Do you include getting-to-know-you graphing activities in your back-to-school plans? It’s such a great way for students to learn about each other and you too! And it’s easy. Simply post a two-column graph grid labeled with “Yes” and “No.” Write your name on a sticky note and ask each student to do the same. Then join students in responding to a topic. Here are a few topic suggestions to get you started. No doubt your students will be full of suggestions too!
- Do you have [a younger, an older] sibling?
- Are you left-handed?
- Did you leave [your city, town, or state] this summer?
- Will you celebrate a birthday during the school year?
- Do you play a musical instrument?
- Do you have a pet?
- Were you born in [your city, town, or state]?
- Do you have a middle name?
Now it’s your turn! What’s your favorite graphing topic or back-to-school activity?
Smiles,
Diane
Heights, arm lengths, and how many letter you have in your first name.
How do get to school? Bus, car, daycare van, etc…
We graph something almost every day. I lay out 2 colored blocks and the kids use their name cards to tell me which one they like best. The last day of the week we do the 2 favorites.
I also do food favorites I lay out a piece of toy pizza and a toy burger.
How many boys/girls
eye color is a favorite too.
We also graph every day — sometimes it is your favorite animal — always has something to do with our theme of the week. We do eye color, hair color, have your own room, did you lose a tooth, love graphing every day!!!
I love graphing! 🙂
At first, we keep it simple: boys/girls, tennis shoes/no tennis shoes, long hair/short hair, etc. Then, throughout the year, we add more choices to the graph: favorite cereal, favorite book, favorite song, favorite color, etc.
Graphing is fun!
We graph each morning. There is a three window set on the back wall of the classroom. The question of the day is posted along the middle of the windows, on a sentence strip. Using window markers, each child has opportunity to sign in his or her opinion or preference on one of the windows.
This is a great use of otherwise wasted space without losing the sunlight we all need. Plus it is fun to write on the windows!