Set the stage for a year of ENGAGEMENT. Here are some ways that I like to get my students moving, talking and thinking from the moment they step into my classroom!
Get to Know You T/F Activity (Free printable)
Community-building activities can make for a positive back to school experience for our students. Here is a fun TRUE / FALSE quiz activity that you can download for free. It includes directions and ideas for having kids interact with each other. Students create T/F quizzes about themselves and then quiz each other to get to know one another. (I created one about me as well, which was a hit with my students!)
Post It Survey
I saw this one on Pinterest a few years back and changed the sentence stems to relate to science. Students each get 3 post it notes and are asked to complete the sentence on each chart paper. Students stick their post-its on the posters as they finish. I love reading the responses and I kept these up for parent night because they look great too!
This is SO easy to prepare and it gets kids thinking about your content area, up and moving! (I’m really big on building in brain breaks that get kids up and moving but also keep them on task.)
Team-building Activities (Free printables for each subject)
Cooperation is SO important in my science class. Set the expectations for positive teamwork and cooperation by engaging students in this science teamwork activity PLUS 3 other subject-area team-building activities!
Essential Question: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A TEAM PLAYER IN SCIENCE CLASS?
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| Students work in small learning teams to float, sink and suspend a single piece of foil BEFORE the other groups in the class! Emphasis is on discussion, planning and of course TEAM-building! |
Where can I get the other (free) subject area lessons to go with this?
FREE ELA Teamwork Activity
FREE Social Studies Teamwork Activity
FREE Math Teamwork Activity
FREE ELA Teamwork Activity
FREE Social Studies Teamwork Activity
FREE Math Teamwork Activity
Back to School “Quiz Quiz Swap” (Free printable)
QQS is one of my go to test review strategies, but I used it on the first day of school last year and it was awesome! Here is how it works: Each student gets a question card. Students walk around and meet up with each other face to face (only 2 kids per meet up). They take turns reading their questions to quiz the other student. When both questions have been asked/answered the students SWAP cards and walk away to meet up with another student. Every single kid is involved!
Locker Liner GET ORGANIZED (Free Printable)
This B2S activity works well as an organizational tool for new middle school kids or students who need organizational support. Students write out their schedule and then make a PLAN for stopping at their locker between classes. Many 6th graders need help with the process of changing classes and organizing the supplies they need at each locker break. After completing the printable sheet, students can post it in the back of their locker for reference and if time permits can organize their locker into “pit stop” sections to easily grab what they need each time they switch classes. This works especially well in a structured study period or homeroom.
Other Back to School Activities from Kate’s Classroom Cafe…
Back to School Newspaper:
There are a lot of classroom procedures to go over during the first days back. These fun printable activities focus on THE STUDENT! While kids work, I am able to go around and talk with EACH student personally, which is so important as I get to know each child. In addition, this provides time for me to call students in small groups to explain lab rules and groupings. The finished product makes a great open house display too.
I hope that you find some of these materials helpful in planning your awesome first days back to school this year. Happy Teaching!
