Get Learning to Stick by Using Sticky Notes: Three Hands-on Activities
📌 What if the secret to engaging your students wasn’t a fancy app or the latest tech gadget, but something as simple as a sticky note?
💻 Digital tools are essential in today’s education. But students are immersed in technology all day, from morning to night. How can we engage students amidst the constant stream of apps and videos? One way to do this is to bring kinesthetic elements back into learning. In this post we will look at three ways to make an impact using sticky notes.
🎭 Sticky Note Mingle: Find Your Match!
1. Think of a fun shape (like 🌸 flowers, or 😊 smiley faces) that you can make out of sticky notes. Using the appropriate colors, put the sticky notes on the board in that shape.
2. On the back of each sticky note, write a “get to know you” question. These can be Wh- questions, such as:
👉 What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? 🍦
👉 How many pets do you have? 🐶🐱
👉 What’s your favorite holiday? 🎄
Or Yes/no questions, like:
👉 Can you play an instrument? 🎸🎹
👉 Have you ever met a famous person? ⭐
👉 Do you watch YouTube videos? ▶️
📝 Make sure to use a variety of auxiliary verbs and any target language you want students to practice.
3. Students come to the board and choose a sticky note and then write their answer on the back.
4. Time to produce! Students walk around and ask their question to different classmates.
✔️ If they have the same (or a similar answer), they use affirmative/negative agreement, and then ask a follow up question.
🗣️ Example:
A: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
B: Chocolate.
A: Mine, too. Which ice cream shop has the best chocolate ice cream, in your opinion?
🗣️
A: Can you play an instrument?
B: No, I can’t.
A: Neither can I. Does anyone in your family play an instrument?
❌ If their answers are different, they should respond in an appropriate manner, and then ask a follow-up question.
🗣️ Example:
A: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
B: I like chocolate.
A: Not me. I prefer mango ice cream. Have you ever tried it?
🗣️ A: Can you play an instrument?
B: Yes, I play the piano.
A: Really? I don’t play an instrument, but I wish I knew how to play the guitar.
💡To make this more organized you can use an onion-ring formation, or students can stand opposite one another and move to the right every few minutes, so they get to talk to different classmates.
📝 At the end of the activity, have students report back on some of the most interesting answers they heard, or the things they have in common.
✏️ Doodle it!
🎨 Research shows that doodling while learning can:
✅ Make lessons more visible, helping concepts “stick” better
✅ Fill in gaps in thoughts and help connect ideas
✅ Improve recall by helping learners “locate” lost ideas
✅ Reduce stress, making it easier to focus.
📌 How to do it:
Put a sticky note in the corner of each student’s desk. When a new concept is introduced, ask students to doodle a key image or symbol that represents their thinking.
👀 Bonus: By seeing what students are doodling, you can get some insight into how students are experiencing the lesson.
📊 KWL chart
Build a K (know) - W (wonder) - L (learn) chart using sticky notes.
📝 How to do it:
Make three columns on the board, and add a word (Know-Wonder-Learn) at the top of each.
Before a unit of study, have students write what they already know about the topic (1 idea per sticky note). To make it easier to see the columns, choose a different color for each word. For example, Know (pink), Wonder (blue), Learn (yellow).
Next, they write one thing they wonder about the topic. (Or something they might want to learn about the topic.)
Students place their Know and Wonder notes under the corresponding columns on the board.
At the end of the unit, see what they learned and if they were able to answer any questions they identified in the first two columns. Then, have them complete the final column, Learn.
💡 Pro Tip: Any unanswered “Wonder” questions can inspire future lessons or student projects!
🌟 Bonus activity: Motivation wall
Set up a classroom wall 🖼️ where students can:
💬 Write words of encouragement for classmates
🏆 Celebrate their own achievements
📝 Share proud moments
Encourage students to add sticky notes anytime and to read (or even take) notes of encouragement whenever they need a boost. ❤️
Final Thoughts 💡
Sticky notes are a simple yet powerful tool that can bring movement, interaction, and creativity into your lessons. Whether you’re reinforcing vocabulary, checking understanding, or encouraging meaningful communication, these small but mighty tools can make a big impact.
💬 How do you use sticky notes in your classroom? Share your ideas in the comments!
Happy teaching! ✨
Kari