Optional: Everyday Productivity Extensions

These optional activities are for learners who finish core lessons early, want additional challenge, or are ready to explore practical digital skills that connect to school, home, and real life.

These are not required. The core 18-week curriculum is complete without them. Use these when the time and the learner are right.

Each extension is designed to take one session (20–40 minutes) and can be slotted in during an independent session, as a bonus activity, or after the main curriculum is complete.

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Extension 1: Make a Simple Slide Deck

Best paired with: Weeks 6, 8, or the final project weeks

What the Learner Does

Create a short presentation (3–5 slides) about a topic they care about.

The Activity

1. Open a presentation tool (Google Slides, PowerPoint, Keynote, or LibreOffice Impress).
2. Create a title slide with the topic and their name.
3. Add 2–3 content slides, each with a heading, a short sentence or two, and an image or drawing.
4. Add a final slide with one thing they want the audience to remember.
5. Present it to a partner, family member, or facilitator.

Skills Practiced

• Structuring information for an audience
• Choosing images and words that communicate clearly
• Using a new tool (presentation software)
• Presenting and explaining ideas verbally

Tips

• Keep it short. Three to five slides is plenty.
• Focus on clear communication, not flashy animations.
• If the learner has never used slides before, walk through creating the first slide together.

Save It

Save the presentation to My Projects or their portfolio folder.

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Extension 2: Organize Information in a Simple Table

Best paired with: Weeks 7–8, or the final project weeks

What the Learner Does

Create a simple table or spreadsheet to organize information they collected.

The Activity

1. Open a spreadsheet tool (Google Sheets, Excel, or LibreOffice Calc) or create a table in a document.
2. Choose a topic with information worth organizing. Examples:
   • Animals and their speeds, sizes, or habitats
   • Favorite books with title, author, and rating
   • Planets and their key facts
   • Supplies needed for a project
3. Create column headings that make sense for the data.
4. Enter at least 5 rows of information.
5. Look at the finished table and explain what it makes easier to see.

Skills Practiced

• Organizing information into categories
• Using rows and columns to structure data
• Typing accurately into cells
• Seeing how structure makes information clearer

Tips

• Don't worry about formulas or complex features. The goal is organizing, not calculating.
• If a full spreadsheet tool feels overwhelming, a simple table in Google Docs or Word works fine.

Save It

Save the file to My Projects or their portfolio folder.

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Extension 3: Write a Clear Digital Message

Best paired with: Week 5 or any week involving communication

What the Learner Does

Practice composing a short, clear digital message for a specific purpose and audience.

The Activity

1. Choose a scenario. Examples:
   • Writing a thank-you message to someone who helped them
   • Inviting a friend to a (real or imaginary) event
   • Asking a question to a teacher or librarian
   • Describing something exciting they learned
2. Open any writing tool.
3. Write the message with:
   • A greeting (Hi, Dear, Hello)
   • A clear purpose in 2–3 sentences
   • A friendly sign-off (Thanks, See you soon, From [your name])
4. Review and revise for clarity and tone.
5. Discuss: "Would the reader understand this quickly? Is the tone appropriate?"

Skills Practiced

• Writing for a specific audience and purpose
• Choosing an appropriate tone for digital communication
• Structuring a message with a beginning, middle, and end
• Revising for clarity

Tips

• This is about practicing the skill of message composition. Learners do not need to actually send the message.
• Talk about how tone in digital messages can be misread — emojis, exclamation marks, and word choice all matter.

Save It

Save the message to My Projects → Stories or their portfolio folder.

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Extension 4: Organize a Multi-File Project

Best paired with: Weeks 15–18 (final project)

What the Learner Does

Practice organizing multiple related files into a clear folder structure for a project.

The Activity

1. Choose or imagine a project that would have several files. Examples:
   • A report with a written document, two images, and a sources list
   • A presentation with a slide deck, a script, and supporting images
   • A coding project with a Scratch file, a design sketch, and planning notes
2. Create a project folder with a clear name.
3. Inside the folder, create subfolders if needed (e.g., Images, Writing, Planning).
4. Create or move at least 3 files into the right locations.
5. Check: Can someone else find the right file quickly by looking at the folder names?

Skills Practiced

• Planning a file structure before building
• Naming files and folders for clarity
• Moving files between folders
• Thinking about organization as a project skill

Tips

• This is a great activity just before or during the final project weeks.
• If the learner already has a messy My Projects folder, reorganizing it counts as real learning.

Save It

The organized folder structure is the artifact.

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Extension 5: Digital Collaboration Basics

Best paired with: Any week, especially if learners work in pairs or groups

What the Learner Does

Practice working on a shared document with another person.

The Activity

1. Open a shared document (Google Docs is easiest for real-time collaboration).
2. Both people write in the same document at the same time.
3. Try:
   • Adding to each other's writing
   • Leaving a comment for the other person
   • Using "Suggesting" mode (in Google Docs) to propose a change
4. Discuss: What was easy about working together digitally? What was tricky?

Skills Practiced

• Working in a shared digital space
• Communicating through comments and suggestions
• Respecting someone else's work while contributing
• Understanding how collaboration tools work

Tips

• This requires two devices or two accounts on the same document.
• If real-time collaboration isn't possible, learners can take turns adding to the same file and leaving comments.
• Keep the activity short and focused — 15 minutes is enough.

Save It

Save the shared document to My Projects or the portfolio folder.

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When to Use These Extensions

Scenario	Suggested Extensions
Learner finishes a weekly lesson early	Any single extension
Older learner (11–12) ready for more challenge	Extensions 1, 2, and 3
Preparing for the final project	Extension 4 (multi-file organization)
Group or partner setting	Extension 5 (collaboration)
After the main curriculum is complete	All five, as a bonus "productivity week"

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Tools for These Extensions

All extensions use free, web-based tools:

Extension	Recommended Tool	Alternatives
Slide deck	Google Slides	PowerPoint, Keynote, LibreOffice Impress, Canva
Table/spreadsheet	Google Sheets	Excel, LibreOffice Calc, table in any word processor
Digital message	Google Docs or any text editor	Word, Notepad, email draft
File organization	File Explorer / Finder	Google Drive, OneDrive
Collaboration	Google Docs	Microsoft Word Online, any shared document tool

For a full list of tool alternatives, see Tool Alternatives.