Classroom
How to Make a Tic Tac Toe Choice Board for Students
Design a balanced Tic Tac Toe choice board with nine meaningful tasks, clear three-in-a-row rules, and room for differentiation.
Jump to section
A Tic Tac Toe choice board contains nine activities. Students complete a row, column, or diagonal of three squares—or another rule you state—to show learning with some control over format and sequence. An assessment example hosted by Edutopia uses the same three-in-a-row choice structure and includes a free space. The design steps below are practical recommendations for making your own board.
Start with the learning evidence
Write what every student must demonstrate. Then create tasks that reach that evidence through different modes: explain, compare, draw, solve, record, or teach. Choice should change the route, not lower the standard invisibly. Edutopia’s choice-board guidance likewise starts with learning outcomes and recommends aligning the activities and instructions to them.
Balance every winning line
Read all eight possible lines. If one diagonal contains three tiny tasks while a row requires an essay, the grid is not meaningfully fair. Place demanding activities apart and use the center for a core requirement or a clearly labeled free choice.
Differentiate openly
Offer scaffolded materials, optional challenge conditions, or two boards with the same goal. Avoid making students guess which task is secretly “for” them. State time, product, collaboration, and submission expectations below the grid.
Example line
“Draw and label a process,” “compare two examples in six sentences,” and “record a one-minute explanation” can form one line when they assess the same concepts at comparable depth. A student-facing direction could read: “Complete three connected squares by Friday. Show how each task explains the plant life cycle. Use the checklist below before submitting.”
Use the choice-board creator to edit and export the grid. For a completely open layout, start with the template tool.
Audit all eight paths
A 3×3 board contains three rows, three columns, and two diagonals. Read each path as if you were a learner choosing the fastest option, then as a learner choosing the most accessible option. Estimate time, writing load, required materials, collaboration, and cognitive demand. If one route is dramatically easier, rebalance the positions or replace the three-in-a-row requirement.
The center deserves special attention because it belongs to four lines. A long center activity effectively becomes mandatory for many choices; a free center can make four routes much shorter. Use that influence intentionally.
Separate mode from rigor
Drawing, speaking, building, and writing are response modes, not automatic levels of difficulty. A drawing can demand precise labels and an explanation; a paragraph can be superficial. Tie every square to the same learning target and describe the evidence that would demonstrate it.
A compact rubric can apply across formats: accuracy, use of evidence, clarity, and completion. Tell learners whether three finished squares are assessed separately or as one combined product.
Pilot before assigning
Complete one representative line yourself or ask a colleague to try it. Check links, file permissions, material availability, and realistic timing. Provide an alternative when a task depends on recording, printing, or supplies that may not be available at home.
Afterward, compare which paths students chose and why. Heavy clustering around one line may reveal a workload imbalance, unclear directions, or a genuine preference worth supporting. Revise from that evidence instead of assuming choice alone made the board equitable.