Alternative Back-to-School Discussion Topics
What I DIDN’T DO this summer
A unique person I met this summer
My most memorable moment of the summer
One thing I learned this summer
The person I spent the most time with this summer
The best meal I ate this summer
A day that I wish didn’t happen this summer
What I wish I had taken a picture of this summer
Something educational I did this summer
Something I bought this summer
Something I made this summer
The best word to describe this summer
Alternative Back-to-School Classroom (and Homework) Activities
To warm up, play a class game of categories using “summer things” only (e.g., things I
did, things I ate, things I saw, things I accomplished, things I should have done). After
the topic is shouted out, go around the class giving each student a chance to share a
word or phrase about his or her summer. The topic changes each time a student
hesitates for too long (5 seconds or so). More advanced students can create their own
“summer thing” categories. Teacher can name the category for lower level students.
Instead of asking your students, “What did you do this summer?” have each student
take a turn changing the verb do to another verb (e.g. eat, sing, play, find). Go around
the room to get a response from each student for each new verb.
Make movies about My Summer using an online movie maker tool such as Dvolver
Play My Summer – Fact or Fiction. Students tell something that did or didn’t happen this
summer. The class has to guess whether each story is true or made up.
Have students interview each other about the past summer. Student can report back to
the class about the highlights of their partner’s summer. Students can turn the
discussion topics (above) into questions, or write their own.
Have students create their own Find someone who…this summer. Students can do the
writing in pairs and then break up and survey the class (e.g.,Find someone who got
injured this summer, Find someone who went to the USA this summer, Find someone
who worked most of the summer).
For homework, have students write true stories from their summer as if they were found
in a newspaper. (Tell students it’s okay to embellish.) Put the stories together to make a
Summer Digest.
Make a My Summer collage (with old magazines) and describe it. Or divide a page in
half and have partners work on their own collage on each side. They can present the
collage to the class by comparing the two summers.
Have each student ask you a question about your summer. The earlier they get to know
a bit about the real you, the better.
. Classroom Promise worlde.net
The idea of this activity is to write a mission statement, pledge, motto, or a
promise at the beginning of the school year to determine the desired outcomes
in the end. These promises may target specific responsibilities of the students,
so they can also help you with the discipline in the class. For example, some of
the students may be advised to “show positive attitude for learning” or
“improve knowledge of English.”
Make it graphic and visually appealing by spending an hour or two on the
design of the card. Tell the students that these promises will refer to all year
and they should be placed in a visible place in the classroom in order for
students to remember them every day. Here aresome ideas for promises on
Pinterest.
31 Fun Writing Prompts for Middle School
Students
1. Create your own holiday. What would you celebrate? How could you get others to join in the fun?
2. Would you rather hang out by yourself after school or with friends?
3. If you could end any one problem in the world, what would it be? Why?
4. What does it feel like to be wrong?
5. Write about three values that are important to your family.
6. Could you ever be a vegetarian? Why or why not?
7. If someone wrote a book about you, what would it be about?
8. What does it mean to be a feminist?
9. Write a poem about your favorite activity or hobby.
10. Write about the best vacation you ever took.
11. Write about a time when someone helped you. How did you feel afterward?
12. Do you prefer to read books that are parts of series or standalone books? Why?
13. Would you rather jump out of a plane or go scuba diving? Why?
14. Write a poem about love—what does it mean?
15. What is your favorite TV show? What do you like about it?
16. How would your best friend describe you?
17. What is your favorite way to be creative?
18. Are you the last person to speak up in a group or the first to have an idea? Why do you think that is?
19. Why do we give respect to senior citizens and people who are our elders?
20. Write a poem about your classroom.
21. Would you rather paint or sculpt? Why?
22. How would you like to help in our community?
23. If you could throw a party for all your friends, what would it be like? Where would you hold it?
What would you do? Who would come?
24. What is your favorite thing to do at weekend on a nice day?
25. Write about the most important thing in your life.
26. Write a poem about spring flowers.
27. If you could live inside any video game, which would you choose? Why?
28. What is your favorite thing about yourself?
29. Write about a goal you accomplished recently. How did you feel when you finished it?
30. Write about a rule at school or at home that you don’t like. How would you replace it?
31. Write about something your parents always tell you.
Looking to the future - Buried Treasure
1(g), 2(g)
Here’s another great activity for the first day of school that will blow your
students away on the very last day of class. Create a Treasure
Chest. Ask your students to draw pictures of themselves and write
something on the back: a description of themselves, their favorite things,
what they hope to learn and do in class, etc… Measure each of their
heights with a piece of string or yarn and label each one with a child's
name. If possible, record each of them speaking, briefly stating their
names and a little something about themselves. Get a cardboard box
that will hold all of the drawings, pieces of string, and the cassette or
disc, seal it with tape, and hide it somewhere in the classroom, or take it
home with you.
On the last day of class, you can play a Treasure Hunt game, complete
with treasure map, or simply re-open the box in a grand ceremony.
Students will have a blast looking at their earlier work, and they’ll be
amazed to see how much they've learned and grown.
