What is the Difference Between a Project and an Activity?

Projects

NextLesson Projects are specifically designed to connect to the real-world and are compatible with a project-based learning environment. Projects include our Key Components inspired by the Buck Institute for Education’s Essential Project Design Elements.  

Projects are available for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies in grades K-12. Check them out!

Activities

NextLesson Activities are real-world inspired lessons that challenge students to go deeper with a skill or concept. They are designed to take less time than a project but do contain some of the elements of Projects, such as reflecting on work.

Activities are available for ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies in grades K-12. Check them out!

How to Assign a Project or Activity

1. Open the Project or Activity you want to assign
2. Click on the Share icon on the toolbar on the right
3. Share with whole classes by selecting them from your class list
   • OR expand each class to assign to specific students
4. Click Share

How To Modify A Project Or Activity

NextLesson Projects and Activities can be edited to fit the needs of your classroom. Edit text, attachments, problems, videos, questions, tables, or add steps to create the perfect lesson for your students. Be sure that the editing toggle on the top right of the screen is turned on.

Editing Text

1. Click directly on to the text as you would any document
2. Make desired changes
3. Click outside of the text field to save

Deleting Sections or Attachments

1. Click on the trash can in the upper left-hand corner of the activated box or attachment you would like to delete
2. Click Delete Item

Adding to Your Project or Activity

1. Click the + sign in the toolbar on the right
2. Add Step will insert a new step at the end of the table of contents. Drag it to the desired location in the Project
3. Add Rank & Reason will add a new Rank & Reason step, including the framework for writing your own Rank & Reason as a separate step. Drag it to the desired location in the Project.
4. Add Text will insert a text box on the bottom of the open Step. Use the gear on the left side of the text box to make changes, including adding an icon. Drag to place within the Step.
5. Add Media will present four options: image, video, attachment, and link. Follow the prompts to insert on the bottom of the step and drag to place within the Step.
6. Add Question will present three options: Response (written), Multiple Choice, and Number Pad. Both Multiple Choice and Number Pad will be auto-graded.
7. Add Table will add a table that can be adjusted to the bottom of the Step. Click on the rows and columns for editing, and use right-click or control-click for additional functions.  

For all editing, check out the options available to you whenever you see the gear!

How to Print A Project or Activity

1. Open the Project or Activity you want to print
2. Click on the Print icon in the toolbar on the right
3. Choose and click on either the Teacher Version or Student Version
4. The Project or Activity will open in your browser
5. In the browser’s File menu, select Print
6. The Project or Activity will open as a .pdf and can be printed
7. If it does not open as a .pdf, try using print to .pdf or save as .pdf before selecting Print
8. Repeat for any documents or attachments that are part of the lesson. Locate them below the Teacher and Student Version choices.

Note: If the lesson includes an online resource like a YouTube video or web link, these resources are not available for printing and must be accessed on a computer.

Ready for more? Check out:

• Setting Up Your Class with Class Manager
• Getting Started with Performance Tasks
• Getting Started with Rank & Reason
• Getting Started with Skill Builders (Crime Scene Decoders, Whodunnits, and more)
• NextLesson’s Lesson Types Explained