TeachersFirst: Resources for the First Day of School

Welcome Back TeachersFirst First Day of School Icebreakers:

No matter what level you teach, establishing rapport with a new group of students is key to knowing how to help them learn. Here is a list of reviewed resources that offer a chance for you and your students to get to know one another.

If you wish to narrow this list for a specific topic and grade level, try entering "first day" and (your topic) as search terms in the TeachersFirst keyword search, setting the grade level you seek, as well.

38 record(s) found - search again

A Mathematics Fantasy - The Million $ Mission Grade 4 to 9 - Cynthia Lanius- 6870

This unique lesson comes in two versions - a one-page short version and a more in-depth version. Students are given the choice of $1,000,000 or one penny for the first day doubled everyday for 30 days. This lesson is sure to grab your students' attention.

In the Classroom:
This is a great math exercise for the first day of school (you might want to bring in a real penny for each student). Use your interactive whiteboard or projector and make this fun lesson a whole class project. Have students decide which side they want to be on ($1,000,000 or penny doubled) and let the fun begin! Check out the teacher's notes page for additional ideas. Extend some of the activities by using a spreadsheet program to show an easy way to do the calculations for middle school students on computers.

Icebreakers, Games, and Fun Group Activities Grade K to 12 - icebreakers.ws- 8552

Start the first day of school or a new marking period with a getting-to-know you activity from this great, searchable collection. The activities are designed for all ages, so some will not work well with very young ones (such as writing things on slips of paper). The site is easy to navigate and sorts ideas by group size and activity level for easy retrieval. You are also invited to submit your own ideas. Since the site is designed for general use, not for schools, some ideas may be impractical in a classroom setting but could be easily adapted.

In the Classroom:
New or veteran teachers who want students get to know each other as they enter a new school (starting middle school, for example), want to observe them so YOU get to know them, or need to build better team skills with a challenging class or club, will find ideas to try. Mark this one as a Favorite so you can find it again, since "first day" activities tend to get lost in the flurry ---and in the fading memory-- during the year.

20 Questions Grade 5 to 12 - 20Q.netInc.- 10186

This intriguing site has the user choose an “answer,” and then the computer asks 20 questions trying to determine what your answer is. The answers to the 20 questions aren’t just YES or NO; they also include SOMETIMES, PROBABLY, IRRELEVANT, and others.

When you arrive at the site, click your language (there are MANY languages to choose from). Enter your gender, age, and location (optional). Then choose the “game” you wish to try. Some are more commercial (Disney, The Simpsons, or Star Trek). Others have educational value (Harry Potter, Earth, or Classic, Famous people). This is a fun and challenging activity. There are disclaimers that the "game gets smarter" the more you play because the game compiles facts over time. It is involving and fun to play. The site does include some advertisements.

In the Classroom:
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Teachers could have students research a person, place or thing and then use their research to play twenty questions against the computer. It could also be used as review if posted to the class wiki and then completed independently by students at home. Use this as a first day or first week activity, have students try the 20 question game about names and see if the computer can figure out their name. Use the Earth activity for geography practice in cooperative learning groups or as a class activity. In world language classes, choose the appropriate language to practice vocabulary about animals and other categories of information. As a culminating project in any class, have students create their own 20 question activity and quiz the class! You will be teaching HOTS (higher order thinking skills) as students use classification to create their questions.

Tools and Templates Grade K to 12 - Education World- 8681

This website is full of templates that are ready to use, just download and print. Many templates can be customized. Topics are too numerous to list. Sample topics include ice breakers, back to school, graphic organizers and parent-teacher communication.

In the Classroom:
Check out the icebreakers for the first day of school, and back to school sections for many ideas and ready to use templates. Remember that if you want to SAVE a file from a download, you should RIGHT-click the link and choose "Save Target As" to save it to your computer.

First Days of Middle School Grade 5 to 9 - Middleweb- 7595

Middleweb provides an outstanding list of ideas and links to help the new middle school teacher, many of which apply for teachers at all levels. Ideas include classroom management, communicating with parents, advice from administrators, and first day ideas. This is a must for student teachers, new teachers, and substitutes!

Going Back to School Grade 5 to 6 - Kidshealth- 6101

Back-to-school time can be especially traumatic for students who must face the transition from elementary to middle school. This article, especially designed for parents and teachers, discusses the common but negative emotions students may experience as they return to school. Includes tips on minimizing first-day anxiety, thoughts on what students can expect from their teachers, and suggestions for recovering from a "bad start" to the year.

A Checklist for the First Day of School Grade K to 5 - American Medical Association- 1848

This website, created by the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides a basic list of items for parents to think about at the start of the school year. Some are obvious (i.e. what day does school begin), but many are deeper thoughts to ponder.

In the Classroom:
You may want to post this link on your class website during the summer months so new students (and parents) can take a look at the checklist over the summer break. If you send home a "Back to School" newsletter prior to the start of the school year, be sure to list this link for parents.

Books for Young People Book Lists Archive Grade K to 12 - Through the Magic Door- 10405

This site has archives of lists of books, organized by theme and displayed pictorially. Specific subjects feature books divided into two or three levels, including picture books, books for independent readers, and YA books. Featured books are not annotated, but bibliographic information is included. There are many widely varied themes, from the classical to the offbeat (Something from Nothing, and In Praise of Bad Books). The themes are too numerous to mention them all: Adventures on the High Seas Booklist, Africa Booklist, American Military Stories Booklist, Building Things Booklist, Children Putting on Plays Booklist, Exploration Booklist, First Day of School Booklist, Inventors and Inventions Booklist, Mother Goose Booklist, and countless others. A search feature allows teachers and students to search by many different criteria: Type of Child, Title, Author/Illustrator, ISBN, Genre, Subject, Series, Format, Fiction or Non-Fiction, Reading Level, Grade Level, Lexile, Setting, Author and Illustrator Demographics, Personal issues, and other categories. A free login allows users to submit reviews, tag books, or create wishlists (suggest other themes). Registration does require an email address, but it is free. You do not need to register to access the booklists.

In the Classroom:
Turn to this comprehensive list if you are searching for books on a certain theme. These books are a perfect addition to units on the various topics presented. Share the link with your students if they want other books about subjects that have interested them. Keep these booklists handy for students seeking independent reading. If you use a list in conjunction with a curriculum unit, be sure to invite students to "review" the books by putting the list on a class wiki or in a spreadsheet where they can enter comments and indicate that which books they have read. This will allow other students to choose books based on what a fellow student with similar taste recommends. Google Docs Spreadsheets reviewed hereare an easy online tool for students to collaborate and comment. The teacher can create one that is editable publicly and link to it from the class web page. You may want to provide this link on your class website for families to access at home.

Wordle Grade 2 to 12 - Jonathan Feinberg- 9465

This site takes any quotation or poem and creates a "word cloud" (graphical display) of the words in a passage of text. Paste in any passage or the URL for any blog entry or web page (including newspapers online) to create a wordle of the text. If you make a Wordle, you can choose your own colors, type of display, and font. The most frequent words appear larger and darker. Students can view creations others have made (see warning above), or make their own with or without saving them to the database of clouds. You can also print creations, open them in a window without borders, or link to them from a home page (html code is provided for the link). This site requires Java. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

Important note: Since the public can enter text and create their own Wordles, some of the examples that appear on the home page for "recent" Wordles might possibly include objectionable text. Teachers should preview immediately before sharing this site with a class or use the site as a teacher-only activity. TeachersFirst's review team has not witnessed any objectionable examples, but we have heard from some teachers that some do occasionally appear. Carefully weigh the value of this tool vs any risks you may take in using it with students. In today's world, a brief lesson or honest discussion on ignoring, clicking out of, or avoiding the inappropriate on the web might be worthwhile, depending on the age and maturity of your students.

In the Classroom:
This is a terrific visual tool to share on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Paste in a passage or URL for a political speech to visualize the politician’s “message.” Analyze advertising propaganda by visualizing the language used in TV or print ads. Create wordles of historical texts of inauguration speeches as time capsules of the issues of the day. Use this site as a way to help students see and memorize text, especially visual learners. Use it also when writing poetry or reading passages of great literature to “see” themes and motifs of repeated words and images. Have students paste in their own writing to spot repeated (and monotonous) language when teaching lessons on word choice. Students will be surprised to see what words appear to be dominant. ESL and ELL students will eagerly use this site since word order will no longer be a problem for them. Have students work in groups to create word posters of vocabulary words with related meanings, such as different ways to say “walk” or “said” and decorate tour classroom with these visual reminders of the richness of language.

Another idea: use this site during the first week of school. Have students create “Wordles” about themselves and create a “Wordle” bulletin board introducing your students (and yourself). Or use Worlde for a whole-class positive statement as shown in this example. Remember that the most frequently appearing words will appear larger so plan accordingly.
Here is a Google Docs slideshow of MORE ideas for Wordle, created by Tom Barrett, a teacher in the UK:

transl8it! Grade 3 to 12 - Translate it!- 9455

Impress your class when you give them a taste of their own lingo. Stay informed about what your students are writing. Just key ( or paste) in your regular text (in ENGLISH) or your SMS (short message service) , TXT, emoticon, smiley, slang, or chat room lingo and let this site translate it. The site can translate “lingo” to English or English to “lingo.” Since we always cry that regular English is going down the tubes, reverse the trend by giving students a dose of their short-cut text English and have them re-write it into normal English. Teach grammar skills by coming in the back door…this time the back door is the door most frequently entered by our youth. Want to give it a try? Translate this: dEr claS, I knO U typ wds dat L%k lIk DIS wen Im not l%kin. It iz important 4 U 2 knO how 2 wrte propR eng. n employer wiL eva hire U f U wrte lIk DIS. pls transl8 DIS pargrph in2 propR eng. U wiL earn a gud grade f U do. --yor Tcha

What’s the translation? Dear class, I know you type words that look like this when I'm not looking. It is important for you to know how to write proper English. No employer will ever hire you if you write like this. Please translate this paragraph into proper English. You will earn a good grade if you do. -Your teacher

Translations are not always perfect, but you will get “the gist.” Parents will also appreciate this site as a tool to help them understand their children’s writings. There are some minor advertisements at this website. There is also a place to "log-in." Registration is free but is not required to use this site.

In the Classroom:
Teachers (or administrators), you may need this translator to decode SMS/TXT text lingo used by your students when you cannot decipher it. You may also have concerns about your students’ online behavior and need some assistance monitoring for bullying or risky behavior. Just type (or paste) in the message and click on the ‘transl8it’ button. Presto…it’s English again.

Use this site on an interactive whiteboard or projector during the first day of school to introduce yourself to the class using “their” language (and your expectations to use proper English). Be sure to share it on your teacher web page as a tool for parents, as well.

Build A Flag Grade K to 5 - PBS Kids GO!- 9098

This site tickles students' creativity by having them create flags all about themselves. Students choose colors, hobbies, pets, sports, climate and/or location, letters, and numbers to represent their personality and life. Once the flag is completed, students are able to print the flag, start over, or send to a friend. This site is simple to maneuver (simple "click and drag"). The site requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
This is an excellent activity to do as a first week of school "ice breaker." Introduce yourself to the class by demonstrating as you create a flag about yourself. Share your favorite colors, name, favorite sports, hobbies, pets, and other information. Then have students work on individual computers to create their own flags. Print the flags and use them to create a "get to know the class" bulletin board.

Peace Games Grade K to 8 - Peace Games- 7938

This site has links to games all designed to make the players aware of and work with others. It also promotes team building. Each category (Get-to-know-you Games, Fun Group Games, Community and Team-building Games, Running and Tag Games, and Theater Games) has clear directions, space requirements, supplies needed, and several variations. Players discuss questions listed at the end of the game directions in order to develop awareness of the group process, increase strategies to deal with frustrations and people not liked by all, and participate competitively without losing awareness of other players and points of view.

In the Classroom:
Use in the classroom to develop group awareness and defuse potentially explosive situations among radically different personalities, ethnicities, income levels, etc. These would be great as first week of school activities! These can also help in developing a positive school environment and combating bullying.

Learning Disabilities Resource Community Grade K to 12 - Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (Canada)- 10260

This website offers a cache of Learning Disability information for teachers and parents submitted by members of this “community.” Articles, discussion boards, courses, intelligence tests, and links offer a full array of resources for you, for parents, or for staff development. Because content is user-submitted, there is a wide variety of information, and a few self-serving posts to “plug” a certain product. Most content is useful, easy to understand, and “agenda”- free. There are sidebar ads. You must do a quick sign-in to access all this site offers, including customizing your own webpage within this site. Sign-in does require an email address.

In the Classroom:
This site would be great for parents who need to understand the scope of a Learning Disability in their child. Be sure to post this site on your class website. Customize your own page within this website to share with colleagues and parents. Middle and high school students mature enough to read about their own learning disability might find this site helpful, as well.

The Multiple Intelligence Inventory would be a great “first week” activity for students to complete to learn more about their own learning styles and strengths.

Supalogo Grade 3 to 12 - Supalogo- 10139

Need to create a quick logo? This logo generator is fast, easy, and free to use. No registration is required. Enter your text and click "options" to customize your logo. Options include a list of fonts, two gradient colors, and one outline color, and text sizes. View your logo before downloading as a png image or generating an embed code. You will need to know how to navigate finding images saved on a computer or using embed codes with various sites or blogs. Here is an example created by the TeachersFirst editorial team:

In the Classroom:
Students can create custom logos for class blogs or site. Logos can also be created for use with multimedia projects and presentations. Have groups design logos for their project or for your class, then use them throughout the year to promote pride of ownership in class projects and accomplishments. During the first week of school, have students design “personal” logos that tell about themselves and include them on your class web page. Demonstrate this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students try out the site on their own.

Newspaper clipping generator Grade 2 to 12 - fodey.com- 10053

Teacher's First Edge Review: For slightly adventurous technology users. Create a fictional portion of a web page easily by entering a fictional Newspaper, Title of article, Date, and body of article. Final image will be downloaded and not retained on any website except ones that you publish to. Note: Model ethical behavior: Do not plagiarize or use real names of newspapers or people.

There are also links at the top of the page to create: a newspaper, ninja text, wizard text, talking flowers, talking tomatoes, talking owls, a wanted poster, talking cats, a cigarette packet, talking squirrels, and a clapper board. Be aware: this site does include some minor advertisements.

In the Classroom:
Skills needed: Basic ability to enter text into fields, download and find the finished file. For file to be shared, understanding how to upload the file onto another site or blog. The "clippings" you make do NOT remain on the site for access later by URL.

Safety/security concerns: You may want to prohibit or point out the links to advertising located along the side and the top of the site. As files are downloaded to the desktop, you may want to create a Favorites folder, or other “collection” of students projects in one place for easy work at grading time. Another idea: use a class wiki with all projects.

Possible uses: Create a fictional account of a happening or description to identify the errors or determine the item being described. Create an account of a class celebration or a fantastic project that should be shared. Students can use this site to create a fantastic account of a vacation or experience. Use this site as a “first week” activity for students to write articles introducing themselves to the class. Have them use pseudonyms in their “articles” and share them on your class wiki or web page. A week later, have a matching contest where classmates must identify the mystery students! You could do a similar "famous Americans" or "important scientists" activity where students learn and share.

New Year's Resolutions Grade 4 to 12 - Vocabulary University- 9908

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Come to this site to find some word puzzles, writing exercises, a wordbank with 20+ words, class activities, and more. Several of the puzzles are printable. This site does have some minor advertisements.

In the Classroom:
Share these word puzzles on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create word puzzles about their own New Year's resolutions. Share the resolutions and word puzzles on a class wiki. This site could even be useful at the beginning of the school year (New School-Year Resolutions)!

Back to School Grade 4 to 10 - Vocabulary University- 9895

As the name implies, the topic at this site is Back To School. At this site you will find several interactive word puzzles, an alphalary for life skills and career vocabulary words, and some basic information about career and job choices. Several of the activities are printable. This site does include some small advertisements.

In the Classroom:
Use this site at the beginning of the school-year as you learn about your students. Share the word puzzles on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own word puzzles about their summer vacations (whether spent at home or traveling).

Vacations Grade 3 to 9 - Vocabulary University- 9891

This site offers word puzzles, a vocabulary wordbank of 16 words, discussion questions, examples of some great summer treats and more....all about vacations! Many of the activities are able to be printed FREE. This site does have some basic advertisements.

Funny School Stories Grade K to 12 - Funny School Stories- 9551

We all have them. They happen daily. Now is your chance to share funny classroom stories with the world. This simple, sleek site allows you to post your story and read stories from colleagues around the globe. Plan to laugh. Grab a cup of coffee and release the anxiety of the day by reading about how funny life really is on school campuses. Share a comical story by using the easy sharing tools.

In the Classroom:
With older students (or gifted elementary), share some of the appropriate stories and challenge students to write fictional stories of “comics in the classroom.”

Have a bad day, week, month, or year? Is your class a bit more than you can (or would like) to handle? If so, visit this site for some humorous relief. They say, laughter is the best medicine. As you plan a faculty meeting, back to school teachers’ meeting, or professional presentation, find a good “opener” from this site.

I Keep Safe Grade K to 12 - I Keep Safe Internet Safety Coalition- 9543

Protecting our youth on the Internet is the number one goal of I Keep Safe. Full of ideas and resources, this organization generously promotes technology-safety. Check out the abundant videos and ad campaigns, as well as, other prolific avenues to share their wisdom. Their generosity even invites you to download their materials and share with everyone. Click on the educator’s link to access tools to use with your students. Your students will enjoy the interactive games in the Kids section. Prowl around for a while and discover the valuable advice located here. You will need QuickTime, Flash, and Acrobat Reader for some of the materials. They are located here: TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Teachers, plan professional development using the free videos at this site. Perhaps on Parents' Night, you can showcase internet safety using the wonderful, engaging resources located at this site. Or encourage your PTO/PTA to host an Internet Safety evening for all parents.

Baptism by Fire: 100 Essential Tips and Resources for Student Teachers Grade K to 12 - Christina Laun- 9536

Are you getting ready for your first year in the classroom or student teaching? Are you a substitute? Feeling a bit overwhelmed? This simple and useful site provides 100 tips for new teachers and student teachers to use in (and out) of the classroom. Topics include flexibility, planning, working with parents, rules, blogs for student teachers, links for lesson plans and classroom activities, classroom management, resume tips, and much more!

In the Classroom:
Use this site (and its many resources) to prepare for your first experiences teaching in the classroom. Check out the links for resume and interview tips before you start looking for a job. There are lists of professional organizations - great for student teachers (and new teachers) to join. Visit the forums and find support for your new life "in the trenches." Don't forget to mark it as one of your TeachersFirst favorites using your free membership here. TeachersFirst will always have it handy for you -- along with many other resources!

Design Squad Grade 4 to 9 - PBS Kids GO!- 9458

Are you looking for a new way to get your students excited about science? This neat site is based on the PBS show, Design Squad, but you can easily incorporate the activities and clips from the site without watching the show. There is a full educators guide available (see the Teachers link) with ten engineering and inventive activities. The site also includes video clips, building activities, and interactive (educational) "games." Some of the building activities include "Watercraft," "Hidden Alarm," "Dance Pad Mania," and others. This show also features "real life" challenges that students (or classes) are able to get involved with. This site requires Flash and Adobe Acrobat. You can get both from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
The possibilities at this site are "inventive." Visit the games site to learn about sound and play an interactive "string thing." Have students work in cooperative learning groups to recreate the building activities. Share the video clips (or interactives) on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have your class complete one of the "real life" challenges together. If you can't do it during the competition months, go back and try one of the past competitions. Document it on a class wiki, then invite next year’s class to do it even better by learning from “experience.” Before you know it, kids will walk in the first day of school and ask when they get to try the challenge.

Get In the News Grade 3 to 9 - CBBC- 9162

This simple website enables students to "make the headlines." Students complete a quick questionnaire (choices are provided). Students type in their name, gender, age (8-15), city they reside, why they "made the headlines," quotes they want to include in their story, and more. The headlines include winning an Oscar, discovering a new dinosaur, and several others. After the student provides the answers to all of the questions, a short news article is computer generated. The story is personalized according to the student’s questionnaire responses. This website requires FLASH. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
What a wonderful website to use to "break the ice" during the first week of school. Introduce yourself (via headline) on an interactive whiteboard (guiding students on how to use the program). Then have students work on individual computers and complete the questionnaire. They might even be willing to do this activity for “homework.” Have the students print up their "headline" and read their story to the class. Hang the "headlines" on a class bulletin board or in the hallway.

The Pledge of Allegiance Grade K to 0 - Hubbard's Cupboard- 9145

The Pledge of Allegiance is a five-day lesson guide to introduce the Pledge of Allegiance to kindergarteners. The guide suggests great literature, poetry, cross curricular activities, and extensions. Follow the day-to-day plan for teaching the history and verbiage of The Pledge of Allegiance.

In the Classroom:
Use this guide during the first week of school. Provide a slide show of snapshots of the flag being flown in various locations around our country using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Record your class saying the Pledge as the audio portion of the slides.

Learning Style Inventory Grade 5 to 12 - Brett Bixler- 8587

This visually "plain vanilla" learning style inventory, created by an instructional designer at Penn State, is simple enough to use in a middle or high school classroom without explaining elaborate personality traits and indexes to preteens and young adults. (There is one unfortunate mention of smoking, since the inventory was designed for college students. You may want to point it out and make an active disclaimer. about not promoting smoking!). This free, simplified inventory is short enough to complete and discuss during one class period. NOTE: the results of the inventory come up in a small pop-up window. Make sure your pop-up blocker is not preventing you from seeing them. The Google and Yahoo toolbars block pop-ups! In Internet Explorer, you can temporarily turn off the blocker by RIGHT-clicking on the narrow yellow bar that appears at the top of the web page window.

In the Classroom:
Regular ed and learning support teachers from middle school up will want to share this resource with students and parents to help students find the most effective ways to study and retain knowledge. Include the link on your teacher web page (with a note about the unfortunate mention of smoking!) or plan a start-of-the year in-class time to help students get off on the right foot. Even teachers of gifted (whose students are notorious for inconsistent study methods because they have not "needed" to study) will find this resource helpful when students "hit the wall" in challenging courses. As part of a study skills unit, have students self-assess and create a single database of the class members' learning styles and subject strengths so they can find peer-tutors during study halls.

Bulletin Board Hang Ups Grade 2 to 12 - TeachersFirst- 8345

TeachersFirst provides this collection of printable quotations, ready for your classroom or bulletin board. Inspire, engage, or challenge your students to think with quotes from famous leaders, sports figures, thinkers, and writers. This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
They look great printed on brightly colored paper! As an opening day activity, challenge small groups of students to interpret the quote hanging closest to them and predict how it may be important in your course this year. For younger students, ask them to write a paraphrase or to illustrate the quote. Be sure to change the quotes periodically and give a prize to the first student who notices. Or give a pop-quiz during the last week of school, asking students to recall as many of the year's quotes as they can (working in small groups will probably help). If you have classroom blogs, ask students to choose and reflect on a specific quote and its relevance to your class throughout the past year.

Multiple Intelligences Grade 4 to 12 - Birmingham Grid For Learning- 8340

Help your students to determine their own individual intelligences by using this website. The website provides information about the various intelligences, an interactive quiz (available in text or audio versions), and a detailed results page. This site requires Flash, get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use a computer lab or laptops to help students learn more about how they learn. For many students, this could be part of a plan for how to study and be successful in the new school year. This would be a great "first week of school" activity or part of a unit on study skills. For gifted students finally "hitting the wall" and having to learn to study in high school, this self-analysis could be very helpful.

Back To School Grade K to 8 - BBC- 7975

Although this site was created to help students in Britain prepare for "Back To School," many of the tips and activities are useful to students from all over the world. This site provides interactive quizzes, informative guides, and numerous features. The guide section provides a lot of details about very useful subjects including bullies, school uniforms, exam stress, dyslexia, creativity and other subjects. The Press Packs section is written by a student for students' use and includes topics such as being the new kid in school and organic lunches.

In the Classroom:
Include a link to this website on your "Welcome Back" newsletter. Parents are sure to appreciate the informative subjects, links and activities.

On the Road: The Great Career Journey Grade 6 to 12 - Career Paths Online- 6866

Let students walk through an investigation of their values, interests, and goals to help them find a career path using this interactive tool. Click the little movie camera icon to play animations (FLASH) and the little file folder to read the full "articles" on each subtopic, such as Skills. As students move through, they can read about different careers that match up with groups of values and skills. Note that this site was created in British Columbia, with slight differences in spelling and vocabulary from the U.S. This site would be a terrific in-class exercise on individual computers for several days as a preliminary activity or even as the backbone of a full career research unit or independent project. This site requires Flash. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page. If you do not have Flash, you can click at lower left to "disable Flash" and view a non-Flash version of the same content.

In the Classroom:
You might want to demonstrate the basic site navigation on a projector or interactive whiteboard so students do not miss any of the content. Incorporate this activity into your first week of school activities, to motivate students to work towards their career dreams.

Helping Your Child Series Grade K to 8 - US Department of Education- 6865

Encourage parents to become involved with their children's education using these helpful, downloadable booklets on helping your child with science, history, math, reading, homework, early adolescence, preschool, general success in school, and being a responsible citizen. Some are geared for elementary only and others extend through middle school. Most are also available in Spanish version. Download as a pdf (Acrobat file) or Word document. You can order copies, but it may be easier and faster to simply print your own. Remember that you need Acrobat Reader to open pdf files. Get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Hand these booklets out at back to school night, open house, or conferences. Encourage parents to become involved supportively.

My Back-to-School Book Grade 1 to 2 - I Love That Teaching Idea!- 6112

Print out this book template and let your students' creativity take over as they use pictures and words to describe their new school year. This is a great student-centered project to display for back-to-school night. This site requires Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use this activity during the first week of school. Have students share their books with the rest of the class. Be sure to save these books for back-to-school night or even create a bulletin board highlighting the books.

Back-to-School Scavenger Hunt Grade 2 to 5 - Enchanted Learning- 6089

Looking for a good icebreaker for the first week of school? This interpersonal activity will help students get to know you and each other while having a lot of fun. A printable questionnaire and scavenger hunt sheet are included.

Back to School Tips Grade K to 8 - American Academy of Pediatrics- 5289

Parents of elementary and middle school students will be delighted with this helpful collection of ideas for successfully entering a new school year. Backpack safety, study habits, bullying, television use, and homework and study habits are just a few of the topics discussed.

In the Classroom:
If you have a summer newsletter, be sure to highlight this website. List this website on your class website during the summer months for parents to view during the break.

Back to School Reading Grade K to 10 - Long Beach Public Library- 5288

Make that difficult transition back to school a bit easier for your students with this helpful list of books that focus on common back-to-school issues and anxieties. Titles include "Lookout Kindergarten, Here I Come," "How to Be Cool in Third Grade," and "Will I have a Friend?" The books are divided up by grade level (1-4, 4-6, and young adult) and by specific subjects.

In the Classroom:
Take advantage of these free book lists. Brief descriptions of each book are provided. Provide the lists of literature to your families on a class newsletter or on your class website.

NEW STUDENTS, NEW SEMESTER - How to Remember Names and Faces Grade K to 12 - Myron Jaworsky- 2106

This seven-step guide, helps teachers (both new and seasoned), learn the names of their new students. Whether you have 15 students all day or over 100 students each day, you are certain to find some tips to help you learn the new names. Help your students know that you care enough to know each individual name. And use this site to make your job easier! This is a quick and easy site to read and utilize in your classroom.

In the Classroom:
Preview this site a week or so before the new school year begins. Save the site in your favorites so you can revisit the site and ideas every school year. You could also use some of these activities to help students learn EACH OTHER'S names.

101 Ideas for a Great Start Grade K to 12 - Iowa State University- 1474

This site offers 101 ideas for a Great Start to your school year, semester, or even January doldrums. (Okay, actually there are 111 with the 10 bonus ideas). The ideas are broken down into sections: Creating a Welcoming Atmosphere, Set a Positive Tone, Encourage Active Learning, Encourage Students to Keep Up and Do Well, Provide Support for Students, Be Efficient and Effective with Your Time, Gather Feedback on Teaching, and the Bonus 10. Some of the tips are more suitable for college professors, but teachers of all levels can find numerous ideas at this site. There are a few links to other sites (at Iowa State University). Some of the sites are relevant; others are not. Some require Adobe Acrobat. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Use these activities at the beginning of the year (and throughout) to help your students acclimate to the new classroom. These tips are also very useful for substitutes or for teachers presenting at professional meetings.

Game Central Station Grade K to 12 - - 1270

A nice collection of K-12 resources which includes both activities, lesson plan, and specific suggestions for games like soccer, basketball, and baseball. Highlights include Team Building, Fitness Lesson Plans, Teamwork Activities, and more.

In the Classroom:
This site is ideal for ice-breaker activities at the start of the school year. Physical education teachers will also find some great lesson ideas here!

See user comments on this resource. -

Emily Elizabeth Goes to School Grade K to 2 - Scholastic- 1107

Bring Clifford ALIVE in your classroom with this interactive storybook. This activity requires no preparation, is very simple to use, and takes about 15-20 minutes. Students are presented with an audio version of the story. There are words missing on some pages, with multiple choices to figure out the missing word. This website requires Flash. You can get it from the TeachersFirst Toolbox page.

In the Classroom:
Demonstrate how to use this website on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students work on individual computers at their own pace. (Headsets would work best). An audio version of the story is provided, so even non-readers can easily navigate this website. This story is a perfect activity for the first week of school!