Name Webs

The beginning of a school year is amazing! I love getting to know all of my students. as well as let them get to know each other.  It really sets the whole class up for a great year.  This foundation of community building - learning names, strengths, weaknesses, and just laughing - builds the classroom management needed for the rest of the school year.

One of my all time favorite things to do with students are circle games.  Circles allow everyone to see everyone else.  It allows everyone to participate.  It gives an aura of fun, not competition.  It also gives some control to what can be more chaotic activities.

I play this circle game on the first day of classes.  When possible, I get my room in the circle before students arrive.  If that isn't possible, we go over protocols and expectations for moving furniture.  This includes moving one piece of furniture at a time, always using two hands to move it (I tell them that I know they can move a chair with one hand, but we're going to use two) and remembering physical safety.  I also demonstrate and let a few students go first.

Actual picture of how middle schoolers sit. 

The game is called name web.  Students sit in chairs in a circle and I ask how many names they know.  I have them show me on their hands how many people they can name (but I don't actually have them name students.)  Many students come in knowing a few people, but rarely will they know all members of the class.  I then tell them the goal of this game is to learn at least ONE new name.  You may set a higher goal, but the ultimate goal is one more name.

I then take out a soft round object - sometimes it is a koosh ball, a stress ball, or something of the like.  You need to greet someone in the circle and toss the ball to that person.  There are a few restrictions:

• You can't toss it to someone that already has had it
• You can't toss it to the person on your immediate left or right
• The goal is for your toss to be caught by the other person - it isn't dodge ball!

I encourage students to sit with their hands and palms open if they have not had the ball, and sit with their hands folded or closed if they have. This helps students remember who has and has not had it.

I start by greeting someone by name and waiting for them to greet me back (Good morning, Joe. Good morning, Mr. Taylor.)  I then toss the ball.  They then find someone else, do the greeting, and toss the ball.  If they forget someone's name the expectation is that they ask in a polite way ("I'm sorry, I don't know / forgot your name) - and we model this often.  If a protocol is broken, I calmly review it with them and have them try again.

(not allowed in this game)

Eventually, everyone will get the ball and the last person will finish by greeting me to finish the web.  We then go around again in the same order - whoever you tossed it to is who you give it to again.  We still use the greeting, we still use names, and we still give 'polite' tosses.

After two rounds I ask them to recount how many names they know.  Often their count goes up by one or more names.  I encourage them to continue asking names and that just because you know a name today doesn't mean you'll remember it tomorrow - that's ok.  Just like school you'll learn something, kind of remember it, forget it, then have to get reminded.  It's all part of learning.

I also apply this throughout the year to integrate curriculum.  On the second day after doing names we switch from that to count-bys.  So I'll say two, and toss it.  The next person says four, then six and so on.  After that variation, I'll say we have to count backwards - but in order to count backwards the web has to move backwards!  So instead of tossing it to the person, you will receive it from that person.  This mental juggling helps students be flexible thinkers and adds to the fun of the game.

There are so many variations of this game I couldn't begin to list them here. If you are interested in how else I use this as a base in math, science, and reading classes, comment below!

The Great Big Bag of Feelings.

I love the beginning of a new school year - new faces, new challenges, and a chance to start fresh.

One of my favorite beginning of year activities allows students to express how they feel about math using objects. It gives me a chance to get to know their feelings towards math, and also gives some insight into their ability to create figurative language.  I also get a chance to share a bit about myself.

Here is how I introduce this activity.

I have the class in a circle and explain that my daughter used to play with lots of different items. I then pull out this ratty lunchbag.  It is, I explain, her lunchbox from when she started pre-school when she turned three.  In this bag I have some items she also used to play with when she was about three years old.  I shake the bag and ask, "What are some things you think might be in here?"

legit - it is her lunch bag from preschool!

I get guesses from dolls and ponies to legos to crayons... It's a nice variety.  I then dump the contents in the center of the circle.

Students always are amazed at the variety of things in the bag. They also then ask about how old she is now, if I have other children, and suddenly we are connecting on a personal level.  They bring up connections with the objects (I had a Mr. Potato Head! Does that Silly Putty thing really have putty in it? (it does) awww, that's a cute Littlest Pet Shop!)

The great bag of everything

After I give them time to observe, I bring it back to math.  I tell them people have lots of different feelings about math.  Some people love math and some don't enjoy it.  All of those feelings are ok - you don't have to love math, and in fact it could be your least favorite thing.

I then ask them to look at the objects and find one that you think of when you think of math - how you feel about math, what you think of math, what math means to you...

Students get some think time, get a thumbs up ready, and choose a student to start.  That student then picks the direction the circle will travel.  I explain that everyone will share, but I also give students the opportunity to pass if they aren't ready on their turn.  When a student goes, they take the object from the center, return to their chair and explain why they chose it.  Here are some quotes from my 6th grade class this week:

• "For me math is like a weight - when I get a math problem it feels like a weight is being put on me." 

• "Math is like the Rubic's cube piece.  I always get jumbled up and think there is no way to solve the problem."

• "Math is like the multi-colored pen.  There are lots of ways to solve it like there are lots of colors."

• "For me it is like the battery because I need lots of energy and when I get something right it recharges me, but if I get it wrong I feel like a dead battery."

I have found the key to this lesson, like so many others, is not in the activity itself but the culture setting and story telling before hand.  This is a great 2nd day of school activity after students have gotten to know each other and me a bit.  Just as important is the lead up.  Building that curiosity about the bag, having students talk about the objects, and making those personal connections makes it easier for them to share later in the activity. It isn't enough just to get the students in a circle and dump a bag in front of them - they need the whole experience!

I've also accepted this challenge put forth by @Aaron_Hogan.  So far I've learned I have students that

• Play soccer, swim, and dive.
• Make their own mermaid tails that are usable in the water.
• Enjoy farming and made a model tractor using donuts.
• Do not like candy or cake! 
• Have 11 pets including 3 dogs and 3 cats.

Go learn something amazing about your students!