Apex
Apex is a word association format. A category holds a set of related terms, and the connection between them is the point — students work out what the terms have in common.
What Makes It Work
Section titled “What Makes It Work”Apex teaches relationships rather than facts. Where Categories asks whether a student knows a definition, Apex asks whether they can see why a group of things belongs together.
That makes it the right format when the lesson is conceptual — how specific details ladder up to a broader principle, or how superficially different items share an underlying category.
Setting Up
Section titled “Setting Up”Open the Apex hub and click New Game. Title, class, then the editor.
Categories and Items
Section titled “Categories and Items”An Apex board is built from six categories, each with seven items. Each category has a name — the concept — and the items are the terms that connect to it.
The items should be genuinely related but not obviously so. If the connection is trivial, there’s nothing to work out. If it’s arbitrary, students can’t get there.
Importing a CSV
Section titled “Importing a CSV”Format: CategoryName, Item1 … Item7 — six categories, seven items each.
Download the sample from the editor for the exact layout. Because Apex needs a full set, building this in a spreadsheet is considerably easier than in the editor.
Import replaces existing content; save afterward.
Running a Session
Section titled “Running a Session”Open Run for the control screen, Open display for the projector.
During play:
- Present a category’s items
- Students work toward the connecting concept
- You reveal items and the category as play proceeds
The control screen shows the category names and full item lists. The display shows only what you’ve revealed.
On the Display
Section titled “On the Display”Students see the items as they’re revealed and the pyramid structure of the board. No student devices — this is a verbal, discussion-driven format.
Practical Notes
Section titled “Practical Notes”Reveal items one at a time. The format’s value is in the narrowing — each new item eliminates possibilities. Dumping all seven at once removes the reasoning.
Ask for the reasoning, not just the answer. “What made you say that?” after a correct guess is where the concept actually lands.
Wrong guesses are useful. A plausible wrong connection tells you exactly how a student is organizing the material.
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”- The Dual-Screen Experience — control vs display
- CSV Import Guide — building the six-by-seven board