I’m not sure about you but sometimes I have trouble keeping a classroom of students quiet while others are still finishing tests. They like to whisper or play on their phones, mostly. So, I did some thinking and came up with three unplugged activities to sustain a quiet classroom. 

#1 – The Golden Spiral

This resource is great because students will practice plotting x and y points while learning about the Golden Spiral.

Another part of the assignment has the Fibonacci sequence and it shows how the two (the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence are related).

It shows a picture of a real-life shell that follows the pattern in nature.

I have assigned this in my classroom after a test and it kept my room the most quiet after a test that it has been in a long time.

Also, the students didn’t mind doing it because I assigned it as extra credit on the test they just completed.

#2 – Create Your Own Math Vocabulary Word Search

I found this idea when I was searching on Canva for word searches.

In this resource, the students are given several math related vocabulary words and they are to place them within a word search, put random letters to fill in any spaces, then solve the word search.

I’ve tried this and it kept my classroom pretty quiet while others were finishing up their tests.

#3 – Connect the Dots

This resource is for times when you know the students will take longer to finish their tests.

It is a short assignment of connecting the dots to spell the word math and then color it.

This resource doesn’t have to be just for high school students either, it can be used for practicing how to count in lower grades.

What advice do you have?

What other advice do you have for teachers that are trying to sustain a quiet classroom?