All About Me Posters
On the first day of school, I have my students draw and color their name on a large sheet of paper. They add things about themselves, including their birthdays and their favorite things to do. The posters are then displayed on the wall in the classroom.
Bookmarks
When the children arrive on the first day of school I have a bookmark waiting for them on their desks. I ask them to make it as beautiful as possible as it will be very important to them throughout the year. Later that morning we look at everyone's bookmarks and talk about how we are all going to become even better readers that year.
Class Puzzle
During the first week of school I have my class create a puzzle. I cut a poster up and give each student a piece of the puzzle. (Be sure to put a dot in one of the corners so that you know which side is up.) The students put their name on it and decorate it. Then as a class we put the puzzle together on a bulletin board. This is great for problem solving and cooperative learning. Every year the kids love it.
Dear Me,
"Dear Me" is a letter students write to themselves on the first day of school. Inside the letter they are to discuss their feelings about starting a new school year, what they loved/hated about the previous school year, and what they expect to learn this year. The requirements can be changed. The teacher collects the l... more »»
Grade Level(s): 6-8
Sentence Strip Unscramble
This activity is great to use the first day kids walk in, while you greet new students and their parents. Type a short letter attached to an envelope inviting students to unscramble the sentence you have placed in their envelope. Sentences like: Welcome to 3rd grade! It's going to be a great year! I'm glad you are here! Be sure to cut between the words like a puzzle. The students job is to place the sentence in order.
Balloon Juggle & Sort
Challenge participants to keep all balloons (1+ per person) in the air. This gets the group moving and cooperating. Once they've got the hang of it, make it harder by adding in more balloons or placing restrictions e.g., no hands to keep balloons up. Ask participants to keep juggling the balloons, but to sort them into colors (works best with large groups).
Balloon Frantic
Two to three inflated balloons per person are needed and a stopwatch. Each person has a balloon, with the rest in a nearby pile. Everyone begins bouncing their balloons in the air. Every five seconds, another balloon is added. See how long the group can keep the balloons bouncing before receiving six penalties. A penalty is announced loudly (to create stress!) by the leader when a balloon hits the floor, or once on the floor, if is not got back into play within five seconds. The leader keeps a cumulative score by shouting out "one", "two", etc. When the leader gets to "six", time is stopped. After some discussion, the group tries to better its record with another attempt.
True False Quiz
On the first day of school I give my new students a T/F quiz all about me. I have silly things in there like "I like to hang upside-down from trees" "I love Harry Potter books" and "My favorite color is purple." The children take the quiz and then we go over the answers. I usually give a small prize to whoever getsmost correct. Then it is their turn to write a T/F quiz for me about them. If there is time, I will try to answer the quizes out loud so that everyone gets to know everyone a bit. I tell them I want them to pay attention to punctuation and do the best they can on spelling as well, without putting too much pressure on them about it. This give me a change to preview their skill level as well as get to know them.
Another version
True or False?
This activity is always fun, and we all learn something interesting about one another! I start. I write four facts about myself on an overhead transparency. Three of the facts are true, and one is false. Students take my little true-false test. Then I survey students to learn the results. We go back over each question to see what they thought about each statement. That gives me a chance to tell a little about me. Then, on a sheet of paper, students write three interesting facts about themselves that are true and one that is false. Throughout the day, I ask a few students to try to stump the rest of us.
Math About Me Students create Math About Me sheets. They share the sheets with the class and each student's sheet becomes part of his or her portfolio. The Math About Me information might include birthday, address numbers, phone number, sports number, favorite number, number of pets, number of people in the family, etc. When the students gather together to share their numbers, they see what numbers they have in common with their classmates, and everyone learns a little bit about one another. The numbers are then used to make a Math About Me poster. I take a snapshot of each child for the center of the poster. Then the kids design the math facts in a colorful, interesting presentation. We use these as a hallway bulletin board
Alphabetical Roll!
After introducing yourself, create some chaos. Tell students they have three minutes to complete their first assignment: "Sort yourselves in alphabetical order by last name." After the initial shock and after they succeed, remind them how capable they are to handle their first day, and every day, by asking questions, getting help from others, working together, trying and evaluating strategies to "just do it"! Whatever "it" might be, they can do it!
BINGO Times 2
Pass out BINGO cards to students. Each square on this card contains a question. Have each student fill in the answers for ALL questions beside number 1. Wait for all students to finish. Then students find classmates with the same answers written in each box. The classmate with a matching answer prints his or her initials on line 2. Give a prize to any or all who get a BINGO!
(Bingo template attached)
Take As Much As You Want!
During the first circle time activity, have a roll of toilet paper on hand! Explain to the children that they will need this for the next activity. Tell students that you're going to pass around the roll. Invite students to take as much as they want. One middle school-high school math teacher invites students to "take as much as you need to complete the job." She doesn't tell them what the job is though! After everyone has had a good laugh over the amount of paper they took, explain how the game works. For every piece of toilet paper the students ripped off, they must tell the class one thing about themselves. Some realize they took quite a bit of toilet paper, but with a little prompting and probing from the teacher, they will find things to share. In the math teacher's class, students have to say what their favorite thing about math is when they get to the last piece. This activity provides a nice way to find out about students' personalities, families, likes, and dislikes -- and the students really love it!
Time Capsule
1) Give each student an empty Pringles can to decorate as a "Time
Capsule."
2) Each child will fill out a short interest inventory:
a handwriting sample, a tracing of their hand, a self-portrait, and a few other things. (You can get creative here -- make the task fit your grade level)
3) They will place their sheets into their time capsule and have a
little ceremony to put them away until the end of the year.
(I'm planning to cheat and open the time capsules that night
in order to learn a little more about each student's interests and abilities)
4) At the end of the year have the kids complete the same sheets
and then open their time capsule to compare how they have changed during the school year.
Another Version of Time capsule
I also use a Pringles can in my sixth grade, but I only use one.
1) I have the kids write a letter to themselves about how they feel being in sixth (PUT YOUR GRADE LEVEL HERE) grade, what they think they will be doing during the year, what their expectations for the year are, who their "best" friends will be, what they would like me to do during the year (how I can best help them), what the most important thing they will learn during the year. And anything else that comes to mind when I am writing it out on a transparency for them.
2) I put them in a ziplock bag and put them in the Pringles can to be opened the last week of school and reread by the students.
They really enjoy this -- particularly knowing they will be able
to open the "time capsule" at the end of the year.
10- Fingers
This activity is great for the first day or just when ever your group has free time. It works best with more people, and everyone should be honest when playing.
Have everyone sit in a circle or close enough to be able to hear everyone. Tell them to hold up all 10 fingers.
The teacher can start off by stating one fact about themselves. For ex: "I have never been to Florida." or "I have blue eyes."
Then the participants who have been to Florida, or don't have blue eyes, will put one finger down.
This will continue around the circle, having each person share one fact about themselves until someone is all out of fingers.
*Its better to try and use less obvious, unique facts about yourself because there is a chance that more people will have to put a finger down if they cant relate to your fact.
Who ever has the most fingers left at the end Wins!
This is a great way to pass the time and learn about each other while having simple fun.
Active Activity
Tell the students to follow the direction if a statement is true for them and to stop when another instruction begins. Ask them to watch and listen carefully as they play the game because at the end, the students will be asked to tell one new thing they learned about another child.
Say something like:
• "Everyone stand up."
• "Everyone who plays piano, clap."
• "Everyone who has a dog or cat as a pet, put your right hand on your head."
• "Everyone whose favorite sport is soccer, stand on one foot."
• "Everyone who has been to another country, put your left hand on your right shoulder."
• "Everyone who speaks more than one language, tap your foot."
• "Everyone who has brown eyes, turn around twice. "
• "Everyone who likes pizza, touch your toes. "
• "Everyone who was born in another state, raise your hand."
• "Everyone who has a sister, jump up and down."
• "Everyone who has a brother, pat your knees. "
A variation is to have the children form two lines facing each other. If the statement is true, i.e. "You were born in another state," have them step forward. Or, have them form a circle and move to the center of the circle if the comment applies to them. At the end of the game ask each student to name one thing that he or she learned about another child. For example, "I didn't know that Kate spoke another language," or "I didn't know that Joe played the piano."
Joke & Punchline
Description
Set-up: Write a joke on one card and a punchline on another. Be sure to mix the cards up. The number of different jokes you use is up to you.
Give each person a card. Explain that they may have a joke or a punchline on the card. On a given signal, they are to walk amongst the crowd trying to find the other part of their joke/punchline.
When they find their other half, you may ask them to get to know their new partner by asking things like favorite ice cream or dream vacation etc...
When this is done, everyone can return to a circle and, with their partner, tell their joke.
Silent Interviews
Description
1 Divide the group into pairs - try to make mix the group into pairs of folks who don't know each other well.
2 Ask the participants to introduce themselves to their partner.
3 Instruct the group that from this point forward, speaking is not allowed. This includes whispering, mouthing words, and making sounds, too!
4 Inform the group that they must tell their partner 3 things about themselves without speaking, similar to a charades game. These things cannot be physical characteristics.
5 Once all of the partners have finished miming to each other, call everyone back into a circle.
6 Ask for each pair to verbally introduce their partner to the group, as well as the three things that they learned (or think they learned)
On the Right Foot
Maybe you'll have students trace their (right!) shoe, cut out the shoe shape, and write a personal goal for the year on it. Students then can decorate their shoes in unique ways, and you can display them on the bulletin board under the headline Starting the Year on the Right Foot!
Something's Not Right.
On the first day of school, before students arrive, arrange five things in the room in an unusual way. The unusual arrangements can range from the very obvious to the very discrete. For example, you might put one desk upside down, put one of the alphabet cards above the blackboard in the wrong place, misspell a word on the bulletin board, and so on. Arrange students into pairs and challenge them to find the five things in the classroom that aren't right. This icebreaker is a good activity for teaching observation skills any day of the year.
Mrs. Pizza. Arrange students into a circle. Ask Who did not eat breakfast this morning? Usually at least one student has not eaten. Then ask, Who wishes they hadn't eaten breakfast? That question usually encourages at least one student to begin the fun. Have that student say his or her name and tell the craziest thing s/he ever ate for breakfast. Continue around the circle; have each successive student tell what his or her craziest breakfast consisted of. In addition, each student must say the name of each previous student and tell what that person's craziest breakfast was. You go last; list every student by name and describe their most unusual breakfast. After that, for at least the first week of school, use students' "crazy breakfast" item to help their classmates remember their names. For example, Jenny ate cold salmon so you might refer to her as "Miss Jennifer Salmon." The kids love it, but beware -- they might call you Mrs. Pizza all year long!