Hot Potatoes About Hot Potatoes Hot Potatoes is a freeware.

. It is a set of 6 tools with which you can make crossword puzzles, cloze passages, matching exercises, multiple choice questions, quizzes and sentence rearranging exercises. This programme can be downloaded from http !!web.u"ic.ca!hrd!halfbaked #egistering Hot Potatoes $hen you ha"e downloaded and installed Hot Potatoes, we recommend that you register the programme. %ou would not be able to en&oy the full functionality of the programme if you do not register. To register, start up any of the 'otatoes. (o to the )elp menu and click #egister. $hen the #egister window pops up, click (et a key. It will take you to the *Apply for a #egistration +ey, page on the Hot Potatoes website. -ill in the form and submit it. Then check your email for the registration key. (o back to the #egister window, enter your name and the registration key and click .+. /aking a crossword puzzle with JCross 0tart JCross from the 0tart 1 'rogram 1 )ot 'otatoes 2 34ross menu or double click the Hot Potatoes programme icon on the desktop. Then click on the JCross potato. $e are doing a crossword puzzle about the food for different festi"als. .n this grid, type the crosswords in the squares, one letter in each square. To go from one square to another, use the mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard. If you ha"e not registered Hot Potatoes, you can only use an 5 x 5 grid. To mo"e the crosswords around, click the Arrows button e.g. the down arrow to mo"e the crosswords down. To gi"e a title to this crossword puzzle, click on the Title window. 6et7s call our crossword puzzle Festivals. $hen you ha"e entered all your crosswords, click the Add 4lues button to add clues for these words. The crosswords are already in the Add 4lues window. 4lick on the word you want to add clue to and then type the clue. $hen you ha"e finished, click the red .+ button. The clue is copied to the 4lues column.

After entering all the clues for your crossword, click the green .+ button to get back to the main screen. To sa"e the file, click -ile 1 0a"e. (i"e your file a name e.g. Crossword and sa"e it in your own folder.

4reating a web page for students $e ha"e sa"ed a teacher7s working file of our crossword puzzle. 6et7s create a web page which our students can "iew on the browser and enter the crosswords. 4lick the -ile 1 4reate $eb page menu. $e can sa"e the web page for Internet 8xplorer "ersion 9 or "ersion 6. 6et7s sa"e for "ersion 9. (i"e the file a name e.g. crossword and sa"e it in your own folder. $hen the programme asks whether you would like to "iew the file with a browser. 4lick %es. This is what your students will see when they open the crossword html file. To do the crosswords, students click on the numbers to read the clues. They should type the word in the box and click the 8nter button. $hen all the crosswords are done, students can click one of the 4heck buttons to check the answers and see their scores. :sing the Automatic (rid /aker 0ometimes, it is difficult to get the words to cross in one go. JCross comes with a feature that helps us place the words in the grid nicely. 0imply click the /anage (rid 1 Automatic (rid /aker menu. 8nter the words in the box, one on each line. $hen you ha"e finished, click the /ake the grid button. $hen you come back to the main screen, follow the same procedure as before 2 type the title of the crossword puzzle, add clues, sa"e the file and create a web page for your students. /aking a cloze passage with JCloze 0tart JCloze from the 0tart 1 'rogram 1 )ot 'otatoes 2 34loze menu or the Hot Potatoes programme icon on the desktop. Type a title for your passage in the Title box and the passage in the text box. %ou can also type the passage in Microsoft Word and then copy and paste it here. $hen the passage is ready, highlight the words you want to blank out, one at a time and click the (ap button.

If you want to gi"e a clue to the word, type it in the 4lue box. If there is more than one answer, you can type the other answers in the Alternate correct answers boxes. $hen you ha"e finished with the word, click the .+ button to go back to the passage. #epeat the same steps with the other words you want to blank out. If you ha"e not registered your Hot Potatoes, you can only make 9 blanks. $hen you ha"e finished, sa"e the file. (o to the -ile menu and click 0a"e. (i"e your file a name and click 0a"e. This is your working file. To sa"e a web page for your students, go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page 1 $eb page for "9!6 browsers. (i"e the file a name and click 0a"e. $hen the programme asks whether you would like to "iew the file with a browser. 4lick %es. This is what your students will see when they open the html file. They type the answers in the boxes and click the 4heck button to check their answers and see their scores.

/aking a multiple choice exercise with JBC 0tart JBC from the 0tart 1 'rogram 1 )ot 'otatoes 1 3;4 menu or the Hot Potatoes programme icon on the desktop. JBC is a tool for setting multiple2choice questions. %ou can set discrete questions one after another. %ou can also add a passage to make it into a reading comprehension exercise. <ow, let7s set a /4= exercise with standalone questions about Festivals. Type Festivals in the Title box Type the question in the =uestion box. 6et7s gi"e students four choices. 'ut a tick in the box against the correct answer. If you ha"e feedback to gi"e your students about the answers, you can type it in the feedback boxes. If not, lea"e them blank and use Hot Potatoes7 default feedback such as *4orrect>,, *$ell done>,, *$rong> Try again., To add another question, click the upward arrow next to the question number. Add your question like before. $hen you ha"e finished with your questions and answers, go to the -ile menu and click 0a"e to sa"e the file. (i"e your file a name and click the 0a"e button. This is your working file. To sa"e a web page for your students, go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb

page 1 $eb page for "9!6 browsers. (i"e the file a name and click 0a"e. $hen the programme asks whether you would like to "iew the file with a browser. 4lick %es. This is the students7 "ersion of the exercise. They choose their answer by clicking on one of the letters. The programme will gi"e them feedback. If their answer is right, the programme will show their score.

/aking a multiple choice exercise with a reading passage attached with JBC The tools in Hot Potatoes are "ery flexible. Instead of setting standalone multiple2 choice questions with JBC, we can add a reading passage and create a reading comprehension exercise. 6et7s make a reading comprehension exercise about the 6antern -esti"al. To add the reading passage, go to the -ile menu and choose Add #eading Text. $hen the Add #eading Text window pops up, check the box against Include a reading text. .nce you ha"e checked it, the other functions are acti"ated. (i"e a title to the reading passage and type the passage in the text box. $hen you ha"e finished, click the .+ button. The programme warns you about replacing pre"ious reading text with this one. 4lick %es and comes back to the main screen. <ow, we can type our first question 1 $hen is the 6antern -esti"al? 6et7s gi"e students @ choices. 'ut a tick in the box against the correct answer. If you like, you can type your own feedback or use Hot Potatoes7 default feedback. To add another question, click the upward arrow next to the question number. Add your question like before. $hen you ha"e finished, go to the -ile menu and click 0a"e to sa"e the file. (i"e your file a name and click the 0a"e button. This is your working file. To sa"e a web page for your students, go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page 1 $eb page for "9!6 browsers. (i"e the file a name and click 0a"e. $hen the programme asks whether you want to "iew the exercise, click %es. This is what your students will see when they open the html file. They choose their answer by clicking on one of the letters. The programme will gi"e them feedback. If their answer is right, the programme will show their score. To go to the next question, click the arrow button next to the question number. .ne last note, a reading text can be added to other Hot Potatoes tools. 3ust do what we ha"e done before, go to the -ile menu and click Add #eading Text. 4heck the

box against Include a reading text, type the text and click .+. /aking a quiz with JQuiz 0tart JQuiz from the 0tart 1 'rogram 1 )ot 'otatoes 2 3=uiz menu or the Hot Potatoes programme icon on the desktop. JQuiz is "ery similar to JBC, except that the choices are not gi"en, students ha"e to type in the answers themsel"es. $e can set standalone questions or add a passage to make it into a reading comprehension exercise. 6et7s make a quiz with a reading passage. -irst of all, let7s add the reading passage. (o to the -ile menu and click Adding #eading Text. 4heck the box against Include a reading text, type the text and click .+. 4lick %es and let the programme replace any pre"ious text. ;ack at the main screen, we type the first question in the question box. Then we put down all the answers we are going to accept in the 4orrect Answers boxes. To go to the next question, click the arrow next to the question number. $e can set the second question. After setting the questions, go to the -ile menu and 0a"e the file. (i"e the file a name and 0a"e it. Then go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page2$eb page for "9!6 browsers to sa"e a file for your students. $hen the programme asks whether you want to "iew the exercise, click %es. 0tudents type their answer in the box and click the 4heck button to check the answer. /aking a word rearranging exercise with JMix 0tart JMix from the 0tart 1 'rogram 1 )ot 'otatoes 1 3/ix menu or the Hot Potatoes programme icon on the desktop. JMix is a tool that lets you make word rearranging or sentence rearranging exercises. 6et7s make a word rearranging exercise and gi"e it the title */id2Autumn -esti"al,. Type the correct sentence in the /ain sentence box and break it up into meaningful phrases, one on each line. If there are other ways to arrange the phrases into a sentence, type the sentence, without breaking it up, in the Alternate sentences box on the right. $ith JMix, you can only ha"e one sentence in one file.

To sa"e the file, go to the -ile menu and click 0a"e. (i"e it a file name and 0a"e it. Then go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page to sa"e a file for your students. )ere, we ha"e a choice of making a $eb page for "9!6 browsers or Arag!drop web page for "9!6 browsers. 6et7s try the web page first. (i"e the file a name and 0a"e it. The programme will ask you about the punctuation and capital letters in the sentence. Answer the question accordingly. $hen the programme asks whether to want to "iew the exercise, click %es. This is the web page students will see. They click on the phrases in the correct order. $hen they finish, they should click the 4heck button to check the answer. If they do not get the right answer, the programme will gi"e them feedback and ask them to try again. 6et7s back track a little bit. 3ust now, if we ha"e chosen to create a drag!drop web page, this is the page students will see. Instead of clicking on the word, students click and drag the word to the lines abo"e. $hen they finish, they check their answer by clicking the 4heck button.

/aking a matching exercise with JMatch 0tart JMatch from the 0tart 1 'rogram 1 )ot 'otatoes 1 3/atch menu or the Hot Potatoes programme icon on the desktop. As the name suggests, JMatch helps us to make matching exercises. $e can match text to text, picture to picture, text to picture or sound to text or picture. 6et7s do a listening exercise which students match pictures to short sound clips. 6et7s call this exercise *6isten and (uess,. .n the left, we will insert our sound files. .n the right, we will insert the corresponding pictures. In the students7 "ersion, the items on the right will be &umbled. Inserting a sound file ;efore we can add the media, we ha"e to sa"e the file first. (o to the -ile menu and click 0a"e. 6et7s call the file matching and click 0a"e. 6et7s insert the sound file *soundBC, in ;ox C on the left. (o to the Insert menu and click 6ink. 0ince our sound file is in our computer, we choose 6ink to 6ocal -ile. If we are using a sound file on a website, we will choose 6ink to $eb :#6. The programme will remind you about sa"ing related files in the same location.

4lick .+. <ow, we ha"e to locate where we ha"e put our sound files. In our case, all the sound files and pictures used in these exercises are stored in the Resources folder. -rom this folder, we choose the file sound01 and .pen it. The :#6!'ath tells the browser where to look for our sound file. <ow, this is the tricky part. $ith some operating systems like Windows 98, the computer will automatically remo"e unnecessary information about the location. ;ut with some operating systems like Windows NT, they do not always do so. If that is the case, we ha"e to do it manually. 0ince our sound file is in the Resources folder, let7s delete the unnecessary path information until Resources/sound01.wav remains. Then click .+. 6et7s try to insert another sound file in ;ox D. (o to the Insert menu and click 6ink and choose 6ink to 6ocal -ile. 6et7s locate the file sound02 in the Resources folder and click .pen. .nce again, we ha"e to delete the unnecessary information about our file location until only Resources/sound02.wav remains. Then click .+.

'ractice 1 Inserting a sound file <ow, you try the next one. (o to the Insert menu and click 6ink and choose 6ink to 6ocal -ile. 4hoose sound03 in the Resources folder 4lick .pen. <ow, delete the unnecessary location information before Resources/sound03.wav and click .+. Inserting a picture $hen we ha"e finished inserting the sound files, we can insert the corresponding pictures. Inserting pictures is similar to inserting sound files. (o to the Insert menu and click 'icture. 0ince our picture is in our hard disk, we choose 'icture from 6ocal -ile. .ur pictures are also in the Resources folder so we will go there and choose the rele"ant ones. sound01 is about spring cleaning before the 4hinese <ew %ear. The corresponding picture is New_Year_Eve. 6et7s choose it and click .pen. 0ame as inserting the sound files, we ha"e to edit the Lin !"RL. Aelete the unnecessary information about our file location until only

Resources/New_Year_Eve.#$g remains. 4lick .+. If you want to add a label to the picture, you can type it either before you insert the picture or after. 6et7s try to insert another picture. (o to the Insert menu and click 'icture and choose 'icture from 6ocal -ile. sound02 is about dragon boat races. The corresponding picture is dragon%oat. 6et7s choose it from the Resources folder and click .pen. .nce again, we ha"e to delete the unnecessary information about our file location until only Resources/dragon%oat.#$g remains. Then click .+.

'ractice 2 Inserting a picture <ow, you try the next one. (o to the Insert menu and click 'icture and choose 'icture from 6ocal -ile. sound03 is about red packets. The corresponding picture is red$ac ets. 6et7s choose it from the Resources folder and click .pen. <ow, delete the unnecessary location information before Resources/red$ac ets.#$g and click .+. <ow that you ha"e added the sound and pictures, sa"e the file. (o to the -ile menu and click 0a"e. 4reating a drag!drop web page To create an html copy for our students, go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page. $e can create for different browsers and in different formats. If you ha"e pictures in the file, don7t choose $eb page for "9!6 browsers because this format does not support graphics. 4hoose Arag!drop $eb page for "9!6 browsers or -lashcards for "9!6 browsers. 6et7s try with Arag!drop first. (i"e the file a name and click 0a"e. 4lick %es to "iew our newly created web page. This is what it looks like. $hen we click on 4lick )ere, the sound player in the computer will be acti"ated. If this window appears, you can choose to open the file or sa"e it to your hard disk and play it later. 6et7s choose .pen and listen to the sound. The sound is played by Windows Media Player in my computer. 4reating flashcards Instead of a drag!drop web page, we can create flashcards. (o back to the Hot

Potatoes file, go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page. 4hoose -lashcards for "9!6 browsers. (i"e your file a new name or replace the other matching file. 4lick 0a"e. 4lick %es to "iew the new web page. This is what the web page looks like. 4licking on this button EFG shows the clue. 4lick on 4lick )ere to acti"ate the sound player and play the sound. 4lick on the asterisk button EFG again to show the answer.

4onfiguring web pages generated from Hot Potatoes Hot Potatoes gi"es us the options to change the look and feel of the html files generated by the six tools. 6et7s start with the crossword puzzle we ha"e created. .pen the crossword working file with JCross. (o to the .ption menu and click 4onfigure .utput. The different tabs allow you to change the look and feel as well as the na"igation of the buttons. Title!Instructions are these texts you see on the crossword web page. %ou can rewrite them. -or example, if you are not going to gi"e hints to the students, you can delete the second and third sentences. 'rompts!-eedback are comments gi"en to students. %ou can change them if you like. -or answer checking, there are the 4heck, 8nter and )ints buttons. %ou can rename them. $ith Hot Potatoes, if students ha"e used the hints, marks will be deducted from their scores. If you don7t want this to happen, you can uncheck the box and remo"e the )ints button. 6et7s do so. -or na"igation, we ha"e these buttons. %ou can rename them too. 6et7s rename the right arrow button Ne&t. If you ha"e de"eloped other exercises, you can add a link to the Ne&t!E&ercise! button. ;ut before doing that, make sure that your Hot Potatoes web pages are all in the same folder. 4lick the ;rowse button. The programme tells you the location it thinks you ha"e sa"ed your files in, click .+. 4lick the file you want to link to and click .pen. $ith some operating systems, e"en though the web pages are sa"ed in the same folder, it will show the whole path. If that is the case, you ha"e to delete the path and lea"e only the filename.

The 'o!to!Contents button is supposed to take people to your homepage or the page you ha"e listed your exercises. To make the link, click the ;rowse button and repeat the same steps as you did with the Ne&t!E&ercise button. #emember to edit the path. If you don7t want these buttons, uncheck the boxes. 6et7s uncheck the box against the ;ack button. Appearance allows us to change the colour of the Hot Potatoes web pages. 4lick on the rain%ow!coloured!%uttons to bring up the colour palette. 4hoose the colour and click .+ to see its effect. #eading allows us to change the caption for the buttons in the reading text. %ou can edit them if you like. .ther is miscellaneous items you can edit. In JCross, there is no item to edit. In JBC, you ha"e the choice of showing more than one question on each page. That7s about all the configuration for JCross since 4(I only caters to commercial licensees of Hot Potatoes. After you ha"e finished all the configuration, click .+ or 0a"e. There is a difference between .+ and 0a"e. If you click .+, the configuration will only apply to the file you are working with. If you click 0a"e, the configuration will apply to JCross so that any subsequent exercises will bear the same colour scheme and other changes you ha"e made. .f course, you can change again and sa"e the new configuration. 6et7s click .+ and sa"e the changes to this file only. $hen you come back to the main screen, sa"e the file. %ou ha"e updated your working file. :pdate your students7 web page as well. (o to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page 1 $eb page for "9 browsers. 8ither o"erwrite your old file or gi"e this file a new name and 0a"e. This is the new look of the web page. The instructions are shorter. The ;ack button has been remo"ed. $hen we click the <ext button, it will take us to the cloze passage which we ha"e linked. <ow, you can configure other files. There are slight differences with the configuration in each tool but basically they are the same.

Inserting pictures in Hot Potatoes files 'ictures can be inserted in all the Hot Potatoes files. 6et7s use the multiple choice exercise we ha"e created with JBC. A reminder ;efore you can insert a picture, you ha"e to sa"e the file first. <ow, let7s insert a picture next to the title. (o to the Insert menu and click 'icture. If our

picture is on a website, we7ll choose 'icture from $eb :#6. 0ince our picture is in our hard disk, we choose 'icture from 6ocal -ile. .ur picture is in the Resources folder. 6et7s open the folder and choose the file lanternC. The :#6!'ath tells the browser where to look for our picture. $ith some operating systems like Windows 98, the computer will automatically remo"e unnecessary information about the location. ;ut with some operating systems like Windows NT, they do not always do so. If that is the case, we ha"e to do it manually. 0ince our sound file is in the Resources folder, let7s delete the unnecessary path before Resources/lantern1.#$g. Then click .+. %ou can add pictures to the answers as well. $hen you ha"e finished, go to the -ile menu and click 0a"e. $e ha"e updated our file. 6et7s update our students7 "ersion. (o to the -ile menu and choose 4reate $eb page 1 $eb page for "9!6 browsers. (i"e our file a new name or o"erwrite the old one and click 0a"e. 4lick %es to "iew the new web page. This is what the new web page looks like.

Inserting audio!"ideo files in Hot Potatoes files 6ike pictures, audio and "ideo files can be inserted in all the Hot Potatoes files. 6et7s try with JCloze. 6et7s insert a sound clip before the cloze passage. (o to the Insert menu and click 6ink. 0ince our sound file is in our computer, we choose 6ink to 6ocal -ile. If we are using a sound file on a website, we will choose 6ink to $eb :#6. The programme will remind you about sa"ing related files in the same location. 4lick .+. .ur sound files are in the Resources folder. 6et7s choose the file sound0( and .pen it. The :#6!'ath tells the browser where to look for our sound file. $ith some operating systems like Windows 98, the computer will automatically remo"e unnecessary information about the location. ;ut with some operating systems like Windows NT, they do not always do so. If that is the case, like what we ha"e here, we ha"e to do it manually. 0ince our sound file is in the Resources folder, let7s delete the unnecessary path information until Resources/sound0(.wav remains. Then click .+. (o to the -ile menu and click 0a"e.

$e ha"e updated our file. 6et7s update our students7 "ersion. (o to the -ile menu and choose 4reate $eb page 1 $eb page for "9!6 browsers. (i"e our file a new name or o"erwrite the old one and click 0a"e. 4lick %es to "iew the new web page. This is what the new web page looks like. $hen we click 4lick )ere, the sound player will be acti"ated. If this window appears, you can choose to open the file or sa"e it to your hard disk and play it later. 6et7s choose .pen and listen to the sound. The sound is played by Windows Media Player in my computer. Inserting a "ideo clip is the same as inserting a sound clip. -ollow the abo"e steps and choose the rele"ant "ideo file.

Adding a reading text 8xcept for JMatch and JMix, a reading text can be added to the Hot Potatoes files. 6et7s try with JQuiz. .ur quiz is about *The 6antern -esti"al,. 6et7s this be our title. (o to the -ile menu and click Add #eading Text. $hen the Add #eading Text window pops up, check the box against Include a reading text. .nce you ha"e checked it, the other functions are acti"ated. (i"e a title to the reading passage and type the passage in the text box. $hen you ha"e finished, click the .+ button. The programme warns you about replacing pre"ious reading text with this one. 4lick %es and come back to the main screen. $hen you ha"e finished adding questions to you quiz, go to the -ile menu and click 0a"e to sa"e the file. (i"e your file a name and click the 0a"e button. This is your working file. To sa"e a web page for your students, go to the -ile menu and click 4reate $eb page 1 $eb page for "9!6 browsers. (i"e the file a name and click 0a"e. $hen the programme asks whether you want to "iew the exercise, click %es. This "ersion is what your students will see when they open the html file. The reading passage is on the right side.