QR Codes
Unless you aren't paying attention to the signs around us, QR Codes are popping up all over! These odd squares are showing up on products, stores, websites, business cards menus, magazines theaters and more. These QR Codes (Quick Response) are essentially bar codes on steroids. When scanned (by your app) the code will reveal information from a website (like the sample seen here), phone number which will then take you to a website, file, phone number, picture or wherever else the author of the code wants you to see. First thing you need for this activity is a QR Code Reader. The Scan-QR Code and Barcode Reader comes highly recommended by Utilities and a QR Code Generator is easy and user friendly. There are also sites, like ClassTools.net that have a built in QR Treasure Hunt Generator.
Additional Ideas:
- Assignments: Use QR Codes on your website for classwork! It's a fun way to get them actually excited to see what the assignment will be! Instead of making more printouts than everyone needs, give your students a QR that takes them to the instructions, announcement or assignment.
- QR Code a picture and have students copy the picture and use a cartoon app to add speech bubbles!
- Show Exemplars: You can create QR for linking students to examples of quality work, whether it's PowerPoint or slideshare for a class presentation, or people speaking a foreign language specific to your current lesson.
- Learning Stations: Put codes in different areas of the room that will take students to different online activities, videos or content.
- Compile Research: Have students create codes linking to items discovered during research. These could be posted on your class webpage, wiki, blog on specific topics, or on a wall in the classroom.
QR Code Treasure Hunt
With your computer or iPad, any student can easily create their own QR Codes. For this lesson , I used, QR Treasure Hunt Generator .
This particular QR Code generator is a quiz format. Here is my sample quiz targeted for our 3rd grade students.
Teacher Notes
A. Prior to the lesson:
1. Arrange students into groups. Each group needs at least ONE person who has a mobile device (note: an internet connection will not be needed).
2. Ask students to
4. Cut them out and place them around your class.
B. The lesson:
1. Have the first ('introduction') QR code on display on your whiteboard.
2. Each team scans it into their device and gets told to start hunting around the school for the remaining QR codes.
3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available.
C. TIPS / OTHER IDEAS1. Award teams ONE point for each question they successfully decode, and a further TWO points for each correct answer that they provide.
2. Students in each team that do not have access to a mobile device can be responsible for research answers / hunting down the other QR codes for their teams.
3. A detailed case study in how to set up a successful QR Scavenger Hunt using this tool can be found here.
This particular QR Code generator is a quiz format. Here is my sample quiz targeted for our 3rd grade students.
Teacher Notes
A. Prior to the lesson:
1. Arrange students into groups. Each group needs at least ONE person who has a mobile device (note: an internet connection will not be needed).
2. Ask students to
- Download a QR reader (e.g.The Scan-QR Code and Barcode | I-Nigma | NeoReader | Kaywa) onto their mobile devices
- Bring these devices into the lesson.
- Once you create your codes, you will be able to print off the codes.
4. Cut them out and place them around your class.
B. The lesson:
1. Have the first ('introduction') QR code on display on your whiteboard.
2. Each team scans it into their device and gets told to start hunting around the school for the remaining QR codes.
3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available.
C. TIPS / OTHER IDEAS1. Award teams ONE point for each question they successfully decode, and a further TWO points for each correct answer that they provide.
2. Students in each team that do not have access to a mobile device can be responsible for research answers / hunting down the other QR codes for their teams.
3. A detailed case study in how to set up a successful QR Scavenger Hunt using this tool can be found here.
