Tools available when chatting with Sparky | Flint help center

Tools available when chatting with Sparky

Discover the AI-powered tools available to students, teachers, and administrators when chatting with Sparky, Flint's AI assistant.

Written by Teddy Lane
April 29, 2026

In this article, you will learn...

What content creation tools are available

Documents

Sparky can create formatted documents including essays, reports, lesson plans, and study guides. Documents are displayed with rich formatting and can be downloaded or copied.

Example prompt: "Create a study guide for the American Revolution that covers the causes, key events, and outcomes."

Code

Sparky can write and run code in multiple programming languages. Code snippets appear with syntax highlighting and can be executed directly in the chat to see results.

Example prompt: "I am creating a hook for a lesson. Write a Python function that calculates the area of a circle given the radius, then run it with a radius of 5."

Whiteboards

Sparky can create blank whiteboards for collaborative brainstorming, sketching, or visual note-taking. You and your students can draw and annotate on whiteboards together.

Example prompt: "Create a blank whiteboard for our class brainstorming session on renewable energy sources."

Math Support

Sparky uses a built-in calculator to perform mathematical operations accurately, from basic arithmetic to advanced calculus and statistics.

Example prompt: "I am creating a study guide for my class. Calculate the derivative of x³ + 2x² - 5x + 7 and show each step using formatted equations."

Data visualization

Sparky can create charts, graphs, diagrams, and data visualizations using Python. Visualizations are mathematically accurate and great for plotting functions, geometry diagrams, timelines, or any visual where exact values matter.

Example prompt: "Graph the function y = x² from -5 to 5 and label the vertex."

Images

Sparky can generate AI illustrations and visual content. Images are created based on your description and can help explain concepts visually.

Example prompt: "Draw an illustration of the water cycle showing evaporation, condensation, and precipitation."

Videos

Sparky can generate short educational videos with narration. Videos are great for explaining concepts, processes, or step-by-step instructions.

Example prompt: "Create a short video explaining how photosynthesis works in plants."

Slides

Sparky can generate presentation slides that you can download as PowerPoint files. Slides include themed layouts suitable for classroom presentations.

Example prompt: "Create a 5-slide presentation about the solar system for my 4th grade science class."

What other tools are available

Web search

Sparky can search the web to find up-to-date information on any topic. Search results are used to provide accurate, current answers to your questions.

Example prompt: "Search for the latest research on effective reading comprehension strategies for middle school students."

Source citations

When Sparky uses information from web searches, it automatically adds citations so you can verify the sources. Citations appear as clickable links in the chat.

Example prompt: "Find information about the causes of the French Revolution and cite your sources."

Learn about how Flint works

Sparky can search and read Flint's help center to answer questions about how to use the platform. This helps you get quick answers about Flint features.

Example prompt: "How do I create an activity in Flint?"

Image analysis

Sparky can analyze images you upload, including photos, diagrams, screenshots, and student work. Use this to get feedback on visual content or to have Sparky describe what it sees.

Example prompt: "Look at this student's diagram of a plant cell and tell me if all the organelles are labeled correctly."

What tools are available only for teachers and administrators

Create an activity from a standalone chat

When chatting in a standalone chat (not within an activity), Sparky can suggest creating an activity based on your conversation. This helps you quickly turn lesson ideas into structured activities for your students.

Example prompt: "I want to create an activity where students practice writing persuasive essays about environmental issues."