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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Preparing your class for the first day of school: Part 5 (first day activities)

So your classroom is ready, the rules are set, and you have your procedures down.  Get ready for your kiddos!  Here are a few first day (or week) activities that you can easily do!

The Adjective Race
Each student is given a blank piece of paper and a marker.  They must go around and ask each of their classmates to write ONE adjective to describe them (in target language).  The first one done gets a small reward.  

The Find a Friend Who... Scavenger Hunt
This game requires the students to write down their favorite food, color, etc. (in the target language) and then find other students with the same likes.  First person to find a different person for every like wins a prize.  
Adaptable for older students
Click HERE for free download
For elementary students
Click HERE for free download
Letter to ME!
Have students write a letter to themselves during the first week of school and give it back to them at the end of the school year to see how much they have grown. 
Great for older elementary students 
I have, who has? 
This game gets the students asking questions and remembering vocabulary from last year. One student asks the question on their card, then the person with the answer of the question on their card says the answer, and then asks their own.  
Students can make a line to know who has answered already.  
When making your cards, make sure that every question has an answer and there are no repeated questions or answers.  
The elementary version just has students asking a question and giving a response (the prompt is on the cards).
The high school version has students asking a question WITH a definition and giving a response.  
Elementary card version
Click HERE for free download of the whole document
High School Version
Click HERE for free download of whole document

Journal Prompt
Students can write about they did over break in their journals they keep all year.  

Here are a few prompt ideas to write on the board the first day:
-What I did over vacations...
-What I wish I did over vacations...
-What I liked and disliked about vacations
-What will I do differently this school year?
-Describe myself (physically and emotionally) to my future self
-What will I be doing 5 years from now?  10 years? 20 years?
-How will I be different this year compared to last year?


My Job, Your Job
Have students list what your job and their job is.  This can be used to remind them later in the school year of their own expectations of themselves.  
Draw a line down the middle of your board.  Label one side Teacher's Jobs and the other side Students' Jobs.

Time Capsule 
Students create a few things for the teacher to store away until the end of the school year.  Then at the end of the school year, they create the same things and then see how much they have grown.
Items to put in the time capsule:
-a sample sentence in English
-hand print (or their hand traced)
-list of words they know in English 
-self portrait 

Self Portrait 
Students can draw a picture of themselves with their favorite thing, place, or activity. 

Interviews
Students, working individually or in pairs, create questions to ask another student or ask questions from a prepared sheet of questions.  They then take turns interviewing each other.  After the interview is over, the pairs can take turns presenting the others to the whole class. 


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