Summer is Almost Here - Keep Students Learning with a Photo Scavenger Hunt

The end of the year is closing in and the students are tired; and let's face it - so are the teachers!  So....how do we keep our creative juices flowing as teachers AND help the students focus on their school work?  

Have a photo scavenger hunt!  

 There are so many possibilities.  Give small groups a camera or a tablet and send them out to investigate.  You could challenge them to find examples of figurative language in any book in the room and have them snap as many pictures as possible in a certain amount of time.  In science, they could take pictures of simple machines such as inclined planes, levers, or pulleys.  

Make a list of several items you want your students to review.  You could make a cross-curricular list - don't be afraid to mix it up.  It will keep the students active and engaged.  Here is an example of a few ideas:

1.  Take a picture of a preposition from any chapter or picture book.

2.  Find an example of a 3 syllable word and take a snapshot.

3.  Take a picture of parallel lines.

4.  Find a map with your state.  Point to your state while taking a picture.

5.  Complete this multiplication sentence on a dry erase board and snap a picture of your completed work.  (42 x 3)  - Don't forget to erase your work.  

Last year my class completed two separate math photo challenges and they loved being able to move around and use the iPads/cameras.  Students had to be secretive though because they didn't want everyone else to see what they were taking pictures of.  It was an exciting (yet quiet) real-world review of math.  

Here are some of the pictures my students took last year during the scavenger hunt and the sheets that I used.  If you aren't ready to make your own photo scavenger hunt yet, but would like to give it a try, you can check it out at the TGIF Teachers Pay Teachers store.  

I would love to hear what you tried.