📘 How to Use This Tool
▼🎯 What This Tool Does
The Bell Ringer Generator creates warm-up questions for any topic you're teaching. It uses Python code with f-strings (template strings) to insert your topic into pre-written question templates. You can use it as-is, or dive into the code to learn how it works and customize the questions.
🔘 What Each Button Does
Creates 5 warm-up questions using your topic. Works instantly—no coding required!
Opens the Python code editor so you can see HOW the questions are generated and customize them. This is where the learning happens!
(appears after opening editor)
After you edit the code, click this to test your changes and generate questions with your custom code.
(appears after opening editor)
Brings back the original code if you break something or want to start fresh. Don't worry—you can't permanently break anything!
✏️ How to Customize the Code
When you click "Edit the Code," you'll see the Python that creates the questions. Here's what you can change:
f"What is one important thing you already know about {'{topic}'}?",
f"How does {'{topic}'} connect to your everyday life?",
# ... more questions
]
To change a question: Edit the text inside the quotes. Keep the f before the quote and the {'{topic}'} placeholder.
To add a question: Copy a line, paste it below, edit the text, and make sure it ends with a comma.
To remove a question: Delete the entire line (including the comma).
Important: The f before the quote makes it an "f-string" in Python. The {'{topic}'} part gets replaced with whatever you type in the topic box.
🚀 Try This! (Learning Challenges)
f before the quote, the {'{topic}'} placeholder, and the comma at the end!
{'{topic}'} placeholder from one question and write a generic question that works for ANY topic, like "What's the most interesting thing we learned this week?"
if statement!)
💡 Quick Tips
- You can't permanently break this—just hit "Reset" to start over
- Python is picky about commas and quotes—if something breaks, check those first
- The code uses a list (the square brackets []) to hold all the questions together
- Each question is a string (text in quotes) with f-string formatting (the f and {'{'}...{'}'})
- Generate questions once, then copy-paste the output into your lesson plan or project it on the board
📝 Live Python Code Editor
- Easy: Change one of the questions to something more specific to your subject
- Medium: Add a 6th question to the list (don't forget the comma!)
- Hard: Change the wording to match your grade level (K-2 vs 6-8)
- Expert: Remove the
{topic}placeholder and write a question that works for ANY topic
- Variables:
topicstores whatever you type in the box above - Lists:
questions = [...]holds all 5 questions together - f-strings:
f"text {topic}"inserts the topic into your question - Loops:
for question in questionsrepeats for each item in the list