Kahoot in the classroom! More than just a game

By Carolina Calderon, Abbett Elementary

Keeping students engaged can be tough. That’s where Kahoot! comes in. Kahoot is a

learning platform that allows teachers to create fun, interactive quizzes, polls,

challenges, and reviews. It can be used to introduce a new topic or reinforce previous

learning. My personal favorite use is for test review.

Whether you want a competitive experience or a relaxed one, Kahoot can do both. It

gets students excited about learning and helps them absorb and retain information

because everyone participates, not just the ones who usually raise their hands.

Kahoot transforms traditional teaching into a game-like, interactive experience that truly

boosts classroom engagement.

Using Kahoot with the McGraw-Hill Science Curriculum

In this blog, I’ll show you how to use premade Kahoots that align directly with our

science curriculum. That’s right, you don’t have to start from scratch! Each unit includes

a set of quizzes designed to match the content you’re already teaching. These can be

found in the Chapter Wrap-Up Resources in your McGraw-Hill materials via ReadyHub.

Getting Started:

1. Go to kahoot.com. Create a free account if you haven’t already. While Kahoot does offer paid memberships with extra features, a free account works just fine for classroom use.

   

   

   

2. Log In and Choose Your Kahoot: Once you're logged in, you can either create your own Kahoot or search for premade ones. This year, thanks to our McGraw-Hill curriculum, we already have aligned Kahoots prepared for you!

3. Access the Premade Kahoot: Click the link provided in the McGraw-Hill chapter wrap-up. This will take you directly to the Kahoot game. As soon as you click on the link it will send you directly to the Kahoot website where the assignment is ready to use.

   

   

   

4. Hosting the Game:

   1. Click “Host live” to begin.

   2. Choose your game mode (I usually use Classic Mode, where each student plays

      individually).

   3. Click “Start” and a game PIN will appear.

      

      

   4. Teacher note: To remain compliant with the Texas SCOPE Act, Garland ISD students should not create accounts when using this platform. Students connect only through a teacher created code or PIN to prevent the collection of student personal information.

Student Setup:

1. Students go to kahoot.it and enter the PIN you provided.

2. They will enter a name or nickname and can select an avatar.

Pro Tip: Once all students are logged in, press “Start” on your end to prevent them from spending too much time customizing avatars.

Playing the Game:

Once the game begins, questions will appear on the classroom display (TV, projector, etc.), and students will select their answers on their own devices. Kahoot supports various question formats:

• Multiple choice (ABCD)

• True/false

• Image-based answers

• Drag and drop

You can control the game settings at any time (e.g., mute sound, end game, or adjust time limits).

After the Game:

At the end, Kahoot will show a leaderboard and provide feedback on how students performed. This can be a great formative assessment tool or just a fun way to wrap up a unit.

Kahoot isn’t just a game; it’s a powerful classroom tool that makes learning memorable and fun. Try using the premade quizzes to save time and boost student engagement with zero prep!

• Kahoot makes learning fun; it turns reviews, quizzes, and even new lessons into a game that gets everyone involved.

• It’s super easy to use, especially with the premade Kahoots that match our science curriculum.

• It is customizable!

I used AI for brainstorming only and crafted the content myself.