AI and EduProtocols

The Top Three Most Used EduProtocols This Year

After years of using EduProtocols, I’ve learned that a few always rise to the top, especially in a year with content to cover, AI to manage, and routines to maintain. These three protocols: Fast and Curious, Number Mania, and Thick Slides became the top 3 EduProtocols I used this year.

Fast and Curious

This one’s been a staple for me year after year.

It set the tone for class, gave us quick retrieval, and got vocab into students’ brains before they needed to use it in a deeper task. I stuck with Quizizz most days and kept the sets short, tight, and tied directly to our content theme. Played it twice: once cold, once after a fast reteach or class discussion. Bonus if the class average hit our target, they earned 100% in the grade book.

How I used it:

Previewed key terms for units on Colonization, Constitution, Expansion, Industrialization, and Civil War
Included terms like mercantilism, urbanization, checks and balances, sectionalism
Built student buy-in by letting them submit terms to include
Used it mid-lesson when attention dipped or as a quick Friday review
Turned Quizizz class averages into a challenge: beat your Monday score by Friday

Fast and Curious Tip:

You can easily find premade quizzes on Gimkit or Quizizz – simple, easy, ready to go. However, I don’t often do that because they are not worded in a way that I teach or word things. So, I will often take the textbook section of readiongs for the week and upload those to ChatGPT. I have ChatGPT extract vocabulary words and create questions that fit with the content.

Number Mania

This protocol moved from a go to graphic organizer to one of the most powerful thinking routines I used all year.

At first, it was just about identifying meaningful numbers. But it quickly became the tool that helped students back up their claims with evidence, especially when layered into short writing tasks or argument structures.

How I used it:

After short readings on Jamestown survival rates, Revolutionary War casualties, Constitutional compromises, factory wages, and Civil War production
Students pulled 3 – 4 key numbers, paraphrased them, and explained their significance
Paired with icons, AI generated visuals, or short captions
Rolled right into Short Answer responses or “Divide the Pie” arguments
Posted top examples to Padlet and used them as models

The extension that worked best:
I started requiring students to use two of their numbers in a Short Answer claim. For example: “Why was the North better positioned to win the Civil War?” They had to cite the railroad mileage, factory output, or population numbers they had just worked with. The writing was better because the thinking was already done.

Bonus variation:
AI generated “Truth with Sprinkles” – I gave them a fake paragraph with incorrect numbers, and they had to fix it using their Number Mania notes. Quick, smart, and fun.

Thick Slides

This became my go to for synthesis and creative output.

Students got one slide to make their thinking visual. We used a set structure title, visuals, stat or quote, short summary and it let me see quickly who got the content and who needed help.

How I used it:

Wrapped up content from Colonial Regions, American Revolution, Industrialization, Reform Movements, and Civil War
Assigned AI image generation to visualize abstract concepts or quotes
Had students screenshot their slide and upload it to MagicSchool for feedback
Turned slides into gallery walks or Padlet posts to compare perspectives

The best variation this year:
After students created their slide, I had them use it in a Divide the Pie activity. Each student argued which reformer, event, or region had the biggest impact—using only the details from their slide. It forced them to know what they made and defend it.

Final Thought

These three: Fast and Curious, Number Mania, and Thick Slides did more than fill time. They became a rhythm. Retrieval led to analysis. Analysis led to argument. Argument led to creative synthesis. They worked with any unit, played well with AI, and kept students focused.

Let me know if you want copies of my Number Mania prompts, Thick Slide templates, or how I stack these across a full week. Always happy to share.

AI and EduProtocols

Rethinking the Questions We Ask – “Answers Will Vary”

A kid once turned in an answer to question 3 that just said: “Answers will vary.” It was clearly Googled and lifted from a teacher Weebly page of TCI answer keys.

I looked at it, shook my head, and said, “If you’re going to cheat, at least cheat correctly.” Then I realized the question I asked didn’t require them to think – it just needed Google… or now, from AI.

We’re in a world where students can Google or AI their way through any worksheet. So instead of harder questions, or. ore questions, we need better ones. Questions that actually require students to think, reflect, and decide.

Here’s how I’ve started reworking my questions:

Old Question	Better Version
What caused the American Revolution?	If you were a colonist, which British action would’ve pushed you to rebel—and why?
What did the Great Compromise do?	Which Constitutional compromise matters most today? Defend your choice.
What is Manifest Destiny?	Would you have supported Manifest Destiny in the 1840s? Explain your POV.
What were working conditions like?	Create a pro-factory ad. Then explain what you left out—and why.
What’s federalism?	Draw a symbol of federalism. Explain how it shows two governments sharing power.

These shifts help because AI can explain the facts, but it can’t choose for the student. When students have to justify, reflect, or take a position, it brings their voice into the work. AI might help them brainstorm, but it can’t replace their thinking.

Add Simple Reflection

Asking better questions helps, but building in quick metacognition takes it further. Here are 3 go-to prompts I use:

“What was the hardest part of this task—and how did you deal with it?”
“What part of your answer are you most confident in?”
“What changed your thinking today?”

Nothing over the top, just 1–2 sentences. We do it after Sketch & Tell-o, Thick Slides, Number Mania, or a writing task. It keeps the focus on how they thought, not just what they said.

Focus on the Process

During our Industrialization unit, I gave students a fake, rosy paragraph about factory life. Instead of writing something new, I had them revise it using evidence from our Number Mania activity (factory rules, fines, wages, etc.). The magic happened in the follow up: “What did you change—and why?”

That’s where I got real thinking. Students weren’t just reporting facts.
They were spotting spin, making decisions, and defending edits. That’s process.

Final Thought

If a chatbot can do the assignment better than your students, it’s time to change the assignment. Ask questions that need them. Build in time to reflect on the how, not just the what. Focus less on “finishing” and more on thinking out loud.

And when you start making these shifts, it’s eye-opening to see how much students have been relying on Google or AI to get by. The shortcuts get exposed, but so does the opportunity to help them become real thinkers.

AI and EduProtocols

Is AI Feedback Less Human?

There’s a growing perception in classrooms that when feedback or grading comes from AI, it feels less human. Students sometimes see it as impersonal, maybe a sign that the teacher doesn’t care. And to be honest? That feeling isn’t entirely wrong.

Part of good feedback is relationship. The tone, the nuance, the “I see you” moments that students pick up on when a teacher scribbles a star or writes “Nice!” in the margin. AI doesn’t do that. It can’t. So when students say it feels different, we should listen.

But here’s the other side of the story: AI feedback doesn’t have to replace the human part. AI can free us up to be more human. Instead of spending hours hand-marking spelling errors or rewriting the same comment over and over, teachers can let AI handle the routine, and then use class time for real conversations: mini-conferences, revision chats, side-by-side re-reads.

Some ways to make AI feel more human in your feedback loop:

Let students co-pilot: Have them ask AI for feedback and critique the response. Was it accurate? Helpful? What would they change?
Add a human layer: Record a short audio note responding to AI’s comments or add a sticky note that says “This is solid, especially that last sentence!”
Use AI as the start, not the end: “Here’s what the AI noticed, now let’s talk about what I noticed.”

In the end, AI can feel less human. But when we use it alongside teacher insight, not instead of it, it can lead to more feedback, more revision, and more meaningful learning.

Maybe it’s not about choosing between care and AI, it’s about using AI to create more space for care.

AI and EduProtocols

The Orange Twist: How I Used AI to Make a Textbook Fun

Sometimes, teaching history means peeling back the layers. Literally.

It was late in the year, and I just wanted to mix things up. We’d been hitting heavy content, and I needed something different—not easier, just… different.

So I asked AI to help.

We were covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates—a pivotal moment tied to the expansion of slavery and the rise of the Republican Party. I pasted a section of our textbook into ChatGPT and gave it a twist: “Rewrite this reading. Keep all the key facts. But embed five subtle clues to an object: an orange. Don’t name it. Just hide it.”

The clues?

wedge
sections
bitter
peel
squeeze

But here’s the thing—I didn’t tell the students that.
I left the rewritten passage with the sub, followed by the usual reading questions. No mention of any mystery. No hint that something fun was coming.

Only after they answered the questions did I drop the surprise:
A Padlet link with the challenge.
“Based on the clues in the reading, what mystery object do you think I was thinking of? Add your guess. Then explain how it connects to a country being pulled apart by the issue of slavery.”

To make it more interesting—and to avoid copycat answers—I changed the Padlet settings to manual approval. No one could see each other’s guesses.

And just like that, reading became a puzzle.
The guesses poured in: a violin? a broken flag? a lemon zest?
And then came the ones that nailed it: an orange.

Their follow-up explanations were exactly what I hoped for:

“The country was in wedges, pulling away from the center.”
“There were different sections that couldn’t stay together.”
“Once you peel it, you can’t undo it.”
“Everyone was getting squeezed from both sides.”

That day, the students didn’t just complete another textbook reading.
They investigated. They connected. They created a metaphor.

Why This Works:
This isn’t fluff. It’s curiosity-driven, metaphor-based reading that builds real skills.
Here’s the breakdown:

Choose a reading worth understanding deeply.
Pick an everyday object that metaphorically fits the moment.
Use AI to embed 4–6 subtle clues.
Let students read and respond as usual.
Then drop the mystery object twist: guess and explain the metaphor.

It turns reading into a mystery.
It turns metaphor into meaning.
It turns a late-year lesson into something different because we all need that during this time of year.

AI and EduProtocols

Fray-I: Teaching Students to Question AI Like a Historian

The first time a student told me, “This sounds smart, but I don’t think it’s right,” in response to an AI-generated answer—I knew we were onto something.

That moment sparked Fray-I—a thinking routine I’ve been developing to help students analyze AI responses, not just accept them. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s already changing how my students interact with both history and technology.

Here’s the flow:

Students engage with content – a primary source, textbook excerpt, or short video.
They ask a question based on the reading or viewing—either one they create or one I provide (especially if the source leaves something unanswered or unclear).
They run that question through an AI tool like ChatGPT or MagicSchool.
They get a response and analyze/evaluate.

Here’s what Fray-I looks like:

Claim: What is the AI saying? What’s the main idea or argument?
Evidence Used: What support, facts, or examples does it include?
What’s Missing?: What voices, perspectives, or key historical context are left out?
Push It Further: How could this answer be stronger? More accurate? More complete? Would you use this response?

This turns AI into the text—not the shortcut.
Students question the bot like they would a biased newspaper article, a government document, or a historical speech.

Why Fray-I works:

It puts students in the driver’s seat. They’re not copying—they’re critiquing.
It reinforces essential social studies skills: sourcing, bias, perspective, and evidence-based reasoning.
It meets students where they are—working with the tools they’re already curious about.

And honestly? The engagement is different.
When students start noticing what the AI got wrong, what it ignored, or how it could be improved, they feel ownership.

Fray-I isn’t finished. I’m still tweaking sentence starters and scaffolds to support all learners. But it’s already doing what I hoped: Helping students think like historians in a world where information is instant—but not always insightful.

Here is a Fray-I Template

AI and EduProtocols

Let Them Rally: What Teaching 5-Year-Olds Tennis Taught Me About AI

In 2006, when I first started teaching tennis, I ran a bunch of classes for 3 to 5 year olds. We had all the right equipment—mini nets, low-compression balls, small racquets—the stuff that actually made sense for little kids. But I was still running drills like we were using regular tennis balls on a full court – stuff that was way too big and too much for where they were.

One day, my boss—who also happened to be a great mentor—watched one of the classes and asked, “Why don’t you have these kids rally?”

I kind of shrugged and said, “They’re not ready for that. They’ll struggle. What are they going to get out of it?”

To which he replied, “Maybe this week they get one ball in a row. Maybe next week they hit two. Maybe the week after that, none. But you’re giving them a chance. You’re giving them the opportunity to build the skill.”

That moment stuck with me for years. Recently, it’s been popping into my head again. Not for tennis. Rather, because of AI.

When AI tools first started popping up in education, I wasn’t sure what to think. I didn’t want it to become a shortcut. I didn’t want kids to stop thinking. I didn’t want to lose the craft of teaching and learning.

That conversation about rallying stayed with me. I realized—maybe AI is the ball. Maybe we just need to let kids rally.

Now I’m using tools like Magic School, Class Companion, and Snorkl in class. Not just for the sake of using them, but to give students opportunities.

Let them try. Let them fail. Let them get one good idea this week, maybe two next week.

Class Companion gives them real feedback on their writing—feedback they actually use. Snorkl lets them explore thinking with AI scaffolds. Magic School helps them dig deeper and ask better questions. These tools aren’t doing the work for them—they’re helping them build skills.

But here’s the key: we still have to be the coach.

We’ve got to teach them how to interact with AI, not just copy and paste. We’ve got to help them ask better questions, process feedback, revise, and think. That’s what AI literacy is really about.

So no—AI isn’t perfect. But if we avoid it because we think kids can’t handle it… we’re missing the whole point.

They can’t rally if we never give them the ball.

Let them rally. Stand on the sideline. Feed them another one. That’s how they grow.

AI and EduProtocols

Things Are Getting Expensive…Here’s Some Useful Free Versions Of AI Tools

Things are getting expensive. Teachers don’t wanna pay for stuff. Free versions are usually watered down or full of ads. I’m just here to share some tools that have useful free versions. These are ones I’ve been using and they’ve helped me plan better, save time, and still give students solid feedback and learning experiences.

I’ll keep it simple: what it is, why I like it, and how I use it (with a solid teaching idea thrown in—usually paired with EduProtocols that make sense).

Class Companion

Even with the free version, Class Companion gives your students feedback like a champ. It tracks writing progress over time, breaks feedback down into categories like organization and evidence, and gives consistent scoring. You can assign short-answer questions or extended responses, turn off copy/paste (huge during state testing season), and export their progress.

Why I like it: I don’t have to manually grade everything and I still get useful data. Feedback is fast and targeted. It’s perfect for helping kids write better without burning myself out.

Teaching Idea: Pair with Nacho Paragraph. After doing a Number Mania, reading, or Frayer-based content build, have students write a one-paragraph response that argues a claim. Class Companion gives AI feedback on the claim, evidence, and reasoning. It’s also great after a MiniReport—combine two sources, write a response, and let AI provide revision tips. Great test prep without being test prep.

Brisk

Brisk is like having an AI sidekick built right into Google Docs and Slides. You can highlight text and ask it to simplify or raise the reading level, turn a website into a quick Google Slide presentation, or even generate questions. You can use it to leave AI-generated feedback on student work, but I mostly use it for materials prep.

Why I like it: It’s fast, doesn’t take me to a new platform, and it helps me tailor materials for students at different levels in seconds.

Teaching Idea: Use Brisk to level a source before a Cyber Sandwich. Take a tough article, simplify it for one group of students, and leave the original for another. Have them annotate, partner-share, and write a summary. You can even ask Brisk to generate questions for a thin slide or fast and curious warm-up.

Curipod

This is my go-to when I want a fast, interactive lesson that looks good but doesn’t take hours to make. Curipod lets you create engaging, Nearpod-style lessons. You can add open-ended questions, quick polls, drag-and-drop, even AI-generated reflections or historical figure Q&A simulations. The drawing and writing feedback features are a huge bonus.

Why I like it: I can turn a warmup into a 20-minute meaningful discussion with a couple clicks. Students actually enjoy the format and get to respond anonymously or collaboratively.

Teaching Idea: One way you could try using Curipod is by adding a few Sketch and Tell prompts throughout the lesson. Students draw and write a quick response, and the platform gives them feedback right away. After the Curipod, you might follow it up with a Thick Slide—have students share four important facts, two visuals, and a comparison. It’s a simple way to turn the lesson into something more student-centered and reflective.

Final Thoughts

These three AI tools won’t replace your teaching—but they do make it faster, easier, and more manageable. You don’t need 12 tools, and you definitely don’t need to drop $25/month to get value.

Try one this week. Layer it into an EduProtocol you already use. Let the AI handle some of the prep or feedback so you can focus more on the conversations and connections that matter.

AI and EduProtocols

Refuting the Statement: A New Rack and Stack

Today, I ran a new Rack and Stack using some familiar EduProtocols but with a fresh flow. The whole lesson was built around this opening statement: “The Lowell Mill Girls had an extraordinary opportunity.” That one sentence carried us through the entire class. I wanted students to come back to it over and over again, thinking critically about whether or not it was actually true.

Here is the flow:

Fast and Curious
EdPuzzle with Thin Slide
Number Mania
Nacho Paragraph with Short Answer

Starting with Vocabulary: Fast and Curious

We began with a Gimkit Fast and Curious. I pulled vocab straight from the lesson—boardinghouse, wage, petition, strike, shift. It’s honestly surprising how many words kids just don’t know anymore. I can’t assume anything. The most missed were boardinghouse, petition, and shift. After two rounds with some feedback in between, their accuracy shot up. We had a solid foundation for the rest of class.

EdPuzzle with a Thin Slide Twist

Next up was a 4-minute EdPuzzle about the Lowell Mill Girls. I embedded a Thin Slide with the same opening statement—did this video support it or not? Some kids thought it did, to a point. The video showed that the girls got paid and had housing, but others quickly pointed out the poor conditions and low wages. The Thin Slide was great for capturing those first reactions and making them back it up.

Number Mania with a Purpose

Then we hit the main chunk of the lesson—Number Mania. I had originally planned 6 stations, each with primary and secondary sources about different aspects of mill life. But after a dry run and thinking about cognitive load (shoutout to Blake Harvard’s book), I trimmed it to 4 stations. That made a huge difference.

The task was to find numerical evidence to refute the original statement. Of course, we had to go over the word “refute” first. That word shows up on the Ohio state test, and about 90% of my students didn’t know what it meant. Each station had a brief source. After reading, students picked a number that could be used to argue against the idea that the Lowell Mill Girls had some amazing opportunity. I rolled dice to determine how many words their explanation had to be. That added a fun twist and helped prevent kids from copying straight from the text. They had to think.

Short Answer + Nacho Paragraph

The finale was awesome. I pulled up Short Answer and ran it Battle Royale style using the Nacho Paragraph protocol. Each student copied and pasted the original statement and rewrote it, fixing it using the numerical evidence from the Number Mania. Their job was to refute the original sentence with facts. It brought everything together perfectly.

Short Answer gave them a sense of audience, let them see others’ responses, and motivated them to write better. They knew their classmates would see it, and that made all the difference.

Why This Worked

This lesson flowed. It began and ended with the same prompt, but by the time we got to the end, students had real evidence and a better understanding of both the content and how to structure their thinking. It wasn’t just about mill life—it was about challenging assumptions, reading multiple types of sources, interpreting data, using key vocab, and writing for a real purpose.

I also liked that I was able to scale the cognitive load. The vocab and EdPuzzle built some schema. The stations weren’t too long, and the dice kept the kids engaged. The writing had structure. Every part had purpose.

It’s not always about doing something big and flashy. Sometimes it’s about connecting pieces in a way that feels meaningful and builds momentum. Today, it worked.

AI and EduProtocols

Elevating EduProtocols with Depth and Complexity

This past weekend, I presented at the Gifted Fair conference at the Hamilton County Educational Service Center and had the chance to attend a session on depth and complexity. It really got me thinking. Developed by Dr. Sandra Kaplan, depth and complexity is a framework designed to push students beyond surface-level understanding by helping them think like experts in any subject. Too often, when we talk about rigor in education, we focus only on making questions harder. But depth and complexity isn’t just about the types of questions we ask—it’s about changing the tasks we give students.

EduProtocols already help students move beyond memorization and into deeper thinking, but when we pair them with depth and complexity, we help students analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in meaningful ways. Instead of just answering harder questions, they engage in perspective-taking, making connections, and evaluating historical impact. Here’s how we can enhance thick slides, sketch & tell, and parafly by embedding depth and complexity into each step of the lesson.

Thick Slides + Depth and Complexity

Thick slides go beyond listing facts—students make claims, compare ideas, and provide evidence. But how can we push even deeper?

Ways to add depth and complexity:

Big idea: Frame the slide around a larger concept. Instead of just listing facts about the Monroe Doctrine, students answer: how did the Monroe Doctrine shape American foreign policy for the next century?
Patterns: Identify recurring themes within a topic. If studying reform movements, students compare abolitionism, women’s rights, and education reform: what patterns exist in the strategies reformers used?
Over time: Analyze historical progression. Example: how did political parties evolve from the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans to modern-day parties?
Multiple perspectives: Assign different viewpoints. One student may create a slide from Mexico’s perspective on Texas independence, while another represents an American settler’s viewpoint.

Example lesson: The Age of Jackson
Standard thick slide: Students summarize Jacksonian democracy and list key policies.
Depth and complexity layer: Students compare Jacksonian democracy to modern populism, tracking patterns of how political leaders appeal to “the common people.”

Sketch & Tell + Depth and Complexity

Visual representation forces students to process and conceptualize information rather than just memorize it. Adding depth and complexity helps students examine underlying themes and historical connections.

Ways to add depth and complexity:

Language of the discipline: Require students to include key vocabulary in their sketches. Example: if sketching manifest destiny, students must label annexation, expansion, and sovereignty.
Ethics: Have students create two sketches—one that supports an event and one that critiques it. Example: was the Trail of Tears an unavoidable consequence of expansion, or a violation of Native rights?
Rules: Students depict who created the rules and who had to follow them. For instance, sketch how the spoils system benefited Jackson’s supporters but also led to corruption.
Across disciplines: Connect ideas across subjects. A history class sketching the Industrial Revolution might also examine how innovations in machinery affected economic systems and scientific advancements.

Example lesson: The Texas Revolution
Standard sketch & tell: Students illustrate one major event in the Texas Revolution.
Depth and complexity layer: Students compare two sketches—one from the perspective of Texan settlers and another from Mexico’s leaders.

Parafly + Depth and Complexity

Parafly already challenges students to improve their paraphrasing skills, but adding depth and complexity ensures that students analyze information rather than just rewrite it.

Ways to add depth and complexity:

Rules: Students not only paraphrase a text but also identify what rules are being set or broken. Example: in the Missouri Compromise, students highlight who benefits from the agreement and who is restricted by it.
Details matter: After paraphrasing, students explain what was left out and why it might be important. Example: what details are often omitted in textbook discussions of manifest destiny?
Ethical considerations: In addition to paraphrasing, students evaluate the morality of a historical decision. Example: was the annexation of Texas justified or an act of aggression?
Unanswered questions: Students paraphrase a passage and then write one question that remains unanswered. This helps spark deeper discussion about what the text does not address.

Example lesson: The Oregon Treaty
Standard parafly: Students paraphrase textbook excerpts on the U.S.-British treaty dividing Oregon.
Depth and complexity layer: Students evaluate the treaty’s fairness—who benefited most, and why didn’t the U.S. fight for 54°40’?

Final Thoughts

After attending the session at the Gifted Fair, it became clear that depth and complexity isn’t just about making things “harder”—it’s about giving students the right tools to think critically. When paired with EduProtocols, these strategies:

Encourage critical thinking instead of rote memorization
Make learning more engaging and relevant
Help students connect history to today

Depth and complexity doesn’t have to be a separate strategy—it can be woven into everything we already do. When paired with EduProtocols, it transforms simple activities into deeper, more meaningful learning experiences.

How are you using depth and complexity in your classroom? Let’s keep the conversation going!

AI and EduProtocols

Using Snorkl to Deepen Historical Thinking in the Classroom

One of the biggest challenges in history education is engaging students in meaningful analysis while encouraging collaboration and critical thinking. Enter Snorkl, an AI-powered whiteboard tool that allows students to interact with historical content by annotating images, adding text, drawings, or even recording their voices. By integrating Snorkl with historical inquiry, EduProtocols, and depth and complexity strategies, we can create a dynamic space where students engage deeply with the past.

1. Image & Source Analysis (8 Parts)

A picture is worth a thousand words—but only if students know how to analyze it! Post a primary source image (painting, political cartoon, propaganda poster) on Snorkl and have students:

Identify nouns, adjectives, and verbs within the image.
Annotate details with text boxes explaining who, what, when, where, and why.
Add speech bubbles or thought bubbles from different perspectives within the image.
Record a voice memo explaining their interpretation and the historical significance.

This works perfectly with the 8 Parts EduProtocol, where students systematically break down the visual to gain a deeper understanding.

Depth & Complexity:

Multiple Perspectives: Consider how different groups would interpret the image.
Patterns Over Time: Compare similar images from different eras (e.g., Revolutionary War vs. Civil War propaganda).

2. Think Slide Expansion (Thin Slides to Thick Slides)

Think Slides are a great way to introduce a topic, but what if we took them a step further? Post a Thin Slide prompt (one image, one word) on Snorkl, then challenge students to expand it into a Thick Slide by:

Adding three key facts about the topic.
Sourcing where their information comes from.
Comparing their topic to a related historical event or figure.
Leaving voice comments on peers’ slides to encourage discussion.

EduProtocol Tie-In: This follows the Thin Slides method but adds a deeper research component with the Thick Slide approach.

Depth & Complexity:

Ethics: Was the event just or unjust?
Big Idea: What lasting impact did this have on history?

3. Timeline Construction

History is all about connections. Instead of giving students a pre-made timeline, post randomized images and descriptions of historical events and have students:

Drag and arrange them in chronological order.
Draw arrows showing cause-and-effect relationships.
Add text boxes explaining why some events were turning points.
Compare two different events and their outcomes.

Depth & Complexity:

Cause & Effect: What led to this event? What were its consequences?
Big Idea: How does this event connect to larger themes in history?

4. Historical Debate Board

Engage students in historical argumentation by posting a controversial historical question (e.g., “Was Andrew Jackson a hero or a villain?”). Have students:

Add arguments on both sides of the debate.
Use Snorkl’s drawing tools to connect related ideas.
Record an audio response defending their position.
Engage in peer review by responding to others’ claims.

Depth & Complexity:

Different Perspectives: How might different groups view this event?
Unanswered Questions: What evidence is missing from this debate?

5. Document-Based Investigation

Primary sources can be intimidating, but Snorkl makes them interactive. Upload a primary source document excerpt and ask students to:

Highlight key phrases and annotate their meanings.
Add images or drawings to represent key ideas.
Answer sourcing questions (Who wrote this? When? Why?).
Summarize the document in one sentence.

Depth & Complexity:

Point of View: What bias does the author have?
Trends: How does this document compare to other sources from the same period?

6. Westward Expansion Map Activity (Sketch & Tell)

When studying Westward Expansion, post a blank map of the U.S. on Snorkl and have students:

Label newly acquired territories.
Use arrows to indicate migration patterns.
Draw icons or add images to represent key events (e.g., the Gold Rush, Trail of Tears).
Compare the perspective of settlers vs. Native Americans by adding speech bubbles or text boxes.

Using Sketch & Tell, students can create quick illustrations with short written explanations to reinforce their understanding.

Depth & Complexity:

Different Perspectives: What were the benefits and consequences of expansion?
Across Disciplines: How did technology and economics impact migration?

7. Empathy Map for Historical Figures (Frayer Model Adaptation)

History is filled with complex figures. Post an image of a historical person and have students create an empathy map with four sections:

What they see (their environment)
What they think (their beliefs)
What they feel (emotions, struggles)
What they say (quotes or imagined dialogue)

Adapt this using a Frayer Model, where students also add vocabulary and contextual information.

Depth & Complexity:

Ethics: Were their actions justified?
Big Idea: How does this figure’s story connect to historical trends?

Final Thoughts

By using Snorkl’s interactive whiteboard tools, combined with EduProtocols, we can transform the history classroom into a space where students actively analyze, compare, and collaborate on historical content. These activities not only help students develop historical thinking skills but also allow them to engage with the past in a way that fosters depth, complexity, and critical inquiry.

What are some ways you’ve used interactive tools like Snorkl in your history classroom? Let’s share and collaborate!