TeachersFirst's Do Now Resources
View this collection of tools to use for Do Now activities as students enter your classroom. Do Now activities (also called entrance tickets) are essential instructional strategies that help educators kickstart lessons, assess prior knowledge, and engage students from the moment they enter the classroom. These brief, focused tasks set the tone for learning and provide valuable formative assessment data. Resources for Do Now and entrance tickets span a wide range of formats, from simple question prompts to games to interactive digital tools. Many of these resources offer features like randomized question generation, multimedia integration, and real-time data visualization, enabling teachers to gauge class understanding and adjust instruction accordingly quickly. By leveraging these diverse resources, educators can create consistent routines that maximize instructional time, promote student accountability, and provide a smooth transition into the day's main learning objectives.

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The Teacher Toolkit - The Teacher Toolkid
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): assessment (152), Formative Assessment (77), social and emotional learning (98), Teacher Utilities (174), thinking skills (16)
In the Classroom
Entry tickets can be used in the classroom to set the purpose of the lesson. They allow students to write down their thoughts and organize their thinking for the lesson. Finally, entry tickets are a means for discussion in the classroom.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Educational Partners International - Educational Partners International
Grades
K to 12tag(s): differentiation (92), Formative Assessment (77)
In the Classroom
Do Nows can be used in the classroom to place students into differentiated groups and monitor their progress.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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What is Retrieval Practice? - Unleash Learning, LLC
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): teaching strategies (46)
In the Classroom
Start class with a quick retrieval activity, such as a "Brain Dump," where students write down everything they remember about a previously learned topic. Use low-stakes quizzes or exit tickets to reinforce key concepts. Incorporate "Successive Relearning," where students revisit and recall material repeatedly over weeks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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5 Best Bell Ringer Activities for High School - iCEV
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): problem solving (225), questioning (35), Teacher Utilities (174), teaching strategies (46)
In the Classroom
Kick-off class with a reflective question or scenario from the blog to spark curiosity and get students thinking critically about the day's topic. Incorporate skill-building activities as bell ringers to reinforce previous lessons or prepare for upcoming content. Turn bell ringers into collaborative discussions or projects by asking students to expand on their answers or solve challenges together.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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How to Use Chatbot to Create Engaging Do Now Activities - Edutopia
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
Use AI to create quick, challenging warm-up questions related to the day's lesson. Develop differentiated "Do Now" tasks using AI to cater to diverse student needs. For example, an AI tool can create varying levels of comprehension questions for a short text, ensuring all students are appropriately challenged. Encourage students to analyze or critique AI-generated prompts. For instance, ask them to refine or improve an AI-created question, linking it more directly to the lesson.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Do Now Checklist - Teach Like a Champion
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (123), Teacher Utilities (174), teaching strategies (46)
In the Classroom
Use the "Set High Expectations" strategy by having students role-play scenarios demonstrating desired classroom behaviors. Implement the "Choral Responses" strategy, where the whole class answers a question aloud. "Choral Responses" promotes student participation and ensures that everyone is on the same page. Use the "Stretch It" technique, where students are encouraged to elaborate on their answers by asking follow-up questions like "Can you explain that further?" or "What makes you think that?"Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Groovelit - Harvard Innovation Labs
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), creative writing (123), persuasive writing (58), vocabulary development (92), writing (323)
In the Classroom
Be sure to visit Groovelit's blog to find many ideas for classroom use, such as bell ringers, quick writes, and creative writing prompts. In addition, the blog shares several certificate templates to recognize student achievements, such as inclusion in the "Spicy Vocabulary Word Hall of Fame" and "Greek Roots Mastery Tracker." Use these ideas and others to create your certificates for students to share using the certificate creator found at Tools for Educators, reviewed here. Groovelit can also engage reluctant writers by generating short yet interesting prompts that reward students with points through short writing activities. Differentiate writing activities as needed based on students' needs. For example, quickly generate writing prompts for different topics of interest for your students or assign activities based on students' writing or vocabulary skills.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Connections - ConnectionsGame.org
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): gamification (80), vocabulary (239), word study (60)
In the Classroom
Use Connections as an engaging tool for students to study and discuss connections between words. Create a custom game introducing new vocabulary for science and social studies units. For example, when teaching about US presidents, add categories with the presidents' last names, first names, wives' names, and birthplaces. In science, create categories for students to categorize animals by habitats or class of animal. Include your connections game as part of a choice board or playlist; learn more about creating choice boards by viewing the archive of OK2Ask: Engage & Inspire: Choice Boards for Differentiation, Part 1, reviewed here. Ask older students to create Custom Connections to include with multimedia presentations. Add the link to presentations made with Google Slides, reviewed here or as a link on an interactive image made with Genially, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TeacherServer AI Tools - TeacherServer
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), professional development (403), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save TeacherServer as a helpful tool for increasing productivity and efficiency in any classroom. Generate and edit lesson plans, use other tools to differentiate learning for students with different ability levels or abilities, or provide choices for students to share their learning. Include ideas from the parent section to share ideas for supporting students at home, write professional emails, and provide customized strategies for many different student needs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Microsoft Reflect - Microsoft
Grades
K to 12tag(s): classroom management (123), communication (139), social and emotional learning (98), Teacher Utilities (174)
In the Classroom
Use Reflect as part of your classroom social and emotional support activities. For elementary classrooms, include daily check-ins, provide learning opportunities to encourage the use of emotional vocabulary, and incorporate reflections as part of discussions of characters and their emotions when reading stories and books. In middle school, include Reflect as part of weekly check-ins for emotional support, facilitate group discussions based upon feedback from check-ins, or use Reflect's tools to encourage students to set personal and academic goals. Use Reflect with high school students to promote mental health awareness and provide tools for stress management.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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FigJam - Figma
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), charts and graphs (170), collaboration (94), graphic organizers (49), iwb (32), mind map (28), timelines (55), Whiteboard (11)
In the Classroom
Use FigJam in many different ways to engage learners and support classroom instruction. Google Jamboard, reviewed here is a similar but less robust tool than FigJam and will not be supported after December 31, 2024. Migrate your current Jamboards into FigJam. This link will take you to the directions for importing your Jamboards to FigJam. When working in FigJam, use sticky notes as a collaborative activity to brainstorm ideas and information as a class. Use the drawing tools and ask students to label places, parts of plants, and more. Use FigJam templates to create all-about-me activities, such as class check-in and exit ticket activities, Frayer Model activities, and much more. Learn more about FigJam's many features and how to get started by viewing this tutorial from FigJam.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Diffit - Adam Black and Vlad Gutkovich
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), assessment (152), differentiation (92), multilingual (70)
In the Classroom
Use Diffit to quickly adapt and differentiate text or content by reading level and language needs. Use Diffit to translate text into the native language of multilingual learners and generate comprehension questions. Differentiate text for special needs students or gifted students based on their ability. Engage students in the learning process by copying the questions generated by Diffit into an interactive quiz format resource such as Blooket, reviewed here. Extend learning by asking students to respond to the open-ended questions by sharing a video response using Gravity, reviewed here. Encourage students to show creativity in Flip by using the included features in the camera, such as images, filters, and stickers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MagicSchool - Adeel Khan
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), chat (41), multilingual (70), quiz (65), quizzes (89), rubrics (35), Special Needs (56), Teacher Utilities (174), vocabulary (239)
In the Classroom
Use MagicSchool as a time-saving tool to support many professional needs in your classroom and increase productivity. For example, save time by choosing from the student support tools to generate ideas for IEPs or suggestions for behavior management. Prepare classroom newsletters quickly by sharing relevant information and asking MagicSchool to write your newsletter. Quickly create lessons, unit plans, rubrics, and more using the tools in the planning section.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ChatGPT - OpenAI
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artificial intelligence (161), chat (41), search strategies (21)
In the Classroom
Use ChatGPT to increase your productivity and as a resource for finding classroom resources. For example, use the chat to find activities accompanying your current book study. An example question might be, "What are some activities to add to our study of Charlotte's Web in third grade?" Use a clarifying question to select one of the provided activities and ask for free online resources that support the provided response. This example includes several clarifying questions that provide additional ideas for books and activities to accompany Charlotte's. Ask ChatGPT to differentiate activities for students who need extra support or for those that need enrichment activities. Another use for ChatGPT is to write Student of the Week paragraphs; ask ChatGPT to write a paragraph including the student's name and accomplishments and revise the section to fit your needs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Zero's Thinking Routines Toolbox - Project Zero Harvard Graduate School of Education
Grades
K to 12tag(s): critical thinking (120), professional development (403), thinking skills (16)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site and frequently visit as you prepare lesson plans to enhance student learning and understanding of content. This site provides excellent information for professional development, either personally or with peers. Consider exploring one topic monthly throughout the school year to explore and integrate it into classroom routines.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Wordle - Pallav Agarwal and Pulkit Agarwal
Grades
K to 12tag(s): game based learning (183), sight words (22), spelling (98), vocabulary (239)
In the Classroom
Use this Wordle generator in various ways in any classroom for increasing problem-solving and strategy skills. When using with young students, generate three or four-letter Wordles for students to attempt with partners. Provide a list of sight words if needed to avoid frustration. When teaching older students, develop Wordles to solve using vocabulary words, weekly spelling lists, science terms, or historical characters. Provide this site to students and create Wordles to share with their peers. Include a link on classroom computers during computer centers or as an activity when finished with daily assignments. Using this site is an excellent way to include ENL/ELL students in classroom activities by creating a word from their native language. Include others in your school community or parents by developing and sharing Wordles for your school or classroom site. Your imagination only limits the possibilities of creating and sharing personalized Wordles!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Twinkl - Twinkl
Grades
K to 6tag(s): back to school (62), holidays (184), mayans (13), summer (29), Teacher Utilities (174), worksheets (69)
In the Classroom
Bookmark Twinkl for use throughout the year to find teaching resources for holidays, content topics, and homework ideas. Take advantage of Twinkl Create to easily make and differentiate charts, banners, word mats, and other classroom use printables. When saving favorite materials found on the site, set the popup reminder to remind you to use it later in the year. For example, when you find the End of Year packet, save it to your account and set a reminder for late spring so that it can be included with other items to include when wrapping up the school year or sending home materials for practice over the summer. Twinkl includes free teaching packets by grade level; these packets include activities customized for different ability levels. Use items from teaching packets as part of your center activities or send them home for additional practice as needed. After downloading materials, make your lessons digital using Kami, reviewed here. Use the free version of Kami to upload documents and add highlights, text, comments, and shapes before sharing with students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Easy Teacher Worksheets - easyteacherworksheets.com
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): calendars (37), grammar review (31), graphic organizers (49), holidays (184), organizational skills (89), substitutes (26), worksheets (69)
In the Classroom
Use instructions found on the site to print materials as a PDF document. Use worksheets as a starting point for assessing student knowledge at the beginning of a unit. Have students use information on the worksheets as a starting point for research. Have them locate sources and websites that explain further and share that information in a blog post using a tool like Edublog, reviewed here. Include information from this site with your other resources and create games for review using Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy game creator that makes multiple types of games for two teams and keeps score as you play.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Crossword Maker - Crossword Hobbyist Inc.
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (127), african american (109), american revolution (80), civil war (136), cold war (30), colonial america (93), colonization (20), crosswords (19), cultures (163), darwin (13), division (97), fractions (158), french (75), grammar (134), holidays (184), latin (22), literature (219), martin luther king (45), multiplication (121), musical instruments (49), poetry (194), presidents (136), puzzles (144), religions (84), shakespeare (99), spanish (108), spelling (98), sports (81), states (123), subtraction (108), vocabulary (239), world war 1 (79), world war 2 (160), writing (323)
In the Classroom
Create a link to puzzles on classroom computers for students to use for vocabulary review. Have students create and share their own crossword puzzles with classmates. Include student-created crossword puzzles into multimedia presentations of research projects. Encourage students to use vocabulary terms in writing and speaking projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WordMint - Nathaniel Story
Grades
K to 12tag(s): crosswords (19), game based learning (183), puzzles (144)
In the Classroom
Create puzzles and activities to review spelling or vocabulary terms. Create bingo cards and use as an introduction to new concepts. Share a link to this site on your class website for students to create their own puzzles for review at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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