21 Ideas for the First Week of School

As I gear upwards to start planning the upcoming outset calendar week of school, I am all of a abrupt reminded that I never got around to blogging most what I did during the outset calendar week of schoolhouse LAST twelvemonth inward it's entirety. I made a list, together with I was shocked to detect out that I did 21 dissimilar activities lastly year. I knew nosotros did a bunch, but fifty-fifty I was shocked past times that number! So, I've decided to weblog most those activities inward the hopes that it volition inspire me to acquire started planning for this year!

It is of import to banknote that all of my students did non consummate all of these activities. Please, practise non essay to jibe inward all 21 activities! I taught 4 preps lastly twelvemonth amongst some of my classes overlapping, then I had to acquire creative to hold sure enough students from getting bored.

Getting to Know You Quizzes - This was my 2nd twelvemonth to start out the outset 24-hour interval of aeroplane amongst a quiz. Be sure enough to denote to the aeroplane that in that location is going to live a quiz, together with it volition live graded. Let them panic a bit. Allow them to think you lot must live the world's cruelest teacher. Then, exceed out the quiz.

Here's lastly year's quiz:

When students insist that they can't possible accept this quiz because they don't know you, only inquire them to brand an educated guess. Usually the siblings of old students practise the best on the quiz. I ever give a slice of candy or some other sort of prize to the pupil who gets the most questions right.

I unremarkably give students around v minutes to consummate the quiz. Then, I locomote over the answers. Afterwards, I give students a gamble to write a quiz most themselves for me to take. Last year's students idea it super unfair that my quiz was complimentary response when the quiz they were writing for me was multiple choice.

I accept each student's quiz subsequently schoolhouse on the outset 24-hour interval together with provide them outset affair on the 2nd day. Students honey grading my answers. They are ever sure enough to permit me know only how good or how badly I did. Some students are genuinely tricky amongst their questions, together with I oftentimes acquire 0 questions right on a students quiz. Kids practise acquire weirded out past times my lucky guesses, though. I often heard "How did you lot know that?!?"

Here's 1 of the questions I had to reply lastly year:

Name Tents - Last year, v of my 6 classes consisted of almost completely freshmen. This meant I had what felt similar a zillion novel names to learn. here. 

Rainbow Logic - This is some other activeness I learned most from reading Cohen's Designing Groupwork (affiliate link). This activeness requires a gameboard together with 16 colored squares for each student. I likewise used testing dividers (affiliate link) to hold the grid keeper's board hidden from the residual of the group.

Here's what the gameboard together with pieces expect like. I conduct hold uploaded the files for you lot to download for complimentary here. The full general gist of the game is that 1 mortal inward the grouping makes a colored grid inward secret.  However, you lot can't brand only whatsoever grid.  You tin only purpose 3 colors, together with you lot must purpose 3 of each of the 3 colors.  And, all of the squares of the same color must live connected past times at to the lowest degree 1 total side. Once the grid is made, the grouping discusses which questions they should inquire to figure out what color goes inward each box of the grid. They require to hash out their questions earlier they select which 1 to inquire to come across which questioning path volition hopefully live the most efficient. The destination is to figure out the grid inward the to the lowest degree possible number of questions.  

My students genuinely enjoyed this activity. They didn't desire to halt until everyone had a plough every bit "Grid Keeper." You tin read to a greater extent than most this activeness inward especial here.

 

Build It - I learned most Build It from Stanford's website.  The activeness is from the book Get It Together: Math Problems for Groups Grades 4-12 (affiliate link).  

Here are the instructions I used amongst my students: 

Each pupil was given 1 or 2 cards.  Without showing their cards to their teammates, they had to purpose their linking cubes (affiliate link) to construct the prescribed object.  

I honey that this activeness encourages students to run together cooperatively to plough over a single, lastly product. Because each pupil tin only come across their ain card(s), they require the other students inward social club to succeed. Students conduct hold to conduct hold a programme to live successful! My students were then excited when they figured out each puzzle! 

Thirteen - I learned most this game from here.

Lonesome Llama - This activeness is from IMP. I used this activeness amongst juniors together with seniors lastly year, together with they genuinely struggled amongst it. My students spent a flake over 30 minutes on this activity. Some groups were successful piece others ended upwards giving up. I don't think my students realized only how careful together with precise they would conduct hold to live amongst their linguistic communication together with description inward this activity. 

Groups are given a deck of cards that are to live dealt evenly betwixt the grouping members. Each pupil may only expect at their ain cards. They may depict their cards inward words to the other students, but they cannot permit some other pupil come across their cards.  

Here's the introduction that should live given to students: In the province where llamas run free, llamas alive inward fancy houses decorated amongst wonderful shapes. Most llamas alive inward houses that expect similar the solid of at to the lowest degree 1 other llama. Llamas who alive inward identical houses tend to play together. One llama, however, has a solid dissimilar from all the rest. This way this llama is left all alone. If you lot tin assist detect the lonesome llama, perchance you lot tin innovate that llama to others. 

 

Students conduct hold to run together to determine which llama solid is the "singleton." 

If you lot don't conduct hold access to the IMP curriculum, Stanford offers 2 real similar activities on their complex didactics website: Island Maps together with Lots of Dots (must download zip file). Both versions involve challenging students to position the singleton card.  

Sprouts - Sprouts is a mathematical game that was invented past times 2 mathematicians: Conway together with Paterson inward the 1960s. I holler upwards reading most this game every bit a small-scale fry inward a mass of mathematical games that lived on the bookshelf inward my family's living room. The rules are slow to learn, together with the only things required are something to write amongst together with something to write on. 

For my students, this way dry out erase markers together with dry out erase boards. You tin download the rules from nrich. Here is how they explicate it: 

Image Source: https://nrich.maths.org/2413

My kids LOVED this activity, together with nosotros genuinely ended upwards having a Sprouts Tournament inward 1 aeroplane that ended amongst a newspaper trophy beingness awarded to the winner! 

Here are some photos of their games: 

Some of my students got SUPER competitive together with wanted to essay a large number of dots to start out with. Evidence below. 

Make a Million - This is some other activeness that I learned from here. 

Petals Around the Rose - I learned most this encephalon teaser activeness from Annie Forest's blog, together with it's been a staple inward my classroom ever since. If you're unfamiliar amongst the game, I conduct hold establish that the best way to larn is to essay your manus at this online version. Five die are rolled. Guess the score. The only dominion is that the holler of the game is important.  

If you're curious the score you lot should gauge for the to a higher house gyre is 0. Why? The holler of the game is important. Petals Around the Rose. After playing a few rounds on the SMARTBoard, students start to cast theories. I inquire them to hold their theories to themselves. Instead, I invite them to exam out their theories. I gyre the die 1 time to a greater extent than together with inquire them to inform the aeroplane of the score. I won't believe that a pupil has figured out the tube of petals around the rose until they tin acquire 3 rolls inward a row right without assistance from classmates. 

When students figure it out, they are sworn to secrecy. They acquire a membership carte du jour for the Fraternity of Petals Around the Rose, together with they acquire to sign their holler on a poster that hangs inward my classroom. You tin download the files for these here. 

As some students figure out the secret, the other students acquire increasingly frustrated. It's pretty adorable when the students who conduct hold figured it out remind the students who conduct hold yet to acquire it that "The holler of the game is important." I conduct hold had students acquire out aeroplane together with download an app version which they conduct hold played until they finally figured it out. Other students similar to accept the game abode together with challenge their solid unit of measurement members to figure it out. Even though this is sort of a one-off activeness since it's no fun 1 time most know how it works, kids silent beg to play it 1 time to a greater extent than ALL. YEAR. LONG. 

This activeness is a definite keeper. 

1-4-5 Challenge - I printed together with laminated a laid of these encephalon teasers a few years ago, together with they are perfect to push clit out when you lot conduct hold v or x minutes that require to live filled. This likewise makes a dandy activeness for emphasizing increase mindset during the outset calendar week of school. You tin download a printable version of this activeness together with read all the details here. 

Using these v pieces, I number 3 challenges of increasing difficulty to my students. 

First, using just 1 piece, brand a square. That's slow enough. Next, using just 4 pieces, brand a square. This is a flake tricky, but most students detect it do-able. Finally, using all v pieces, brand a square. This 1 is super tricky. So tricky that many students start to think that it must live impossible. Until, of course, 1 of their classmates figures it out! 

Here are some of my students' attempts: 

Train Game - The truthful holler of the prepare game is 20 Express (affiliate link). But, it chop-chop got coined "The Train Game" past times my students a few years ago. I received this game every bit a gift a few years ago, together with I knew that I had to purpose it amongst my students. 

According to Blue Orange's website, the game has been discontinued. But, they practise offering free downloadable game sheets that are the principal affair you lot require to play the game! 

Image Source: http://www.blueorangegames.com/images/20ExpressScoringSheet_Website.jpg

You volition likewise require a laid of number cards to trace from. In the past, I've made a laid of these numbers from bingo chips, popsicle sticks, together with laminated paper. Whatever you lot use, you lot volition require xl of them. You'll require the numbers 1-30. Then, you'll require an additional laid of 11-19. Finally, you'll require some sort of wild card. In the game, they stand upwards for this past times an asterisk. 

As number cards are drawn, students must create upwards one's withdraw heed which prepare auto to write each number in. Once a number is written, it may non live erased or moved. The destination is to acquire every bit many numbers placed inward increasing social club every bit possible. The score nautical chart inward the middle shows that longer strings of increasing values are worth to a greater extent than points. 

Here's a sample carte du jour I've used amongst my students to assist them empathise the game: 

My students are unremarkably super confused the outset fourth dimension nosotros play this game. Then, their competitive sides come upwards out! I impress out the game cards together with slide them into dry erase pockets (affiliate link) to brand them easily reusable. 

Traffic Light Game - This is yet some other game that I learned most from Rainbow Logic gameboards. 

Once my students caught on to how it worked, they genuinely enjoyed it. I had to hold reminding students that they ever conduct hold 3 choices. Place a crimson chip on an empty square. Change a crimson chip to a yellowish chip. Change a yellowish chip to a light-green chip. The outset histrion to brand a movement that results inward 3 chips of the same color inward a row wins. 

I tried this lastly twelvemonth amongst my lowest aeroplane story (Math Concepts) together with my highest aeroplane story (Trigonometry). My math concepts students struggled to empathise together with apply the rules correctly. My trig students genuinely got into the activity, together with they ended upwards setting upwards a bracket for a tournament. 

1-100 Activity - This activeness is a keeper from Witzzle here. 

SET - Another 1 of my favorite math-y games is SET. If you lot are non familiar amongst SET, it is a carte du jour game that tin live played lonely or amongst a grouping that relies on designing recognition.  Here's the basic rules courtesy of the SET company. 

Read the residual of the rules here: http://www.setgame.com/sites/default/files/instructions/SET%20INSTRUCTIONS%20-%20ENGLISH.pdf

Though I straightaway honey the game of SET, this has non ever been so.  I holler upwards reading weblog posts mentioning SET for years.  The SET website has a daily SET game on their website that I attempted 1 day.  I could non figure it out for the life of me which made me experience similar maybe I wasn't genuinely cutting out to live a math teacher!  

Link to Daily Set Puzzle: http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle

Thankfully, when I went to the SET session at Math Teachers' Circle, I was seated amongst a few ladies who already knew how to play the game.  They were SUPER patient amongst me together with permit me brand mistakes together with larn from them.  Once I figured out the rules for the game, I realized it was genuinely FUN!  

I was eager to portion the game amongst my students 1 time I knew how it worked!  In my ain classroom, I conduct hold found this animated, interactive tutorial super effective for introducing students to the game.

After going through this tutorial amongst my students, I prefer to permit them run through the daily laid puzzle from The New York Times.  This is DIFFERENT from the daily laid puzzle on the SET company's website.  What I LOVE most the New York Times version is that it comes inward dissimilar levels which is dandy for students who are silent a flake confused most how the game works.  

Here's an event of Basic Level 1. As you lot tin see, all of the cards are already the same color.  

And, here's an event of Advanced Level 1.  

I conduct hold had some students acquire super obsessed amongst the SET game!  One year, I had a pupil beg to accept a deck abode over the weekend then she could play amongst her mom.  

I detect that if I learn students how to play SET during the outset calendar week of schoolhouse that it makes a dandy warm-up or time-filler activeness throughout the residual of the schoolhouse year. 

This concludes my listing of every unmarried activeness I used during the outset calendar week of schoolhouse lastly year. Can you lot imagine how long this post would live if I included every unmarried outset calendar week of schoolhouse activeness for my entire career?!? Of course, I left things off the listing similar going over the syllabus together with setting upwards our interactive notebooks, but I think there's plenty information hither to hold you lot busy for a while. ;) Have fun planning your outset calendar week of school!