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!