What is a Hyperdoc?
It's a fantastic way to deliver digital lessons! It's a way to curate resources and develop lessons that allow students to explore and engage with content, and then create and share their learning. The term "Hyperdoc" was coined by an amazing trio of educators, Lisa Highfil, Sarah Landis, and Kelly Hilton. You can find their book, The Hyperdoc Handbook, on Amazon.
Check out this Hyperdoc on Harvest Holidays designed for second or third grade students.
Get your own copy of this Hyperdoc here. Please adapt to meet the needs of your students. Remember, some of the resources listed require subscriptions! Personalize this activity so it fits your students' needs, your learning environment, and the tools and resources you have available.
Breaking it Down
In this activity, students read text about a variety of harvest holidays from around the world. They fill out a Google Docs graphic organizer noting key details from the text.
Then, students create a collaborative set of Google Slides about the various harvest holidays they read about. They use their Slides and Seesaw (including the Seesaw Reflect extension) to compare and contrast one of the world harvest holidays to our familiar harvest holiday, Thanksgiving.
After, they continue researching other world holidays from different times of the year. They create and share a collaborative MyMap with facts and images that inform others about the various world holidays they researched.
Beyond the Basics
Something to note: This activity has many moving parts! It IS NOT designed to be the very first Google/technology-based activity you do with students. This activity is an example of what students can do to respond to and analyze text, create, and share once all the pieces are in place!
Technical skills necessary for students:
- Navigate Google Classroom (where the Hyperdoc will be found.)
- Use the Google Docs Hyperdoc to open files, add text, and open links.
- Use Google Slides - insert images and text.
- Share to Seesaw using the Seesaw Reflect Extension.
- Login and navigate to digital reading resources including Epic Books and Pebble Go!
- Create a collaborative MyMap.
Digital Resources accessed:
- Google Classroom/Docs/Slides/MyMaps - Free With GSuite for Education
- Seesaw - Free/Freemium (Great free resource, but wait there's more if you pay!)
- Seesaw Reflect Extension (Free)
- Texts from Epic Books (Free for teachers and students in classrooms)
- Information from Pebble Go! (Paid resource)
- Texts from Reading A to Z (Paid resource)
Where do I even begin?
Connect your students to the digital platform that makes the most sense for you. Google Classroom is a good place to start, but if it isn't an option, use what you have. That might be Seesaw, or that might be some other LMS (Learning Management System) your school uses such as Canvas or Blackboard.
Start by pushing out links and docs on your chosen digital platform. Get your young learners familiar with opening, editing and submitting the digital resources. Add one skill at a time so they can build up their digital fluency! It might take a few tries to get it right! Once they are comfortable, you open up a world of creative, meaningful learning with endless possibilities.
Learn more about Hyperdocs at Hyperdocs.co.
Learn more about using Google tools with young learners at PrimarilyGoogle.Rocks.
