The first day of school will be here before we know it and I can’t wait! The first day of school can be tricky and if you don’t take care, you could have a rocky start. With that in mind, I’ve learned a few things to do on that first day that will get the students thinking! One of my favorite is the Black Box Experiment.
When I did my student teaching some years ago, my mentor and I planned our first day out completely. One thing he did was the black box experiment. When I began my 2nd year teaching, I did this experiment with my 2nd graders. I filled a regular pencil boxes (the same you can get at the store for about $1, even cheaper right before school starts) with everyday school items. Mostly just some things I found around the classroom. Then I closed it and wrapped it in black bulletin board paper.
On the first day of school during science time, I pulled out the boxes. I had made about 3 to 5 boxes (enough for each table). I didn’t tell the students what was in it. They had to use their senses to figure out what was in the box. It was a great experience for them and for me as well.
When I did it with my mentor, we simply had the students write about it. When I did it with my 2nd graders, I created a worksheet where they could draw what they thought was in the box and write down their reasons. At the end of the day, I used their drawings and posted them on my bulletin board.
The answers the students gave were funny while others were spot on (I think everyone knows the sound of a coin). You can gain some insight into their thinking as well as get a sample of their writing and drawing. I remember one student thought there were cards in the boxes. Another thought there was a toy elephant inside!
Through the school year, I made references to that experiment, especially for my struggling students (making the analogy that even though we don’t know something, eventually we will figure it out aka open the box). At the end of the year, we opened the boxes and the students were surprised at what it was. Some were happy while others were disappointed. Next time, I plan to put small 2nd grade promotion certificates and small prizes inside the boxes! If you’d like to try this experiment in your classroom, you can purchase this set in my TPT Store. It gives you more details and plans out the entire lesson from start to finish.
Have a happy first day of school! Don’t forget to check out other great first day activities!
So glad to be linking up with Teaching Blog Addiction. Here’s a Forever Freebie your students will love!
Working with place value can be loads of fun, especially if your students play against one another.In this game, boys play against girls as they making numbers using Base Ten Blocks. There’s even a type-in scoreboard for you to keep track of the score. The scoreboard can be used in slideshow mode.
There are 20 questions in all (just about enough for a class of 20). Students can take turns answering the questions individually for their team or they can work together to find the answer.
The answers range from 100 to 999, making all the answer 3 digit numbers. Students are given base ten blocks and they must figure out what number it makes.
A few teachers have used this in their classrooms and their students love it! Just look at what they said.
You can get this forever freebie in my TPT store. I hope you enjoy it!
