Spin the wheel Random US state
State reports, quizzes and road trips
The classic use is the fourth- or fifth-grade state report. When every student picks their own, half the class chooses Florida, California or Hawaii. Spinning settles it quickly, and the kid who lands on North Dakota usually ends up with the most original poster.
In social studies, one spin can start a quick quiz: name the capital, the region, a bordering state or the state bird. Families on long drives spin for the license plate game, and couples spin to choose the next state to visit on vacation.
Only the 50 states are on the wheel. Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the other territories are not states, but you can add them in the editor if your lesson covers them.
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Assigning states to a class
- Turn on Remove each winner from the wheel right away in Settings, so no two students get the same state.
- Call each student up to press Spin, or spin for them on the projector.
- Copy the list of who got what from the Results tab and paste it into your gradebook or class notes.
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State wheel questions
My class has 26 students. Will every state get used?
No, and that's fine: the wheel draws 26 of the 50 and the rest stay on it. If you want to avoid tiny states for a first report, delete them before you start.
Can I spin by region only?
Yes. Clear the list and keep only, say, the Midwest or New England. Save it under a new title, and you'll have a separate wheel for each unit.
Why isn't Washington, D.C. on the wheel?
It's a federal district, not a state. Type "Washington, D.C." into Entries if you want it in the draw, and label it clearly so it isn't confused with Washington State.
Can students see the result on their own devices?
Spin once on the classroom screen with Present so everyone sees the same result live. Shared links copy the list, but each copy spins separately.
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