After many years of teaching, I realized that I really need to be creative in my first week of school lesson plans. Students spend hours upon hours sitting in each class in middle school hearing rules and procedures, but probably not memorable information. I've found a way to change things up for my students that we both enjoy! Here are 3 activity ideas for the back to school season in middle school math.
1. Back to School Break the Code Activity for Math Class
On the first day of school, I know my students aren't ready to listen to me list all of my rules and expectations. Instead, I have my students complete a Break the Code activity so they'll actually read and write my expectations on their paper.
This activity includes ideas such as:
- everyone is a mathematician
- we are a community
- try your best
- learn from mistakes
- and more!
I also do a similar Break the Code activity on the last day of school, but that's a story for another blog post.
The point is that the students get right to work learning my expectations without the boredom. Who can beat that?
2. Introduction to Task Cards Middle School Math Activity
During the second week of school, I will have my students do their first set of task cards. This set is different because it has NO math problems.
Instead, it has back to school questions, such as:
- What is something you remember from math class last year?
- What is something you hope to learn in math class this year?
- Find someone who was not in your math class last year and write their name.
- What is a unique feature about this classroom?
Students will answer the open-ended questions on the task card recording sheet to practice completing task cards BEFORE you do any task cards with math problems.
That way, students will be successful on their first set of math problem task cards because they have already practiced the routine of how to complete them.
3. Middle School Math Back to School Question Activity
Ok, I know you're thinking what's so different about a question activity. And you're right, it's not different at first glance.
But I use WACKY questions, which their other teachers are definitely not asking them in the back to school season.
I'm talking about questions like:
- If you woke up one morning as a fruit or a vegetable, what would it be and why?
- What is one thing people don't know about you that is boring?
- If a city was going to be named after you, what would the name of the city be and why?
- Would you rather do your math homework alone for 30 minutes or work with your enemy for 5 minutes?
Students are sure to strike up conversations with each other over these WACKY questions that are different from your typical getting to know you questions.
What would your wacky question be?!
Making Back to School Season Memorable for the Middle School Math Classroom
Just remember, students are getting A LOT of information thrown at them the first few weeks of school. So try to change things up by using puzzles like break the code, practicing routines like task cards, and asking wacky questions instead of the typical questions.
Grab this set of Introductory Task Cards for FREE
