Spring Break Academic Adventure
Spring break can sometimes lead to a slump in learning, but what if there were a way to keep students engaged while giving them a well-deserved break? This lesson plan provides a unique opportunity to reinforce key concepts while fostering connection and creativity.
Engage students in an interactive Goosechase Experience to accomplish Missions and earn points individually or as a part of a team. An easy, low-prep way to make learning enjoyable over the break, ensuring students return refreshed and ready to dive back in!
Grade: 6 - 12
Subject: Holidays, Special Events
Learning Objectives:
- Keep students engaged in academic tasks and connected with their peers during spring break through an interactive Goosechase Experience.
Materials:
- Mobile devices (tablets, phones, or laptops) with the Goosechase app installed
- Projector or whiteboard for discussion upon return
- List of pre-planned Missions covering grammar, reading, and math, but they can be tailored for any subject and as broadly or narrowly as you’d like!
Preparation:
- Create an Experience on the Goosechase app with a series of Missions focussed on the academic skills you want students to continue practicing
- Develop Missions that require students to demonstrate their understanding of these concepts and skills. Example Missions:
- Grammar Focused:
- Punctuation Detective: Take a photo of a sign or text with a punctuation mistake and correct it in the caption.
- Emoji Story Challenge: Given the 5 emojis (Teacher, add your own to the description!), write a creative story using them as a reference!
- Grammar Quiz: Answer a multiple-choice question about common grammar mistakes.
- Reading Focused:
- Book Snapshot: Take a photo of the book you’re reading over break and write a two-sentence summary.
- Quote Hunt: Find an inspirational quote from a book or article and explain why it resonates with you.
- Character Mashup: Write a short dialogue between two characters from different books.
- Math Focussed:
- Math in Real Life: Find and photograph an example of math in the real world (e.g., symmetry in nature, geometry in buildings).
- Riddle Me This: Solve a math riddle and submit your answer.
- Quick Calculation: Submit a photo of a real-life receipt, then round the total to the nearest dollar and estimate the tax
- Social & Fun Focused:
- Spring Break Adventure: Share a photo of something fun or interesting you did over break.
- Kindness Challenge: Send a positive message to a classmate about one of their submissions and submit a screenshot.
- Creative Challenge: Build something out of household items and submit a photo.
- Grammar Focused:
- Find example Missions in the Goosechase Templates below.
- Adapt the difficulty of the Missions based on the proficiency levels of your students to keep the activity inclusive and engaging for everyone.
- Have students complete the scavenger hunt individually while out of school for the break.
- Run your Experience for the duration of the break.
- App Set-Up
- Dedicate time to ensuring all students have the Goosechase app downloaded and joined to the Experience to avoid any tech issues.
Implementation Tips
- Keep Missions short and engaging.
- Mix academic challenges with fun and social activities.
- Set a flexible deadline so students can participate at their own pace.
- Offer small incentives (extra credit, certificates, shout-outs) for top participants.
- Allow students to play individually with a leaderboard to track progress.
- Add collaborative Missions where students interact virtually or share positive messages with each other.
Wrap Up and Reflection
- At the end of the break and upon return to the classroom, review the Missions and highlight creative submissions in class or online. This activity helps students stay connected to learning while making spring break more engaging and interactive!
Ready Made Experiences to Try
Math Spring Break Goosechase
Complete these math based missions individually during Spring Break to keep your mind sharp about ANGLES!
Spring Break Challenge
Show off your reading skills and help your team earn points to win the Spring Break Challenge! Don’t forget to keep track of what books you finish so that you can test on them when you return!
Spring Break Scavenger Hunt
Complete these missions while on Spring Break to keep busy and stay sharp!
Want a copy of this lesson plan to use with your class?
What is Goosechase EDU?
Goosechase is an online platform that helps educators create and run interactive learning experiences in their classrooms and beyond. Sign up and try creating an Experience, or contact us to learn more about our school and district-wide solutions!
