 10 Blocks, Color Tiles, and Fraction Tiles - These Math Manipulatives are available with Nearpod Math school or district license.