Hyping Up the Dig: Making Students Earn Their Excavating Adventure
As educators, we know that building excitement and anticipation around learning can drive student engagement and motivation. When it comes to Excavating Adventures, creating a sense of achievement and adventure is key to ensuring your students fully immerse themselves in the experience. One of the best ways to enhance this excitement is by having your students earn the dig—transforming it from just another activity into a thrilling, well-deserved reward.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss strategies to get your students excited about their excavation, how to integrate learning and rewards, and how to maximize engagement through the quest system. Additionally, we'll highlight the importance of joining the Excavating Adventures for Educators Facebook group, where you can exchange ideas, gain insights, and get additional resources to make your dig day unforgettable.
1. Building Anticipation: Earning the Dig Through Quests
Rather than simply handing out dig kits at the start of the lesson, build anticipation by making your students work toward the dig. This approach not only increases excitement but also makes the activity feel like a reward for their effort and learning.
How to Structure Quests:
- Use Free Quests as Lessons: The free, standards-based online quests available through Excavating Adventures are an excellent way to prepare students for the dig. Each quest immerses students in an interactive adventure where they must solve problems, answer questions, and complete challenges related to the topic they are studying—whether it’s geology, paleontology, or other subjects.
- Tie the Quest to the Dig: Make it clear to students that completing the online quest is essential for “unlocking” the dig. Their performance on the quest—such as answering questions or solving puzzles—will determine if they’ve earned the opportunity to participate in the hands-on excavation.
- Create a Quest Timeline: Set a specific timeline for when the dig will happen, but ensure that students must complete their quest activities first. The anticipation of the final excavation will build over time, creating a sense of excitement and urgency around completing the educational tasks.
2. Creating a Sense of Accomplishment
One of the best ways to keep students motivated is to gamify the learning process. By treating the dig as something they must earn, you reinforce the idea that their hard work and learning efforts are what lead to fun, hands-on activities.
Reward the Process, Not Just the Result:
- Praise Effort: Make sure students understand that their effort and participation in the quest are just as important as getting the “right” answers. Celebrate the learning process by offering verbal praise, participation certificates, or small classroom rewards.
- Unlock the Dig: Once students complete their quest, formally announce that they’ve “unlocked” the dig. Whether this is done via a digital certificate, a classroom poster, or a simple congratulations from the teacher, this recognition adds to the sense of accomplishment.
- Make It a Classroom Event: You can even hold a small ceremony or announcement at the start of the excavation to celebrate the students’ hard work. This helps them feel proud of their achievements and adds to the overall excitement.
3. Incorporating Gamification and Adventure Points
Another way to build excitement and encourage ongoing engagement is through Adventure Points. These points are earned as students complete quests, and they can be redeemed for additional dig kits or other rewards, creating a loop of learning, achievement, and reward.
How to Use Adventure Points:
- Reward Every Quest Completion: Each time a student completes a quest, they earn Adventure Points. Keep a classroom leaderboard or a reward tracker that shows students how many points they’ve accumulated. This visual representation helps motivate students to keep learning.
- Encourage Additional Quests: After completing the first quest and dig, let students know that more quests are available. Each new quest offers another opportunity to earn Adventure Points, driving ongoing engagement with science topics.
- Build Friendly Competition: For added fun, you can introduce a little friendly competition. Who can earn the most Adventure Points in the class? Who will be the first to unlock a new dig? This sense of competition motivates students to stay engaged and actively participate in their quests.
4. Hyping Up Dig Day: A Day of Exploration
On dig day, make sure to bring the excitement to its peak. After all the hard work students have put into completing their quests, the dig should feel like a celebration of their effort and learning.
Ways to Hype Up Dig Day:
- Create a Countdown: Use a classroom countdown to build anticipation for dig day. Whether it’s a digital countdown on the SmartBoard or a physical calendar with “X” marks leading up to the dig, this visual reminder keeps excitement levels high.
- Set the Scene: Transform your classroom into an excavation site. Darken the room, add cave or digging sounds, and create an environment that feels like a true adventure (see our post on classroom transformation for more ideas!). The atmosphere will make the dig feel even more thrilling and immersive.
- Celebrate Their Achievement: Before the dig begins, remind students of how far they’ve come. They’ve completed their quests, earned their Adventure Points, and are now ready to unearth their specimens. This reminder reinforces the idea that their hard work has led them to this exciting moment.
5. Join the Excavating Adventures for Educators Facebook Group
A key part of making your Excavating Adventures experience the best it can be is joining the Excavating Adventures for Educators Facebook group. This group is packed with resources, ideas, and support from other teachers who are using Excavating Adventures in their classrooms.
Why Join the Facebook Group?
- Collaborate with Other Educators: The group provides a platform for you to share tips, ask questions, and learn how other teachers are incorporating the dig kits and quests into their classrooms.
- Access Free Resources: In the group, you’ll find free lesson plans, printables, and additional resources that can help you enhance your lessons and quests.
- Gain Classroom Transformation Ideas: Looking for ways to make your classroom dig even more immersive? The Facebook group is filled with creative classroom transformation ideas from educators who have already tried and tested different setups.
- Exclusive Giveaways and Promotions: By being a part of the group, you’ll have access to exclusive giveaways and promotions, giving you the chance to win dig kits and materials that enhance your classroom experience.
6. Conclusion: Creating an Earned Adventure
Making students earn their dig through quests and gamification adds an extra layer of excitement and achievement to your lessons. By integrating free online quests, rewarding students with Adventure Points, and creating a dynamic dig day, you’ll inspire a sense of accomplishment and make learning more engaging.
Don’t forget to join the Excavating Adventures for Educators Facebook group to access resources, collaborate with other teachers, and make the most of your Excavating Adventures kits. Together, we can create rewarding, fun, and educational experiences that students will remember for years to come.