MassCUE 2026 · Educator Playground
Build Interactive Classroom Tools with AI
See how a classroom problem becomes a working tool. Then build your own. No coding required.
Step 1
See how it's made
Open any example to see the problem, the prompt, how to build it and the finished tool.
Science · Review gameWater Cycle Review"My students mix up evaporation and condensation the week before the test."See how it's madeClose
"My students mix up evaporation and condensation the week before the test."
Goal: a fast review that explains every answer.
Build a review game on the water cycle for 7th grade science as a single interactive web page. Show 10 multiple-choice questions one at a time. After each answer, give feedback that explains why it's right or wrong. Show a score at the end with a Play again button. Use large buttons, high-contrast colors and a friendly design. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears. Yours will look a little different, and that's normal.
Clouds form mainly through which process?
CondensationCorrect answer
Evaporation
Infiltration
Transpiration
Correct! Rising water vapor cools into tiny droplets, and billions of them make a cloud.
Try this: answer one question wrong on purpose. Does the feedback explain why?
Then refine it: "Add a Spanish toggle for all the questions and feedback."
Science · SimulatorPlant Growth Lab"They memorize 'plants need sun and water' but never get to test it."See how it's madeClose
"They memorize 'plants need sun and water' but never get to test it."
Goal: run 20 experiments in 5 minutes.
Build a simulator on how sunlight and water affect plant growth for 7th grade science as a single interactive web page. Give students 2 sliders for hours of sunlight and cups of water. Show the plant and a one-sentence explanation change right away. Too much water should hurt growth too. Add 3 guiding questions below it. Use large controls, high-contrast colors and readable text. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears.
Sunlight: 8 hours
Water: 5 cups
30 cm tall
Try this: drag the water slider all the way up. What happens to the plant? Why?
Then refine it: "Add a data table that records each trial so students can compare results."
History · SortingPrimary or Secondary?"They nod when I explain sources, then miss it on the quiz."See how it's madeClose
"They nod when I explain sources, then miss it on the quiz."
Goal: practice with feedback that explains every miss.
Build a sorting activity with 10 sources: primary or secondary for middle school history as a single interactive web page. Students drag, tap or use the keyboard to sort each source. A Check answers button shows which are right and explains each wrong one. Use high-contrast colors and readable text. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears.
Primary
A soldier's Civil War diary
Census records from 1900
Secondary
A textbook chapter
A survivor's recorded interviewNot quite: made by someone who was there
Try this: put the recorded interview in Secondary, then press Check answers.
Then refine it: "After checking, ask students to explain their reasoning for one card in a sentence."
ELA · Flip cards and quizArgument Vocabulary"My students can't argue well without the words for it."See how it's madeClose
"My students can't argue well without the words for it."
Goal: learn 8 words, then check yourself.
Build a vocabulary tool for claim, counterclaim, evidence, reasoning, rebuttal, credible, bias and persuade for 7th grade ELA as a single interactive web page. Start with flip cards: the word on the front, a student-friendly definition and example on the back. Add a Quiz me mode with four choices, instant feedback and a score. Use large text and buttons. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears.
rebuttal
A response that shows why a counterclaim is weak.
Try this: flip a card, then switch to Quiz me and miss one on purpose.
Then refine it: "Make all the example sentences about later school start times."
US History · TimelineRoad to Revolution"The causes of the Revolution blur into one long list."See how it's madeClose
"The causes of the Revolution blur into one long list."
Goal: see the sequence, not just the facts.
Build a timeline activity with 6 events from the Stamp Act to the Treaty of Paris for middle school US history as a single interactive web page. Show the events in a random order. Students put them in order by dragging or with up and down buttons. A Check order button shows which are in the right spot and reveals each year. Make it work with keyboard, mouse and touch. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears.
1. Stamp Act1765
2. Boston Massacre1770
3. Lexington and Concord · move it1775
4. Boston Tea Party · move it1773
5. Declaration of Independence1776
Try this: swap two events with the arrow buttons, then press Check order.
Then refine it: "After checking, ask students which event was the turning point, and why."
Math · ExplorerPhone Plan Explorer"Proportional relationships feel abstract until money is involved."See how it's madeClose
"Proportional relationships feel abstract until money is involved."
Goal: see proportional and not proportional on one graph.
Build an explorer comparing Plan A ($10 per GB) and Plan B ($20 a month plus $5 per GB) for 7th grade math as a single interactive web page. A slider sets the GB used. Show each plan's cost on cards, in a table and on one graph. Ask which plan is proportional, with a Show answer button. Use large controls and high-contrast colors. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears.
Plan A (orange)
$60
Plan B (blue)
$50
Try this: drag the slider to 4 GB. What's special about that point?
Then refine it: "Let students type in their own two plans and test them."
Any class · RoutineGroup and Role Maker"Making groups eats five minutes of every class."See how it's madeClose
"Making groups eats five minutes of every class."
Goal: fair groups and clear roles in one click.
Build a random group maker with roles for any middle school class as a single interactive web page. The teacher enters class size and group size. Show students by number only. Shuffle them into groups and give each member a role: Facilitator, Recorder, Timekeeper, Reporter. Add a Reshuffle button. Make the text big enough to read on a projector. Do not save any data.
Click the prompt once to select it all, then copy.
- 1. Open Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas.
- 2. Paste the prompt and press send.
- 3. In about 30 seconds, a working tool appears.
Group 1
#14Facilitator
#3Recorder
#21Timekeeper
#8Reporter
Group 2
#6Facilitator
#19Recorder
#11Timekeeper
#2Reporter
Try this: press Reshuffle a few times, then change the group size to 3.
Then refine it: "Add a role card for each role that explains the job in one sentence."
Step 2
Build your own
Copy this template, replace each [bracket] for your class, and paste it into Gemini, Claude or ChatGPT. In Gemini or ChatGPT, turn on Canvas so you see the tool, not just code.
Build a [type of tool: review game, simulator, sorting activity, timeline, flip cards] on [topic] for [grade] [subject] as a single interactive web page. [What students do, what happens when they're right or wrong, and what shows at the end.] Use large buttons, high-contrast colors and readable text. Do not ask for names or save any student data.
| Ingredient | Example |
|---|---|
| Who it's for | 7th grade science, mixed reading levels |
| What to build | A review game on the water cycle |
| How it works | 10 questions, one at a time, with feedback that explains why |
| How it looks | Big buttons, high contrast, friendly design |
| Guardrails | No names, no student data saved |
Step 3
Make it better
Ask for one change at a time in plain words. Then test it like a student before anyone else sees it.
Ask for a change
"When a student is wrong, give a hint before showing the answer."
"Add a Spanish toggle for all the instructions."
"Make the buttons bigger and the text easier to read."
"Add one question at the end that asks students to explain their thinking."
"When I click [button], [what happens]. Please fix it."
"It's showing code. Show it as a working preview."
Test it like a student
You write the teaching. AI writes the code.
Peter Siner · peter@teachsmarteredu.com
Use the AI tool your district approves. Students use the finished tool, never the AI.