First, what are choice boards? A choice board is a type of assignment style that gives students the freedom to choose how they will connect with the subject matter.
There are many different styles of choice boards. Some are tic-tac-toe boards, asking students to choose three activities in a row; others are in the form of menus, asking students to choose from different sections on the menu (appetizers, main course, dessert) to create a full “meal.” (These styles are especially great for younger learners.)
Teachers and parents know that there are tons of ways to teach the same subject matter, but how do you decide on one or just a handful of activities that will be both meaningful and engaging for a classroom full of different students who each bring their own talents, interests, and background knowledge to the concept being studied?
I believe that the choice board is one of the absolute greatest tools to empower students to take ownership of their education, while rewarding them with the freedom to choose from a variety of meaningful activities.
Here is an example of a choice board I created to accompany the 7th grade History of the World curriculum by Abeka.
For our home school tutorial program, I include a wide variety of activities: reading comprehension questions, note taking strategies, essays, Bible memorization work, family activities, creative writing, vocabulary, lab reports, volunteering, connections to art and literature, etc. Many of these activities can be found as part of the curriculum, but I’ve added others to further expand the number of choices.
Students enjoy getting to choose how they will earn their homework points, and I enjoy seeing so much more creativity from them. They also help students learn about time management and even personal finance!
For my choice boards, students need to earn 500 points, but they are allowed to earn up to 100 bonus points per choice board. I encourage them to “bank” some bonus points each week to save them for a rainy day (i.e., a tough week due to travel, extracurricular activities, etc.). If you think about points as a form of currency, students are indirectly learning basic budgeting skills just by doing their homework! I also try to make sure that I’m awarding about 100 points per hour of work, so students can see about how much time they still need to finish a choice board just by checking how many points they lack. As a result, they start learning more about time management.
One drawback to using choice boards is that is does require quite a bit of explanation at the beginning, but the outcome is absolutely worth it!
On a recent World History Choice Board, one option was to recreate a picture that appeared in the textbook. Sophia Kingsbury, one of my particularly artistic students, used her abilities to digitally recreate a picture of a child soldier. The video below shows her amazing process.
Thanks to the flexibility of the choice board, Sophia was able to connect with the reading in a meaningful way that showcased her love for art and her God-given talent. The result? A masterpiece!
To see more of Sophia’s amazing artwork, check out her Instagram page, Sophia Rose Art.
To learn more about choice boards, check out this list of FAQs that I’ve developed for my students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to complete every assignment on the choice board?
No. What is so great about the choice board format is that it is full of…choices. You get to pick which assignments you want to complete each week. Since all of the assignments listed help you dig deeper into what you’ve read, you have the freedom to choose activities that appeal to you.
Do I have to complete every assignment in a box?
No. You can choose ANY combination of assignments on the choice board in order to earn your points. Just because you choose one assignment from a certain box does not mean you now have to complete all of the activities in that box. You can mix and match as you wish.
Do I have to complete the same work on every choice board?
No. Every choice board in a clean slate. What you chose on the last choice board has nothing to do with what you choose on any other choice board. So, play around with them and have fun. Some students find activities that they really enjoy, so they choose them over and over. Other students try something new on each choice board. One suggestion, though – you don’t know if you like something until you try it, so don’t be afraid to think outside the “box” that you usually choose. 🙂
How many points do I have to earn?
500. Unless otherwise stated, most choice boards require you to earn 500 points, but you also have the opportunity to earn bonus points each week.
Can I get bonus points?
Yes. Unless otherwise stated, you can earn up to 100 bonus points on each choice board. However, the limit is 100, which means you can’t attempt any points over 600 to cover any points you might miss due to wrong answers. I STRONGLY encourage you to attempt at least a few bonus points on each choice board. Think of the points like money – you may have heard your parents talk about working “overtime” to save up a little extra money for a vacation, home repair, or “rainy day fund.” The bonus points are just like that – a little extra money in the bank for a rainy day. You never know when you are going to have a difficult week (due to sports, time constraints, emergency, etc.), and maybe you are only able to complete 300 points one week. However, if you’ve been “banking” some extra credit every week, it is easy for that 300 to still average out to an A (or even higher) thanks to all those bonus points.
How do I turn in my work?
Hard copy and Edmodo. No matter what activities you completed, you will need to turn in a completed choice board for each unit/module. In order to avoid situations in which the dog may have eaten your homework, the best thing to do is to turn in both a hard copy AND an electronic copy. That way, if something happens to the hard copy, we will have a back up online in Edmodo. I consider a “hard copy” to be the original page out of a workbook, a copy of the page, handwritten answers, or typed answers – any of these are acceptable. The choice board itself will serve as your cover sheet for the packet of work you are turning in. Always put any hard copies of work BEHIND the choice board before you staple your packet. Also, when turning in work on Edmodo, don’t forget to submit a picture of the choice board as well.
How do I earn points on the mandatory section?
Honor system. The mandatory section for each choice board consists of reading the current unit/module. I’m giving you points for doing this because it is part of your homework which requires time and effort on your part. However, you don’t have to do anything extra to “prove” that you completed this work; simply mark it as completed and fill in the section for the number of points attempted.
How long do I have to complete the choice board?
It depends. Typically history classes have one week per choice board, and science classes have two weeks. However, there will be times (such as over fall/spring/Christmas break) that you may have extra time, so make sure you check the due date listed in Edmodo.
How do I fill out the choice board?
Name, date, check marks, and points attempted. At the top of the choice board, please fill in your name, the date (either when you completed it or the due date is fine), and the total number of points attempted out of 500 (including bonus points). Also, you will want to fill out the points attempted section for each box. Remember, it’s perfectly fine to have a zero in a section or even what looks like a “low score” because you are mixing and matching points from each section to add up to 500 points total. Each activity has a box to check in front of it IF you completed it – place check marks ONLY in the boxes in front of activities you completed. This will help you keep up with what you’ve completed, and it also helps your parents and me see at a glance what you’ve completed.
How should I manage my time each week?
It’s up to you. Again, this is the beauty of homeschool – it allows you to be as flexible or as structured as you need. For the Notgrass history books, you have weekly units with five lessons per unit. So, you can easily do a lesson a day. Then, if you are trying to incorporate your choice board points into your plan for the week, I would suggest shooting for earning about 100 points on each of those 5 days. However, some students prefer to get “in the zone” on a certain subject and work on it for quite a few hours at a time, and that’s fine, too. For the science choice boards, you typically have two weeks to complete the work, but the readings and assignments usually take more time and effort, but you can still apply the same strategy for setting a points goal for each science study session you do.
How do I figure out my grade?
It’s a percentage. Take the grade I give you and divide by 500 points – that will give you your percentage. Here are some examples: 425/500 = 85 500/500 = 100% 575/500 = 115%. Remember – all these grades get averaged together, so a 450 one week plus a 550 another week is still like having two 100s. You will get your choice board packet back in class, but your grade will also be posted on Edmodo. Since classes only meet once a week, you may see your grade on Edmodo before you get your hard copy back in class.
Your turn – What is your favorite thing about using choice boards?
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