Newsela STEM with Generation Genius Assignments
Newsela STEM subscribers have exclusive access to video content by Generation Genius as well as Generation Genius authored lesson materials, and assignments that are hosted on the Formative platform.
Video content by Generation Genius video is searchable within Newsela's platform. Once accessed, the video will be displayed on the left side of the screen, with metadata appearing right below it. Lesson materials and assessments can be found within the assignment builder on the right.
Metadata
This section will include the following:
Video title
Video duration
Recommended maturity level
High-level overview of the main objectives of the video
Access to Newsela actions available for the item, such as adding to a text set, saving, adjusting text size, or adding citations
Assignment Builder
The assignment builder hosts two categories:
Lesson Materials
Teacher Resources - Download the full Lesson Plan and/or the Teacher Information PDF for helpful context
Reading material - Download as PDF
Discussion questions - View questions and answers you can ask your students prior to watching to the video and after watching the video
Vocabulary - View video-specific vocabulary definitions
DIY activity guide - This DIY Activity Guide supports students in doing the hands-on activity from the video. Use the instructions listed in this section or download a PDF version
Assessments
Click any of the included assessments (Genius Challenge, Exit Ticket, or Quiz Game) to launch them within Formative.
You'll be prompted to save a copy of the assessment to your Formative account, and once saved you will be able to both edit it and assign it to your students on the Formative platform.
Don't have a Formative account yet? Instructions to creating a Formative account and rostering classes can be found in the drop-down sections below.
Assigning to students
Assigning in Newsela:
When physically in class together, teachers can present the Generation Genius video without assigning it to the class. An assignment of the video to a class within Newsela will allow students a quicker access point to the video independently, but is not required. You can read more about assigning the video within Newsela in the drop-down sections below
Assigning in Formative:
To take the Formative-hosted assessments, an assignment will need to be created within Formative. Assignments in Formative are versatile and teachers can select their preferred method of assigning. Click here to learn more about assigning in Formative.
Note: while you can choose your method of assignment (student-paced, teacher-paced, or game-paced) for all three of the Formative hosted assessments, it is highly recommended to assign the Quiz Game using Formative's game-paced mode.
Create a Formative Account
To assign Newsela STEM with Generation Genius activities within Formative, both teachers and students will need to create accounts on the Formative platform.
If you do not yet have an account in Formative, begin by creating your free teacher account following the instructions here.
Once your teacher account is set up, proceed to create a class, add or invite students to it, and provide the students with the login instructions. Step-by-step instructions to all these can be located here.
Assign STEM with Generation Genius content within Newsela
When you are ready to assign your Newsela STEM with Generation Genius video to your class, proceed to click the Assign button at the top right.
Title your assignment
Enter student instructions
Select between a Whole class or a Small group assignment, and check-mark the desired class(es) or students
Select specific settings for the activities your students will see within Newsela, from the displayed options:
Show discussion questions answers
Show vocabulary definitions
Video only
(Optional) Schedule your assignment for a future date
Click 'Create Assignment' to complete, or 'Save draft' to proceed editing at a later time
Once assigned, your students will see the assignment in their Newsela accounts. Alternatively, you can also copy the assignment's direct link to post to your LMS or email to your students.
FAQ
Who can access this?
Newsela STEM subscribers will have access to Generation Genius videos and resources. Teachers will also need a Formative account (free or paid) to access and use the Formative-hosted activities / quizzes.
Can I create my own formative activities?
Once you have a Formative account you can create your own formative activities and assign them within Formative.
Can I create formatives with other types of Newsela content, like non-Generation Genius videos, individual articles and text-sets?
Teachers can utilize the classic Newsela-Formative integration to send individual articles from Newsela into Formative, along with their designated quizzes. To learn more about this integration click here.
Where do my assignments and student scores live — in Newsela or in Formative?
When you assign an assessment on Formative, those assignments and the student results will be visible from within Formative. More on viewing and acting on student responses can be found here.
How do students access a Formative-hosted assessment that their teacher assigned?
Teachers who within Formative can assign through Formative’s assign or present features, or game-paced mode. Students will then access the formative by logging in to their Formative accounts. Alternatively, teachers can share a with students for a temporary, single-use access point.
Can I share and collaborate with my fellow teachers on Formative-hosted assessments from Newsela STEM with Generation Genius videos?
If you are a member of a School & District plan licensed organization within Formative you can add collaborators that are members of the same School & District plan as you, to the assessments.
Collaboration features are not available on Free Teacher or individual Paid Teacher accounts.
Can I tag a formative with Newsela content as a common assessment?
Yes. formatives with Newsela content can be tagged as common assessment.