In this post, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite lesson ideas for the first day of school. Each of these activities is designed not just to educate but to build a strong sense of community, inspire curiosity, and create a love for learning that will carry through the entire year.
Whether you’re a seasoned teacher looking for fresh ideas, or a rookie preparing for your first day in the classroom, I hope these suggestions will make your first day as exciting and meaningful as it can be.
Check out our Back to School Resources section for more ideas and materials!
Lesson Ideas for the First Day of School
1. Community Building Lesson
You can start this lesson by explaining what a community is. You might say, “A community is a group of people who share common interests, goals, or a common environment.” Then, connect this to your classroom. Explain that everyone in the class, including you as the teacher, forms a community.
Discuss why having a sense of community is crucial – it creates a sense of belonging, cooperation, and support, all of which can positively impact learning. Then, divide students into small groups and have them brainstorm ways to build a strong, respectful classroom community.
They might suggest ideas like celebrating each other’s achievements, having regular class discussions, or even something simple like saying ‘good morning’ to each other. Each group can then share their ideas with the class.
As an extension, you might create a “Classroom Community Agreement” based on these suggestions, which everyone signs as a commitment to maintaining a positive community.
2. Subject Introduction Through Interactive Activity
The goal here is to introduce key concepts or themes of your subject in an engaging way. For example, if you’re teaching biology, you might start with an activity exploring the diversity of life. Provide students with images of different organisms, from bacteria to whales, and have them categorize them into different groups based on observable characteristics.
Through this activity, you’re not only introducing them to the concept of biological classification but also sparking their curiosity about the incredible variety of life forms on Earth.
For an English class, you might choose a short, engaging story or poem, read it aloud, and then have students work together to identify the main elements of the story (characters, setting, plot, etc.). This way, you’re reviewing basic literary elements while getting them excited about the texts they’ll be exploring in your class.
3. Personal Introductions Through Creative Writing
This activity gives students an opportunity to share about themselves creatively. They can choose the format that suits them best – a short autobiography, a poem, or a comic strip. For example, in an autobiography, they could describe their family, hobbies, favorite books, what they did over the summer, and what they’re looking forward to in the school year.
If they choose a poem, they could write an acrostic poem using their name where each line or phrase begins with a letter from their name and describes something about themselves. For the comic strip, they could draw a short sequence of frames showing a funny or memorable event from their life. After students have completed their creative pieces, they can share them with the class, providing an engaging way for everyone to get to know each other.
4. “My Summer” Math Problems
Ask students to recall their summer activities and create math problems related to those experiences. For example, if a student went on a road trip, they might calculate the total distance traveled by adding up the mileage between different cities. If a student attended a summer camp with a specific schedule, they could create a problem involving elapsed time.
Or if they helped bake a cake for a family reunion, they might write a problem involving fractions based on the recipe. Students can then exchange problems and solve each other’s “summer math.” This activity not only reactivates students’ math skills but also lets them share their summer experiences in a unique way.
5. Classroom Rules and Expectations Role Play
After you’ve had a class discussion and set the rules and expectations, it’s time to make sure everyone understands them. Break the class into small groups and assign each group a rule or expectation. They should come up with a short skit demonstrating both the correct and incorrect way to follow the rule.
For instance, if the rule is “respect others’ opinions during discussions,” one scene in the skit could show a student rudely dismissing another student’s idea (the wrong way), and another scene could show a student politely disagreeing and offering a different perspective (the right way). The role plays can be fun and humorous, but they also clarify what the rules look like in action, helping students internalize them better.
6. Science Safety Procedures Interactive Lesson
As a science teacher, lab safety is paramount. You could start by introducing the essential rules of lab safety with a fun presentation, including elements of surprise like pop quizzes, interactive flashcards, or quick-fire questions. Once the rules have been discussed, you can involve students in a role-play activity.
Assign different lab scenarios to pairs or small groups of students, where they have to act out both the right and wrong way of handling the situation. For example, one scenario might be a student accidentally spilling a chemical – how should they react? These role-plays are not only engaging but also help reinforce the importance of safety in the lab environment.
7. Literature Circle Introduction
Literature circles are a fantastic way to foster discussion and deeper understanding of texts. Begin by explaining the concept and the different roles within a literature circle, such as the discussion director, connector, summarizer, word wizard, and illustrator. To give students a taste of a literature circle in action, choose a short story or article to work with.
Assign roles and allow students to prepare, then bring the group together for a discussion. This introduction will give students a clear idea of how literature circles work and what is expected of them.
8. Goal-Setting Workshop
Goal-setting is an important skill, not just for school, but for life. Begin by introducing the concept of SMART goals. Provide examples and then give students some time to brainstorm their goals for the year. These might be academic (like improving their math grade or reading a certain number of books) or personal (like making the basketball team or learning to play a new instrument). Once they have a list, help them refine their goals to make sure they are SMART. This will set them up for success in the year to come.
9. World Languages Cultural Immersion
If you’re teaching a foreign language, make the first day memorable by creating a cultural immersion experience. Bring in music from a country where the language is spoken and discuss the traditional instruments or styles. If school policies allow, share some traditional food or drink.
Show art or photos and share a few key historical or cultural facts. Then, get students talking about what they already know about the culture, what surprised them, and what they’re excited to learn more about. This approach will spark curiosity and excitement about learning the language.
10. “What is History?” Discussion
Start by asking students what they think history is and why it’s important. They might say that history is the story of the past or that it helps us understand our world better. Ask them why they believe we study history. They might suggest reasons like learning from past mistakes, understanding different cultures, or appreciating how society has evolved. Then, ask them what aspects of history interest them the most.
They could mention anything from ancient civilizations to world wars, from famous personalities to critical social movements. Note their interests and use these as hooks for future lessons. By involving students in defining what history is and why it matters, you can engage them more deeply in the subject.
