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This site contains a collection of easy-to-use first week of school connection activities.

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These are things we do in our classroom, during the first week of school. It is not comprehensive, but everything is free and helps build community.

Interest Inventories

Learn more about your students, as you begin the school year, with Interest Inventories. Three versions are available, primary, Grades 3-5 and MS.

4 Corners Posters

Mount these posters to help with the activity, 4 Corners. Colors include: Capri Pink, Ibiza Blue, Laurel Leaf, Very Peri (Purplish)

Art Lesson

I use this lesson on the first day of school to explain perspective, talk about a growth mindset, and give all students a chance to work in the arts. Moreover, students return to this technique throughout the school year.

Math

Janda Lannigan created this assessment to gauge student understand in math. The assessment includes the student version, interpretation guide, and scoring sheet. Thanks Janda!

Riddle

The Fox, Chicken and Grain activity is as old an activity as they get. The YouTube video ( here) walks students through the question and I have created a pdf with pictorial representations.

Riddle

The 9 Dots riddle ( here), in which students connect 9 dots using four line segments

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These are things we do in our classroom, during the first week of school. It is not comprehensive, but everything is free and helps build community. ActivityDescriptionlinkFind Someone WhoStudents move around the room, asking their peers questions, and finding matches to the grid on their paper. 16 sq.

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Overview:
Participants reflect on a statement, image, or prompt and move to a "corner" that matches their choice.
When and Why:
“Corners” is helpful in promoting the importance of divergent perspectives and the value of having all voices heard.
Steps:
1. Mark four to five areas in the room with a large image, number, or word that corresponds to the choices you will be giving.
2. Ask participants to silently reflect on a statement or question prompt that is aligned to the content of the engagement.
3. Share response choices with the group or on a poster/slide

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Activity Name
Overview
Steps

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High School Examples at bottom of page

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Get to know your students with would you rather questions perfect for preschoolers to high schoolers.

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Overview: Use the mood meter tool to check in with students about their current emotional state. Studies show that enlarging our emotions vocabulary is an essential piece of self-awareness.
Steps:  If concept is new to students, use the video on the bottom right of the slide to explain.
Students choose a color quadrant to represent their current emotional state, then choose a word that matches the intensity of their mood. They can share with a partner or survey the group for their main color.
*Note: this tool can also be useful to help students gauge how they are feeling about upcoming class content/assessments.

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Students pick up a sheet of prepared questions (sometimes the students make the questions in a previous class) that they get other students in class to answer, and collect the initials of the other students as they answer. The questions can be answered in any order, and students can also rely on me for an answer. It eases a bit of anxiety in that students don't feel driven to answer every question, and difficult answers can be found while answering questions on fellow students' papers.

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Overview:  While teacher is completing attendance or setting up the lesson for the day, students are using that time to greet each other and get to know each other better.  The "What's for breakfast" question allows students to talk about what they like, what sounds interesting, and also sometimes about what might be served culturally in the home.  It also gives me an opportunity to remind them about free breakfast here at HHS.

Steps: Pose the question, encourage students to speak to every person at their table group, share out with the larger group. Remind them how important breakfast is each day. Very simple, but effective and the students love it. You can switch out the question about breakfast, and use their favorite hip hop artists, best cartoon character, best chicken sandwich, etc. It is a great way to get students talking!

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EAFapku-VxYcJcuLRA_7NYhPd-D-wtF-RL1ww3zaF_s/edit

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Welcoming/Inclusion Activity Mix and Mingle.  ESTES

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Overview:  This is a brainteaser which mirrors the cryptograms/cryptoquotes that can be found in newspapers and online. Students generally enjoy puzzles, and this is a great icebreaker to begin class.

Steps: Students will take a sheet of notebook paper and copy a cryptogram from the projector screen.  The cryptogram is a quote that can relate to our unit of study or simply something fun.  Each letter stands for another letter in the alphabet.  I will give the students 1 letter to help them begin the puzzle.  Students work in pairs to figure out the quote and the author of the quote. The first group done wins a small prize like a piece of candy.

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Welcoming/Inclusion Activity #1 – Mix and Mingle (Modified)-Elizabeth Blosky

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Welcoming/Inclusion Activity #1 – Mix and Mingle (Modified)-Elizabeth Blosky

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Elizabeth Blosky                  Marking Period 1 – Portfolio Submission 22-23

11/02/22 – Welcoming/Inclusion Activity #1 – Mix and Mingle (Modified)

Activity Overview: This activity involved speaking with one other student in the room and actively listening to the other student’s response to the prompt.

Description of Welcoming Activity:

Each student was paired up with another student sitting near them.

As a class, we made a list of behaviors that define active listening.

Then I gave the prompt to the class.

The prompt was for each student to tell his/her partner about something he/she enjoyed doing over the weekend or on Monday evening.

The students were instructed to actively listen to his/her partner and then switch roles.

As a class, we debriefed by discussing the pros and cons of the activity, SEL strategies used during the activity and student suggestions to improve the activity.

Steps:

1)    Each student is paired up with another student sitting near him/her.

2)    As a class, the students and teacher should create a list of behaviors that define active listening.

3)    The teacher should give the prompt to the class.  (Teacher or a student could create the prompt)

4)    Give the students instructions to actively listen to his/her partner and then switch roles.

5)    As a class, debrief by discussing the pros and cons of the activity, SEL strategies used during the activity and student suggestions to improve the activity.

Student Response to Activity:
In each of my classes, the students were actively engaged in completing the activity.
This activity helps build community by encouraging students to interact with each other.

Students commented that they enjoyed the chance to interact with other students with whom they might not speak during the day to discuss a non-school related topic.

A student said that he appreciated having another student engaged in the information he was speaking.
Another student said he learned something new about a classmate that they have in common.

Students said to actively listen they used body language to turn to their peer speaking, maintained eye contact throughout the discussion and focused on the responses provided.
Students made a few suggestions for discussion topics that they thought would be more engaging such as discussing hobbies, sharing an unknown skill, or discussing a Would You Rather question.

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Welcoming Activity: One, Two, Three, Clap!

-Amy Licata

Overview: I tried this activity with all my classes on a Friday. It had the students complete three rounds of counting to 3 with a partner using different sequences. I did this at the beginning of class and used it to build up some energy at the beginning of the new marking period. It was an activity that demonstrated the importance of working together and allowing mistakes to happen yet continue to keep trying.

The students reacted with a lot of positive energy. I heard students working through the activity together and encouraging each other. I also heard a lot of laughing, when they realized they made a mistake as a group. Students said it was more challenging than they thought, but they did not feel any pressure or worry about making mistakes. I tied this into taking risks when learning a new concepts and allowing mistakes to happen because they will learn from them.

Description: Each partner had to say/do the next number of the sequence. The students would continue to repeat this sequence until it was directed to stop and move to the next round.

Steps:  Each partner had to say/do the next number of the sequence. In the first round, students counted out loud 1,2,3 and repeated. In the second round, students clapped instead of saying 1 and then said 2,3 out loud and repeated. In the third round, students clapped instead of saying 1 and snapped their fingers instead of saying 2 and then said 3 out loud and repeated.

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Overview: The continuum bell ringer is a great, minimal planning bell ringer activity for any curriculum. Students are given topics and are then tasked with placing them on a continuum and justifying their placements.

Steps: Choose two ends of a continuum spectrum (concrete example is below). Then, select at least 5 items for students to place on the continuum based on where they believe something belongs. Finally, ask students to justify their placements.

Example:
Best and worst ice cream flavors
Worst ---------------------- Best
Items: Vanilla, chocolate, rocky road, fudge ripple, strawberry, moose tracks

Students would now place the items on the continuum based on where they think they belong. Once they have placed them, they should discuss why they placed them where they did.

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Overview: Students simultaneously stretch and monitor breathing until the absurdity of the poses results in amused and relaxed moods and (hopefully) laughter.

Description: Students are asked to stand and mirror the stretches of the teacher at the front of class and regulate deep breathing. Stretches are initially basic and achievable (somewhat serious) and devolve into silly poses and stances.

Steps:
1. Encourage standing and participation
2. Model deep breathing and remind students to focus on their breath
3. Stretch arms, legs, and back for 20 seconds on each pose
4. Start to pose with more amusing stances (like YMCA dance)
5. Finish with absurd poses that may require balance or that look ridiculous (like a flamingo or teapot)

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Activity Overview: One, Two, Three, Clap! (Modified)

Description of Activity:

Students work in groups of 2-4 (lab groups) to complete a challenge that is harder than it looks.  They use the following steps:

Steps:

1.     Round 1: The students could to three as a group.  Student 1 says “1”, student 2 says “2”, student 3 says “3”, and then student 4 says “1”.  They keep going for 2 minutes.  Then, they discuss any mistakes and how they could do better.

2.     Round 2: The students could to three as a group.  Student 1 says “1”, student 2 claps, student 3 says “3”, and then student 4 says “1”.  They keep going for 2 minutes.  Then, they discuss any mistakes and how they could do better.

3.     Round 3: The students could to three as a group.  Student 1 snaps, student 2 claps,  student 3 says “3”, and then student snaps.  They keep going for 2 minutes.  Then, they discuss any mistakes and how they could do better.

4.     Round 4: The students could to three as a group.  Student 1 snaps, student 2 claps, student 3 says “woo”, and then student 4 snaps.  They keep going for 2 minutes.  Then, they discuss any mistakes and how they could do better.

Student Feedback/Reflection:

The students loved this activity.  I used this with my AP Chemistry group the day after a difficult double period test.  Many were confused as to why we were doing it.  I talked about how we needed to laugh and shake off the seriousness of the test.  I also discussed how this was a good way to have fun with our new lab partners. I found that the students were much more energetic and focused when we started the new lesson.

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1) Talk for a Minute (Megan MacNicol)

2) This is a short welcoming activity that can easily be used in any class. The teacher posts a topic (it can be related to class content or just something fun) and students pair up and discuss the topic for a minute. This is a great review activity.

3) The steps for this activity are as follows:
a) Teacher posts a question on the board with a visual timer
b) Students get in groups of 2-3 students.
c) Students discuss the theme or prompt posted by the teacher.
d) Timer goes off and students rotate to another group.
e) Teacher posts a new questions. I usually use 3-5 questions for this activity at the start or close to the start of class.

At the end, sometimes I have the students share out what they learned about the topic or about one of their classmates. This activity works really well in a world language classroom because it provides the students with an opportunity to talk in the target language in a low pressure environment.

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One way I like to welcome students and engage them early in the morning is to highlight one of the National Days and have a conversation starter. For example, Nov 17 is national butter day, so I would start a conversation with students like "what do you like to put butter on?"

When possible, I like to tie in a video and/or a song that has to do with the national day, too. There are a lot of fun national days and you can find lots of fun songs (pop culture, parodies, oldies, new music to explore new genres). For example, Nov 17th was national homemade bread day and also national butter day. So we reviewed the song Bread & Butter by The Newbeats.

This is just a simple, quick way that isn't heavily academic based to start expressing themselves and learn about each other if they choose to share out. We have learned a lot about each other throughout the year doing this.

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Overview:  While the teacher is taking attendance, students are using that time to read a quote or ponder a question.  The morning "thunker" of the day allows students to engage in a thoughtful conversation with the teacher about the topic of the day.

Steps: Have the quote or question ready on the power point. Some examples may include... "If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything" or "Do you save or squish a bug that comes into your house?" Give the students time to reflect. Ask if students have any reactions about today's topic. Teachers may chime in with their own thoughts on the days that students are not quick to want to share. It's a great way to get students to open up outside of the regular classroom topics.

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Overview: Use a collection of quotes with the same theme to positively start each class

Description: This activity is used in our orchestra rehearsals. Our quotes are focused on concepts of culture, and our Three G's - Grit, Grind and Gratitude. They are lifted from different books I have read such as Coyle's "The Talent Code" and "The Culture Code"

Steps:
1. Find a theme that is important to you (for us, it's culture)
2. Find resources on that topic and read them. As you read, keep track of quotes (and cite them appropriately) in a Microsoft Word document.
3. Take the quotes, enlarge them, and put them individually on flashcards/note cards.
4. Create a system of having one student (new student each day) read a flashcard. For us, the student today picks the student for tomorrow.
5. After each quote is read, make sure the students understand the context and significance.

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Roll Call- Question of the Day- M. Breiner

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Roll Call- Question of the Day- M. Breiner

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One of my favorite welcoming activities that I try to perform daily/weekly is a Roll Call question. It can be something as simple as asking what their favorite candy is to asking mental health questions. It is a great conversation starter and allows for students to begin to form a class community.

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What's Going on in the World
Overview: Actively promoting school events such as spirit days, athletic games, and extracurricular activities promotes school espirit de corps and community. These activities help build students' social awareness and relationship skills within the CASEL SEL framework.
Steps: Dedicate an area of your classroom such as a whiteboard to upcoming events that you update daily. Unlike a bulletin board, the key is to update the information daily so the activity board is used by the students and referenced in class as part of they welcoming routine. (An example of the hockey team schedule and results is above)

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Greetings - Roll Call - Best part of your Day (Gustantino)

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Greetings - Roll Call - Best part of your Day (Gustantino)

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One of my favorite activities that I do is I ask some kids what has been the "Best Part of your day". They cannot say breakfast or lunch, they have to give me a little more detail. They also cannot say my class :-) I learn about other teachers and what they are doing and share that feedback with them. For example, I shared with Mr. Bean about a student that he has in class that said he really enjoys his class. It makes teachers realize that they made a connection that they probably did not know about.

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Variation on "Synchronized Stretches"--Breathing Brain Break (Michelle O'Brien)

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Variation on "Synchronized Stretches"--Breathing Brain Break (Michelle O'Brien)

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When I notice my students are fatigued or "glazing over," we take a breathing brain break.
We all "stop (what we were working on) and stand."
First, we stretch each side by trying to "touch the ceiling" (this is to make them actually stretch and not just raise their hands like they're answering a question).
We all "moan and groan" (I big a show of this to make it sillier).
Then, we take several deep breaths, raising our arms as we inhale and lowering our arms as we exhale.
Next, we shrug our shoulders up to our ears several times.
Finally, we shake our arms and legs out.
All of this takes under two minutes and usually ends up in their laughing a bit at how silly we all look. Then, we get back to work, feeling a bit of relief and getting some oxygen to their brains.

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The first welcoming activity that I completed with my class was the “Name and Motion” activity.  This activity helps students remember their peers’ names to share something they enjoy.  Students are to make a motion of the thing or activity they like when they say their name.  This welcoming task is great for my classes since I am a Health and PE teacher.  I tell the students to share their favorite physical activity, which is easy for them to show via the motion.

The vast majority of students took it seriously and displayed their favorite physical activity.  Many of the students did the motion of the sport or activity that they were part of through the school.  Some students found it difficult to pick just one motion of their favorite physical activity.

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Overview: Remind students that they have more in common with their peers than they may think! Students will work in small groups to figure out what they have in common with their group members by discussing topics, hobbies, films, tv, books, etc.

Steps:
- Organize students into small groups.
- Instruct students to discuss their hobbies, interests, likes/dislikes, etc., for the duration of the timer to see what they have in common with their small group. The group is successful when they can identify similarities among the group members. (Remind students that similarities, such as using social media or eating, are surface level and not accomplishing the goal of the activity.)
- Set a visual timer for students.
- Repeat these steps with a larger group.

I always find it fun when my students realize they are interested in something their peers are interested in! Doing activities like this help students to realize those common threads that connect us more often.

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Would you Rather?
Mandy Warren

I love doing Would you Rathers with my students.  I display a Google Slide with two options.  I read the options to the students then we move to either side of the room to choose which item they would rather have/do.  There are so many options of topics for Would you Rather games!  I love doing these throughout the year!

My students love to get up and move around the room to make their choices!  They also love the silly choices that are offered sometimes.  It gives us a chance to talk about the different options and you get to know the kids a bit when they open up about their choices!

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Question /Quote / Topic of the Day (KDilger)

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Question /Quote / Topic of the Day (KDilger)

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Students have become accustomed to the routine to start class. I am always at the door to greet them by name. They grab their journals and respond to the prompt of the day - may be a sentence starter, quote, fun questions, something to get them thinking... I write as well. We then share our responses. I is a great way to focus my students on writing - a task they dislike!

Steps:
~greet each student by name as they enter
~prompt to grab journals
~respond to the daily prompt on the board (students and staff)
~share responses (student and staff)

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The question is posted and read allowed. Students are given time to process their answer while attendance is being taken. Then each student responds to the question aloud. this helps to build a community and discover connections.

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Erin Ives:

Overview: As simple as it is, I have found that providing students with built in transition time between activities to check their phones or to simply catch their breath has been tremendously valuable for making sure that students are productive and ready to learn throughout class. I have stopped seeing an issue with students wanting to check their phones during instruction when they know that after 15 minutes of work time, they will have a quick break to check in with me or check their devices if they need. Steps: Managing the class period with the understanding of allowing pauses in our learning to process what is happening has allowed for a deeper sense of community and respect. It also has helped combat anxiety as students can see the schedule of our breakdown for the period before getting started.

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Barb Clouser:
This is an activity adapted from the Link Crew curriculum. The idea is for small groups of students to work together to reach a common goal. It is quick and requires little preparation and can be the ideal activity if students need a brain break.
1) Have students count off 1, 2, 3 to form groups. Once they are in groups, tell them that as a group they are going to count from 1 to 20.
2) The numbers must be said in consecutive order 1-20 by all different people in the group.
3) The group cannot discuss strategy or point at people to indicate who goes next.
4) Each person in the group must say at least one number and each person can see no more than three numbers.
5) If two people say the same number at the same time, the group starts over.
This can get quite competitive with groups working to see how fast they can accomplish the goal.

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I start every class with a "Greeting and a Reading." The content varies based on the class. In my English classes, I read a selection from "Mistakes that Worked," a fun book that explains how some very common items came into existence. In Speech, I read from the "Worst Case Scenario Survivor Handbook." In Theatre Arts, I read from a variety of page-a-day calendars. All of the readings are fun, entertaining, interesting topics and they promote follow-up conversations.

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What's New-sworthy with you? -Maria Mrozowski

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What's New-sworthy with you? -Maria Mrozowski

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Activity Name: What's New-sworthy with you?

Overview: I did a version of the "What's New?" activity with my students after the holiday break. Instead of telling the students to share something NEW with their partners, I asked them to share something NEWSWORTHY that occurred with them over the holiday break. I specified that almost anything in life can become newsworthy, especially if you advertise it as a news headline. The activity encouraged the students to put a fun twist on a classic "What did you do over break?" question.

Steps:
1. Each student is paired up with a partner who is already sitting near them.
2. The pairs spend a couple of minutes sharing their "event" with their partners from over break.
3. Once they have each shared an event, they work together to create a "headline" for each event following the formula: Subject + Verb + Object. For example, "Teacher sleeps past 6am."
4. Each pair then announces their partner's headline.  *In most classes, the students will laugh and ask questions after each person shares.

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As students enter daily, I make it a point to say hi and address each student. The goal with this is to check in with each individual. I also ask how their day has been or if anything has come up that would be of concern or worry. I also try to sit down and work one on one with each student within the first 10 minutes of the class if it is a possibilty.

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One welcoming activity is having each student share a goal. This can be good at the beginning of the year, at the start of a new marking period, after a long break or to start a new unit. First, I give them the prompt and a few examples. Then I have them think about it independently and/or write it down. Then I have each student share with a neighbor or in a small group. Lastly, I ask if anyone wants to share with the class. There's mixed enthusiasm with this activity, as some students actively want to improve in some areas, while other students are content as they are and don't always see a need to set a goal. But the majority of students seem to appreciate the opportunity to connect with their classmates in a non-math activity before diving into a new lesson.

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The first welcoming activity that I completed with my class was the “Name and Motion” activity.  This activity helps students remember their peers’ names to share something they enjoy.  Students are to make a motion of the thing or activity they like when they say their name.  This welcoming task is great for my classes since I am a PE teacher.  I tell the students to share their favorite physical activity, which is easy for them to show via the motion.

The vast majority of students took it seriously and displayed their favorite physical activity.  Many of the students did the motion of the sport or activity that they were part of through the school.  Some students found it difficult to pick just one motion of their favorite physical activity.

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Although this is very simple, I always ask my students at the beginning of class on a Monday to share with their table group what the highlight of their weekend was. It can be a movie they saw, spending time with friends, being accepted into college, or merely getting caught up on sleep. The students really seem to enjoy this activity. Oftentimes there's a lot of laughter as they share with one another. Because my students sit in table groups, this activity has also helped them make connections with one another. After they share with their table groups, I ask if anyone has a highlight they'd like to share with the entire class. This activity gives the students and I time to celebrate what's important to them.

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A series of questions to get to know the students. The last question is one that they share out to class. What is one thing that most people do not know about you but it is okay to share? Then I give appropriate examples and allow them a few minutes to think.

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Kim West
Daily Check In

The Daily Check In can be curriculum focused or general depending upon the mood and time.

1. When students enter the classroom and are settled I will start broadly by addressing the class and saying hello.
2. I will then ask a general question. For example, when talking about the significance of books on a character in our whole class novel, the question will be something like "What was your favorite childhood book?"
3. Students will share out and then we debrief as a whole class. When sharing, each student gets my full attention. While students are sharing out, it's important to keep other students focused and locked in on the sharing by reminding them of the expectations.

It's important to note that Daily Check-Ins can also be about sharing "wins" or "glows" and even asking students to engage with non-verbal cues about their feelings regarding an assignment or content. This activity is easily adaptable and allows students to center and focus to start class with an accessible activity.  Many of these questions also allow students to see common ground with their peers. (The Eric Carle books were a huge hit with my students this year.)