Textbook Scavenger Hunt: This is a great activity to use during the first days of school, or anytime, and can be used with any textbook. Have your students search for various items in the Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, Chapter & Section Headings, and whatever other important items your text contains. Give prizes to fastest, last, etc. Go over answers and explain what each part of the text is used for. Activity should run 20 minutes to 1/2 hour total.
Seating Charts: Welcome students and parents to "OUR" School. Welcome students to YOUR classroom. First day: If you use seating charts, put yours on the overhead or whiteboard. That way, you're free to greet students at the door, yet students can find their seat quickly. If their name is not on the overhead, they're in the wrong classroom.
Time Capsule: First Day/Last Day: Time Capsule: Bring boxes of envelopes (opening day set up for closing day activity.) Have students answer a list of "time capsule" questions on a piece of paper on the first day of school. Direct them to write their name on the outside of a envelope, place their list into their envelope, and seal it. Collect all envelopes, and put them away in a box marked TIME CAPSULE. On the last day of school, pull out the TIME CAPSULE box and distribute the envelopes to their creators.
