Before beginning a science lesson, give each student a box that includes a bunch of things that the lesson is about. For example, if you are learning about energy you can put a chocolate bar, a small car, an energizer bunny, batteries, etc… After you give each child or each group of children a box, ask them to write down what they think the lesson is about. This will stimulate their interest before the lesson and also give them an idea of the different components of the lesson.

You Need a Passport to Get into the Classroom??

Since it is a new school year, with a new group of students and a new teacher, let each of the students create their own passport in order to help them introduce themselves to the classroom. Ask the students to put their pictured on an index card and write a little bit about themselves and keep it on their desks or seats. This way, students will have their passports to “exchange” as a way of getting to know one another.

You Owe Me and IOU!

To start teaching the students the concept of “give and take,” start an IOU board. Whenever a student misbehaves, he or she owes the teacher or another student something, whether it’s a chore or extra homework. Also, when students do well, they can have positive IOUs where they ask a teacher for certain privileges or can be “owed” a reward from the teacher. This keeps student behavior under control while enforcing certain values.