1st day video scavenger hunt

I've been reading article after article and many of them have activities for the first day of school, so I decided to share my first day activity. For the last several years, I have started with a video scavenger hunt. It works great for any grade where the students are new to the campus, or maybe where there have been changes to the campus. I use flip cameras, but it could be done with other video devices.

Before the first day
Choose areas of the school that students will be visiting throughout the year. I use the office, the nurse's office, the D-hall area, the computer lab, the open classroom area, the bathrooms, the counselor's office, and the gym.

**I do not use the principal - the first day is usually very busy for him/her. My classes start after lunch when the morning rush of first day has ended. If you have classes first period, please be considerate of busy areas on campus.

Type and print information that the students should know about these areas. For example, in the office: You may sometimes be called to the office or told to go to Mrs. Judy's office. Please enter the office quietly - there may be parents or other students inside, or Mrs. Judy may be on the phone. If you need to call home, Mrs. Judy will give you permission to use the phone in her outer office. When arriving at school after the first bell or checking out early, you must sign in or out in this office.

I usually print the information sheets on colorful paper. Place sheets at each area that students should visit. Let the adults in charge of these areas know what periods students will be coming by and what your expectations are.  Many times this visit allows these people will want to speak to the students when they visit.

Gather your recording devices and make certain they are charged properly.

And you might want to let the principal know that your students will be roaming the halls during the day.

First Day of School
As the students enter the room give them colors or numbers or items - 4-5 students per group. After a quick introduction and reassurance that yes, they have found the correct room at the correct time, I discuss group rules (every is responsible for working, use quiet voices, etc.), explain my expectations for entering and exiting my classroom as well as other classrooms and offices on campus, and then show them how to operate the cameras. I give them the scavenger hunt list. So that several groups don't rush to the same place, each group is given a starting point and the groups are required to follow the list in order.

Each student must take at least one turn recording and at least one turn reading the information sheets. Someone must keep time and make certain that all areas on the list are visited. And I send them on their way. As they roam, I monitor the hallways and answer questions. We are a very small school, and I am always surprised at the number of questions I have about locations of areas on the list.

As students return to my classroom, I answer any questions they might have and point out any problems that I noticed in students' hallway or entering/exiting etiquette.

This takes most of the 45 minute period.

For the Next Few Days
I use this activity to cover rules/expectations. I only discuss these for a few minutes each day. It works well to remind students of where to get an admit slip or where to find a band aid. After that first day, I visit all of the adults on the list and get feedback. If there were problems or questions, I address those with the students.


An extension
The students in EAST create a video montage of the scavenger hunt. I play it during the first parent/teacher conference. Parents have usually heard about the scavenger are are excited to watch for their student. I find a day to show the finished project to the students. This can sometimes bring about discussions about working together as a group or questions about procedures that are still not clear to students.

middle school newsletter

My sister has been studying middle school development. She and two other classmates developed a newsletter that has good information for parents and new teachers at this age level.  She has been gracious enough to share it here.


Here's a link to the free document which she has posted at Teachers pay Teachers.  It would be great to share with fellow middle school teachers or with parents.