Technology Integration Lesson: QR Code Circuit

Danielle Holloway, math teacher at Sam Rayburn Middle School, received two iPads for her classroom for submitting this excellent lesson. QR codes seem to be popping everywhere, and using them in the capacity that Danielle describes is a great way to get kids motivated and keep them actively engaged. Additionally, it is a great way to spice up test review. Although this lesson was designed to teach percent applications to eighth grade students, teachers of other grade levels and subjects could easily adapt it for use in their classrooms.

Danielle described how technology impacted this lesson: "By the students having the ability to self-check, the teacher is available to help with questions pertaining to the material/skill being reviewed. Students are also engaged throughout the lesson, although they are simply working questions. The iPads/iPhones provide a sense of independence on the students' part and the technology component provides the motivation that would otherwise be lacking from the assignment."

Lesson Description/Overview:
Students provide solutions to selected questions and use a QR scanner on a mobile device. The codes then direct the student to their next question so that students are not working the problems in the provided order (this helps students realize that working problems in any order is a good testing strategy). The QR codes are created such that the problems become a circuit: the last answer directs the student to the first question.

Student Objectives:
TEK 8.3B: Estimate and find solutions to application problems involving percents and other proportional relationships such as similarity and rates.

I can calculate percent of a number, tax, tip, discount, and/or commission to real world application problems.

Materials:

• Percent Applications: Scavenger Hunt worksheet
• Mobile device with QR reader app downloaded
• Red/green help cards

Preparation:
Creating the scavenger hunt requires:

• Selection of appropriate number/level of application questions (multiple choice is preferred)
• QR code created for each question (use a website such as www.qrstuff.com or www.qrhacker.com). Text reads as follows:
• Find your answer choice below. Follow it to the next question.
• A. Question 4
• B. Question 7
• C. Question 3
• D. Question 2
• Questions should cycle so that if the students successfully complete each question they are always sent to a new question and their last question's answer should bring them back to the question they started with.

Procedures:

Divide students into groups and hand out the Percent Application: Scavenger Hunt questions.

Students will:

1. Select any question to begin.

2. Work the problem and scan the QR code that corresponds with the answer they found.

3. Read the decoded text from the scan to be led to the next question. Students should return to their first question after successfully completing each question.

4. Use the red/green cards if they need help by placing their group's card on red. Otherwise, the card remains on green.