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Students sit around a table working on a big paper activity while receiving feedback from an educator.
Collection

Activities for the First Days of School

These back-to-school activities are designed to create welcoming learning environments that prioritize care, relationships, and community.

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At a Glance

Collection

Language

English — US

Subject

  • English & Language Arts
  • History
  • Social Studies

Grade

6–12
  • Culture & Identity
  • Equity & Inclusion

Overview

About This Collection

The opening days and weeks of school are an important time for building community and focusing on student’s social-emotional learning. Students will be more likely to engage, take risks, and support each other if they feel a sense of trust and belonging among the group members and with their teacher.

This collection of back-to-school activities addresses three important goals for the beginning of the school year:

  1. Reorienting students to school
  2. Getting to know each other and building relationships
  3. Creating classroom community

This collection is designed to be flexible. You can use all of the activities or choose a selection best suited to your classroom. It includes:

  • 1 activity to welcome students back to school
  • 5 activities that help students explore identity and get to know one another
  • 4 activities to build community

Preparing to Teach

A Note to Teachers

The activities are designed for teachers to use in conjunction with Opening and Closing Routines. Teachers can choose from multiple activity options and coordinate with colleagues who may teach the same students to avoid repetition of activities or readings. Each activity includes an extension activity to help students apply key concepts to their own lives in meaningful and creative ways. Teachers should also review our Journaling and Contracting teaching strategies before teaching these introductory activities.

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Inside this Collection

Section 1: Welcome Back!

“Looking Back, Looking Ahead” gives students an opportunity to reflect on the past year and offer advice to their teacher for the kind of learning community and learning experiences they hope for this year. They will feel a sense of agency in the class when they recognize themselves as thought partners in the creation of a positive learning environment.

Section 2: Exploring Identity and Getting to Know Each Other

Explorations of identity often start with names, the first piece of information we may share about ourselves. Pair “What’s in a Name?,” which considers the power of names, with “Dual Identities” or “Our Names and Our Place in the World” so students can explore the tensions that may arise when navigating multiple identities. “Frame a Special Item” and “Becoming Ourselves” help students understand the relationship between identity and storytelling and the power that comes with telling your story in your unique voice.

Section 3: Fostering a Community of Learners

In order to understand ourselves, we must also understand the communities to which we belong. The activities in this section lay the groundwork for the important step of creating a classroom contract. Choose between “Making Meaning of Community” and “Community Is...Community Isn’t” to introduce the concept of community. Then “Envisioning Our Classroom Spaces” helps students imagine a classroom where all members feel seen, valued, and heard in preparation for creating a class contract in the final activity.

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Activities for the First Days of School

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Establishing Opening and Closing Routines

Incorporate these community-building routines into your lessons to set a welcoming tone, allow students to connect with one another, and encourage goal setting.
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Additional Resources

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Deepen your understanding of this topic with these additional resources from Facing History and Ourselves.

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