This blog post looks at 30+ activity and worksheet generator tools that teachers can use to liven up their lessons.
All of the interactive activities mentioned run in a browser, so you should be able to use them on desktops, laptops, ipads (and other tablets) and reasonably modern smartphones.
Here is what we'll be looking at:
An interactive flashcard generator.
A re-order the words activity generator.
An interactive millionaire activity generator based on Q&A / matching items.
An interactive wordsnake generator.
A pairs / memory card generator.
An interactive match-up exercise generator.
A dominoes generator.
An interactive spelling game generator with various game options.
An interactive SNAP game generator.
An interactive anagrams game generator.
An anagrams worksheet generator.
A put-the-lines-in-order worksheet generator.
An interactive put-the-lines-in-order activity generator.
An interactive fill-in-the-vowels matching activity generator.
An interactive type-all-the-letters matching activity generator.
A printable mini-flashcards generator.
An interactive jigsaw-reading activity generator.
An interactive text-reconstruction activity generator.
An interactive quiz-quiz-trade strip generator.
A printable jigsaw reading generator.
An interactive cloze generator.
An interactive pelmanism / memory pairs game generator.
A cloze worksheet generator.
An interactive whole-text-based millionaire game generator.
An interactive anagram-text generator.
An interactive dictation generator.
An interactive translation generator.
An interactive Find-the-French (or Spanish, German, etc) generator.
An interactive multiple-choice reading comprehension generator.
An interactive fill in the answer reading comprehension generator.
An interactive multiple-choice listening comprehension generator.
An interactive fill in the answer listening comprehension generator.
1. Interactive FLASHCARD Generator
Automatically generates a flashcard activity based on any set of matching items.
The user can choose to run through the items in the original order or in random order.
Tick if you got the answer right, Cross if you were unsure or got it wrong. Any 'wrong' items are repeated at the end.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_flashcards-x5hjn1
2. RE-ORDER THE WORDS Activity Generator
Generates word-by-word text re-building activities based on any text. This is ideal for use with quotes, short texts, etc. Use it as a starter to present a topic, or as a plenary to check understanding of a key concept. Students could also use it independently to help learn a text.
Choose the correct next word from 10. Keep going until the text is completed.
By clicking on '+ word' you can change the exercise so that the text appears 2 or 3 words at a time.
Live example: www.textivate.com/nextword-4pcjn1
3. Interactive MILLIONAIRE Matching Activity
Turns your Questions and answers / matching pairs into an interactive Millionaire game.
Great as a starter or plenary or class quiz.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_million-bvgjn1
4. Interactive WORD SNAKE Generator
Takes your text and removes all of the spaces, punctuation etc, so that what is left is a block of continuous text.
Ideal for short texts, definitions, quotes, vocabulary items.
Use as a starter or plenary, or create an activity for students to complete individually or in pairs.
Click between the words to separate them (punctuation is added in automatically).
Live example: www.textivate.com/space-u4hjn1
5. PAIRS / MEMORY Card Generator
Automatically generates pairs / memory cards based on any list of matching items.
Matching items can be text-to-text or image-to-text.
You can choose how big your cards are / how many cards appear per printed page.
Cut them out and play pelmanism (memory), kinaesthetic matching etc.
See this post on worksheet printing.
6. Interactive MATCH-UP Activity Generator
Automatically generates a range of matching activities based on any list of matching items.
Matching items can be text-to-text or image-to-text.
A variety of formats is available, including 'Shuffle', 'Switch' and 'Click' (see example below).
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_click12-qlgjn1
Here's an example of what it looks like when it's finished:
7. DOMINOES Generator
Automatically generates dominoes based on any list of matching items.
Matching items can be text-to-text or image-to-text.
You can choose how big your dominoes are / how many dominoes appear per printed page.
Cut them out and play in pairs or small groups.
See this post on worksheet printing.
8. Interactive SPELLING GAME Generator
Automatically generates several interactive spelling games based on any list of matching items (text-text or image-text).
Formats include... (live examples):
Invaders: www.textivate.com/m_invaders-m3hjn1 (click the letters in the correct order)
Hangman: www.textivate.com/m_hangman-a0gjn1
Snake: www.textivate.com/m_snake-m3hjn1 (find the word hidden in snake form in the grid)
Maze: www.textivate.com/m_maze-m3hjn1 (steer the yellow block around the maze, zapping the letters in the correct order, and avoiding the monsters. See image below)
9. Interactive SNAP Game Generator
Turns any list of matching items into a Snap game.
Click on the = button if the match is correct.
Use with the whole class, or students can play individually or in pairs.
Adjustable time interval.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_snap-x5hjn1
10. Interactive ANAGRAMS Activity Generator
Takes your list of matching items, and turns the right hand side of each match into anagrams.
Click on the letters in the correct order to rebuild the word.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_anagrams-k6hjn1
11. ANAGRAMS Worksheet Generator
Takes your list of matching items, turns the right hand side of each match into anagrams, and prints the whole thing as a worksheet.
See this post on worksheet printing.
12. PUT-THE-LINES-IN-ORDER Worksheet Generator
Takes your text and splits it up according to the linebreaks it contains.
Each section of text (up to max 12) is printed onto a different strip, for you to cut out and play.
Ideal for kinaesthetic pair or group work - great collaborative learning.
See this post on worksheet printing.
13. Interactive PUT-THE-LINES-IN-ORDER Activity Generator
Takes your text and splits it up according to the linebreaks it contains.
(Splits the text into paragraphs. You can add line breaks to your text to increase the number of sections.
Live example: www.textivate.com/horizpara-g7hjn1
14. Interactive FILL-IN-THE-VOWELS Matching Activity Generator
Takes your list of matching items and removes all of the vowels from the righthand side of each pair.
Type or click the vowels to fill in the gaps.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_vowels-lpgjn1
15. Interactive FILL-IN-THE-LETTERS Activity Generator
Takes your list of matching items and removes all of the letters from the righthand side of each pair.
Type or click the letters to fill in the gaps.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_empty-lpgjn1
16. FILL-IN-THE-LETTERS Worksheet Generator
Takes your list of matching items, removes all letters from the righthand side of each pair, and puts the whole thing on a worksheet for you, automatically.
See this post on worksheet printing.
17. Printable MINI-FLASHCARDS Generator
Prints out your matching items (text-to-text or image-to-text) side by side.
Choose the largest possible format to get 3 flashcards per page. Then cut horizontally and fold.
See this post on worksheet printing.
19. Interactive JIGSAW READING Generator
Takes your text and generates a variety of jigsaw reading activities, where the aim is to put the blocks of text in to the correct order.
LOTS of different formats for this activity.
Live example: www.textivate.com/3x4-rkcjn1
20. Interactive TEXT RECONSTRUCTION Exercise Generator
Various options, based on filling in the missing vowels, consonants, half the letters, all letters, or all but the first letter.
These activities are great for checking understanding and remembering a text.
The 'initials' activity (shown below) is a great way of reciting a whole text with the first letter as a guide. Or you can type in the missing letters and complete the activity interactively.
Live example: www.textivate.com/initials-m3hjn1
21. QUIZ-QUIZ-TRADE Strip Generator
From the flashcards screen, select to print the matching items side by side, and choose the number of items per screen that best suits your matching items.
Simply cut into horizontal strips.
See this post on worksheet printing.
22. Printable JIGSAW READING Generator
Takes your text and generates a variety of jigsaw reading activities, where the aim is to put the blocks of text in to the correct order.
LOTS of different formats for this activity.
Print, cut out and work in pairs or small groups, rebuilding the text. Great collaborative work.
See this post on worksheet printing.
23. Interactive RANDOM GAP-FILL Generator
Takes your text and randomly selects between 6 and 18 words to be gapped (depending on the number of words in the text).
Because it is random, it's a different exercise each time you restart it!
Live example: www.textivate.com/gapfill-p6hjn1
NB. You can also generate gap-fills where you specify the words to be gapped, e.g.: www.textivate.com/udgapfill-p6hjn1
24. Interactive PELMANISM / MEMORY PAIRS Generator (1 or 2 Players)
Takes any set of matching items and puts them into a memory game for 1 or 2 players.
In the 1 player game, just keep guessing until you find all the matching pairs.
In the 2 player game (shown below), players take turns to find a correct match. If you find one, you get to play again.
Live example: www.textivate.com/m_memory10-k6hjn1
25. GAP-FILL Worksheet Generator
Prints gap-fill worksheets based on a random set of gaps or on gaps specified by you.
See this post on worksheet printing.
26. Interactive WHOLE-TEXT MILLIONAIRE Game Generator
Turns any text into an interactive Millionaire game.
Click the correct continuation of the text from the 4 options.
Live example: www.textivate.com/million-m3hjn1
27. Interactive ANAGRAM TEXT Generator
Takes your text and removes the letters from words of more than 1 letter, replacing them with words of empty blocks.
Click on an empty block word to reveal its letters, then click on the letters in the correct order to fill in the word.
Allows you to work through a whole text, word by word, with anagram clues for each missing word.
Live example: www.textivate.com/anagrams-g7hjn1
28. Interactive DICTATION Generator
Just add a video (with audio, obviously) to your text as described in this blog post and you have various interactive dictation activity options. e.g.:
Put the chunks of text in order.
Rebuild the text three words at a time.
Rebuild the text one word at a time.
Listen and fill in the vowels.
Listen and fill in the consonants.
Fill in the missing letters (50% of letters missing).
Listen and use the initals letters to rebuild the text.
Listen and write the text (word shapes for support).
You can even set a dictation for homework.
29. Interactive TRANSLATION Generator
Just add a parallel text to your resource as described in this blog post and you have various interactive translation activity options. e.g.:
Put the chunks of text in order.
Rebuild the text three words at a time.
Rebuild the text one word at a time.
Fill in the vowels.
Fill in the consonants.
Fill in the missing letters (50% of letters missing).
Use the initals letters to rebuild the text.
Translate the whole text (word shapes for support).
You can even set a translation for homework. This blog post looks at translation activities on textivate in more detail.
30. Interactive FIND-THE-FRENCH (or Spanish, German, Italian, etc...) Generator
Just add a parallel text to your Text+Match resource as described in this blog post and opt to show the main text along with your vocab activities. You then have various interactive vocabulary translation activity options where the students have the main text to refer to. e.g.:
Fill in the vowels.
Fill in the consonants.
Fill in the missing letters (50% of letters missing).
Use the inital letters to rebuild the text.
Translate the vocab item (word shapes for support).
You can even set a translation for homework. This blog post looks at translation and "Find the French" activities on textivate in more detail.
31. Interactive Multi-Choice Reading Comprehension Generator
Create a text + match resource where the matching items are questions and answers, and add the main text as a parellel text for the matching activities -- all of this is described in this blog post.
e.g.:
Multiple-choice reading (1in4)
Multiple-choice reading (1in10)
32. Interactive Fill-In-The-Answer Reading Comprehension Generator
Create a text + match resource where the matching items are questions and answers, and add the main text as a parellel text for the matching activities -- all of this is described in this blog post.
e.g.:
Fill in the answer reading
Fill in the answer reading (anagrams)
33. Interactive Multi-Choice Listening Comprehension Generator
Create a match resource where the matching items are questions and answers, and add a parellel audio file - as described in this blog post.
e.g.:
Multiple-choice listening (1in4)
Multiple-choice listening (1in10)
34. Interactive Fill-In-The-Answer Listening Comprehension Generator
Create a match resource where the matching items are questions and answers, and add a parellel audio file - as described in this blog post.
e.g.:
Fill in the answer listening
Fill in the answer listening (with initials)
...
Did you see what I did there? :0)
And I could quite easily go on...