First+Day+Activities

Every new teacher needs a repertoire of ideas for the first day of school! Here are some fun ones!



 ||  Have the students create a cube with words (or pictures) of their summer. It is an interesting way to see what they did, and what they enjoyed over the break. This year I put the cubes up in a net above the class for the first month. Another version would be to have the students choose two faces to share with the class in a circle on the carpet. ||  ||  Students must find someone in the class who fits the description of every box. A great way to get to know their classmates better. ||
 * Activity || Description ||
 * Holiday Cube
 * Introduce your partner ||  Have the students partner up (or randomly assign them) and have the introduce each other to the class. ||
 * Class Scavenger Hunt
 * Classroom Rules ||  As a class brainstorm some good rules for the classroom. Doing this helps students have ownership over the rules and they are more likely to follow them. You could extend this by creating a learning contract about class behaviour and having every student sign it. ||
 * Class Point Rules ||  If you are using a classroom management strategy that includes "class points" the first day is a good time to decide what earns/looses points and the types of rewards. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Class Helpers || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> As a class brainstorm classroom jobs and select the students who will hold those jobs for the first month. Rotate through all the students in the class throughout the year. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Create a bookmark

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Reading is always important. Students enjoy creating their own bookmarks. You can always get them laminated later in the week. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Have students fill this out to learn about where they do homework, the resources they have at home and find out who usually helps them with their homework. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Have students complete this survey to figure out what learning styles are more prevalent in your class. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Use this form to let students tell you how they learn best. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">It is always nice to learn about what interests your students have. These are three surveys/activities that work well. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Homework survey
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Personal Coat of Arms || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Have students create a visual representation of themselves. It is a good idea to have an example, which is another good way to introduce yourself to the students. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Recipe of Me || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Depending on the age of the students, and your first literacy unit, you may choose to have the student write a recipe of themselves to relay the important information about themselves. This could be done in a poem, or in a real recipe format. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Learner Profile Survey
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Fortune Teller about me || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Hands on art. Have students create a chinese fortune teller about themselves. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Picture Time || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> Take pictures of students on the first day of school. You can add them to the class scrapbook or use it for a writing piece later on. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Time Capsule || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> As a class (at the end of the first week) compile some things to represent the class at the beginning of the year. Allow them to open and discuss at the end of the year. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Self evaluation of learning
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">One little letter[[file:One little letter.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A good first writing assignment. Students must find specific things that all start with the first letter of their name. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Mystery Search[[file:Mystery Search.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Kind of like a "where is waldo" search. A good time filler for fast finishers during the intro week. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Math Title Page Pattern[[file:Math title page pattern.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Explain that each student has to fill this out in a pattern. Every student does a unique one and they usually take great pride in it. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Math Coloring[[file:Math pattern coloring.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A neat math/ art activity. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Interest Inventory[[file:Interest Inventory.pdf]]
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Graphing Me[[file:Graphing Me.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Another version of an interest survey, includes math! ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">First Day Survey[[file:First Day of School survey.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Have students take this home at the end of the first day and return the next morning. It will allow them to share specific areas of the day with their parents and help you to learn about how they felt about the whole day. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Finger Puppets[[file:Finger puppets.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">A fun arts and crafts activity. You may choose to tie it into a story that you read. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Levelled Bookmarks[[file:bookmarks for reading levels.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">To aid students with comprehension, these bookmarks provide questions they should be asking themselves or being asked by parents. Hand these out when you get a grasp on the various reading levels. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Alien from Zarg[[file:Alien from Zarg.pdf]] || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;"> This is a neat activity to help students with adjectives. You possibly use it as an initial assessment of writing level. ||



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">- Extend by having students write their own poem about what is important about them using the same format as the book.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Good Books for the first day: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">- Discuss character traits and how the class can act to bring smiles to each other everyday.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The Ant and the Elephant by Bill Peet <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">- Use to discuss helping and positive attitudes to have in class.