All About ME! A Back to School Unit

I have finally been working on some school stuff!

I wanted to take some of my favorite back to school activities and put them into one pack. While we are reviewing different math and literacy skills from Kindergarten, I like to throw a bunch of get to know you activities in the mix.

The activities I chose to put in this pack are ones that I use sporadically throughout the first month of school. Here is an explanation of the activities:

First, I have 2 partner activities that lets students get UP and moving while getting to know one another.

 With "Get to Know Me" students each get a card and walk around the room to find the student with the matching symbol. When they find that partner, they must do what is on each card. You collect and shuffle cards before repeating numerous times! I pull this game out a couple times during that first month. "Teaming Up" is a game to help students get to know each other better by sharing their similarities and differences. I also included a recording sheet to hold students accountable for listening to their partners!

Next, is a"get to know us" book. I have my students each fill out the following page at the beginning of the year and we turn it into a class book. It is a fun keepsake to look at as the year goes on.

Another activity is called Namesakes! This is a presentation I have the students make to the class after they go home and talk with their parents about where their name originates from. This always makes for a fun conversation between your students and their families and they come back with lots of fun facts about themselves. Since I do this as an oral presentation, I included some speaking and listening rubrics/checklists for you to take an initial assessment on your students' skills.

The next project I have is called, "These are a few of my favorite things" and I have created two options for this craft! I like to create the first one for an open house or back to school night. They are fun to hang around the room and help decorate! It is a mobile with students' favorite things attached. There are 7 pieces to this mobile, but I usually have students pick the 5 they want to include on their craft.

Pieces I chose: my favorite after-school activity, my favorite outfit, my favorite color, my favorite book, and my favorite food!

Here it is hanging!

In case you don't have time to make the mobile, I have included a mini-book option that is just as fun!

Disclaimer: Spongebob is not really my favorite TV show... but I do really love The Giving Tree!

Still with me? Lastly, I have one of my favorite beginning of the year projects - Color me Happy! I love to do an art project at the beginning of the year to get students expressing themselves in different ways. This project goes with the Dr. Seuss book, My Many Colored Days, but could easily be done without it!

 

This art/writing project allows students to get in touch with their feelings and create their own masterpiece! The project has plenty of organizers to help guide students' thinking and then you get to let them loose with the paint, crayons, markers, and colored pencils! You will be amazed with what they come up with on their own!

So there you have it... my All About ME unit is complete and is available in my TPT store for $5!
Make sure you follow my facebook page... ya know... in case there happens to be a giveaway or something.... WINK WINK WINK WINK WINK!