Introduction
Ready to get started assigning Google Sheets activities to your students? This tutorial will give you step-by-step directions for how to assign Google Sheets activities in Google Classroom. Keep reading to learn how!
Why use Google Sheets activities in Google Classroom?
There are so many creative ways to use Google Sheets with students. I like to use Google Sheets for its self-checking feature. Students can see if their answers are correct as soon as they enter them and have the chance to redo them and work toward mastery. They don’t have to wait until they submit the entire assignment as they do with Google Forms. I also find that Sheets offers more formatting options than Google Docs or Google Forms.
Google Sheets activities are especially useful because students don’t need additional websites or logins. They are easy for teachers to assign, right in your Google Classroom feed. If you don’t have time to create your own Google Sheets activities, there are plenty of ready-to-assign options available online. Read below to see exactly how to assign them.
Before You Begin
Before you can assign a Google Sheets activity in Google Classroom, make sure that the sheet you want to assign is saved in your Google Drive. This may mean that you’ll need to make a copy of the sheet if it was shared with you by someone else or you purchased it online. Once you’ve located it in your Google Drive, you can head to Google Classroom.
How to Assign a Google Sheets Activity on Google Classroom
Prefer to watch instead?
I’ve included a 3-minute video tutorial below that walks through the entire process from start to finish.
🎥 Video Tutorial
Or, if you’d rather follow written instructions, continue with the step-by-step guide below.
Step 1: Create a New Assignment
Log in to your Google Classroom. Click on the ”Classwork” Tab and select the “Create” button. Select “Assignment”
Step 2: Add Instructions
Give your assignment a name and add a description or instructions to students. You can also give it a due date and assign the total number of points it will be worth.
Step 3: Attach Your Google Sheet
Under the “attach” section is where you will add the Google Sheet. Because the Google Sheet should already be saved in your Google Drive, select the “Drive” button. Now you need to locate the file of the activity you want to attach. If you just opened or saved your file, it should appear in the “recent” section. If not, you will need to select “my drive” to locate it or type the file name into the search bar.
Once you have found your Google Sheet, click on it and select the “add” button. This will attach it to your Google Classroom assignment
💡TIP: Make sure you have the answers deleted from the file before you assign it.
Step 4: Choose the Correct Sharing Option
This step is VERY IMPORTANT. Next to the file you just attached, there is a drop-down list of three file sharing options:
- ⏺ Students can view file
- Students will only be able to see the file. They won’t be able to enter any answers.
- ⏺ Students can edit file
- This will let every student you assign it to enter their answers on the same Google Sheet. (aka. One student will answer the questions and the rest will mess with each other. Don’t do this. Chaos will ensue.)
- ⭐Make a copy for each student
- Choose this option. Each student will get an individual copy of the same assignment that they can complete independently.
Step 5: Assign
Click the “Assign” button or schedule the assignment for a later date and time. The students should now be able to access and complete the assignment. You can see each student’s sheet as they are working. (This is great for accountability and to know who needs extra assistance). The students should hit “Turn In” when they are finished.
Ready to Try It?
If you’re looking for a simple way to put these steps into practice, try assigning a Google Sheets activity with your next math lesson.
I create self-grading digital mystery pictures that are designed to be assigned through Google Classroom in just a few clicks. Since students receive immediate visual feedback as they work, they’re a fun alternative to traditional worksheets while still providing meaningful practice.
If you’re interested, you can explore my growing collection of digital mystery pictures for middle school math.
FAQs
Can students edit a Google Sheets assignment in Google Classroom?
This depends on the file sharing option you choose when creating the assignment. If you leave the default option “Students can view file,” the students won’t be able to edit the Google Sheet. If you select “Make a copy for each student,” the students will be able to edit the file and enter their answers independently. If you select “Students can edit file,” the entire class will be able to edit the same file at the same time.
Should I choose “Students can edit file” or “Make a copy for each student”?
Choose “Make a copy for each student” for independent work. This will allow each of your students to edit the file separately from one another.
Only choose “Students can edit file” if you want everyone in the class to have edit access to the same file. This option can also be used to create group work, but you would need to create a different version of the assignment for each group and make sure to assign it only to the selected students in that group.
Can Google Sheets activities be self-grading?
Google Sheets activities can be self-checking if they are set up with conditional formatting. With many Sheets activities, students can see whether their answers are correct instantly and retry until they are. Google Sheets cannot assign points to a completed assignment in Google Classroom. However, once the students turn in their sheets, the teacher can easily see how many questions each student got correct by scanning for the green answer boxes. If the activity is a digital mystery picture, the teacher can quickly tell that a student has all of the answers correct by checking for a complete picture.
How do I reuse a Google Sheets assignment in Google Classroom?
As long as you choose the correct file sharing option when assigning a Google Sheet activity in your Google Classroom, you can reuse it infinitely. (ie. Do not choose “students can edit file). Make sure you have a master copy of the Google Sheets file and don’t give anyone else edit access to ensure the formatting isn’t accidentally changed.
Final Thoughts:
Google Sheets activities are a great option to have in your teaching arsenal. They are a fun worksheet alternative that students actually enjoy. The low-prep and self-checking features make them a hit with teachers, too. Try assigning one in your classroom today!
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