Second Grade Students Can Learn Through HyperDocs

What are HyperDocs?

HyperDocs are interactive worksheets where students explore and learn information at their own pace OR during an explicit instructional lesson. In other words, the student is provided a document with links to outside resources, including research based sites and/or videos, and then asked to write their responses or reflections on the worksheet to turn in for later. Generally, HyperDocs are created using Google Docs.   Click here to view an example the HyperDoc pictured on the right. 

To create the example, I followed teacher direction and used a worksheet the teachers previously provided on paper.  With the HyperDoc, students were able to learn more information, complete additional tasks, and finish work independently of the teacher.  The teacher could then circulate the room and provide direction as needed.  Additionally, the teacher could then give feedback after the students had turned in their work. 

BUT...will HyperDocs work for the second grade?

Jessica Cable, second grade teacher at APR, seemed to think so!  She had attended a Frederick County training where attendees learned about HyperDocs. She liked the idea and ran with it. What started as a Summer project led Ms. Cable to create a variety of documents based on her Science and Social Studies goals, "We had a lot of resources in Reading and Math, and less in Science and Social Studies.  I primary focused there.”

Now, she and her second grade team are using her HyperDocs to help students learn about habitats, famous Americans, continents, and oceans. When students are working on their chromebook watching videos, playing focused instructional games, and evidencing their work, the educator instructs small groups. When students have completed their tasks, they turn in the document through Google Classroom where the teacher can view their work and provide additional and personalized feedback.


Working together, the second grade team has accomplished quite a lot in the short time they have been 1:1 (about 9 months). Educator Lori Brown said, "Kids love them [HyperDocs]." Her colleague, Mary Kate VanHorn agrees, "I would say they [students] stay pretty engaged." Observing students myself earlier this year, the students understood how to complete the tasks and had fun actively engaging in the material. In addition, students could tell me their learning objectives and even shared why the given topic was important to learn.

Getting Started

At first, creating these documents did not come with exact ease. Ms. Cable said the first time she created HyperDocs was a little confusing, and she needed to remember to make all links visible to students, including YouTube videos. Her tips include putting YouTube videos in a Google Presentation to avoid distracting advertisements or the temptation to click on the next video, and scaffolding the HyperDocs to include less typing at the beginning of the year. She likes to build the complexity of the documents as students gain more typing skills. Now, she reports that she can create these documents thoughtfully and quickly, and her teammates are encouraged to make their own!

I was so impressed that second graders, who are just learning the many of the basics of chromebooks, could complete so much! Remember, the first step to integrating educational technology is to SUBSTITUTE what you have already been doing. No need to reinvent all of your lessons; start with something you know! Great work, APR second grade team!