Fun Activities

Activity #1: Class Rules

Preparation: Form semi-circle using students’ desks. Provide two 11x7 white construction paper. Provide a pack of 12 colored markers.

Time for completion: 45 minutes

Instructions:

Tell students that together they will decide on and create a list of “class rules”. Inform students that each person will get an opportunity to write down the rules, but everyone will need to come up with and agree on the rule(s). Tell students what is appropriate for making the rules.

Requirements: Only rules that are decided by the entire class will be approved for placement on the “rules list” (construction paper). Every student must participate by either suggesting a rule, agree with and providing a reason why the rule is important, or writing the rule down on paper. Rules must be written in appropriate classroom language (no curse words, no slangs, etc).Rules must be appropriate for this class.

Rationale: This activity of creating the “class rules “will allow students to be actively involved in the process for setting forth the rules by which they should follow. When students are activity involved in this process, they can be held accountable for not following the rules. This activity promotes self and team responsibility, as students are not only deciding on what is appropriate for them to do, but also what the entire group is responsible to do as well. This also empowers students to live up to the rules, and they won’t be shocked or upset when the teacher reinforces the rule.

Activity#2: Plan a Class Party

One way to teach students to be responsible and be an active participant is to start by making the “teaching” fun and exciting. By showing students that being responsible does not have to be boring or stressful, give them the opportunity to play a class party in celebration of achieving a goal.

Time: total of 5 days; about 20 minutes per day

Preparation: The goal was to have everyone score at least a 80% on the class midterm. Everyone in the class met the class goal and as promised the teacher is allowing them to have a class party. The teacher will order and pay for all essentials for the party, however students will be the organizers and implementers to make the party a success.

Instructions: Congratulate students for achieving above 80% on the class midterm. Tell students how proud you are of everyone for taking the time to study and learn the material to did so well. Tell students, as promised their reward is to have a class party that they are in charge of. Tell students that they are responsible for planning and implementing the entire party and that you, the teacher, will only pay for the items they want. Tell students that they do have a budget of $50 to cover the entire party from beginning to end. Tell students that the only thing you would like is a list of all the responsibilities; who’s responsible for what, the time the party will start, time it will end, who will attend, what supplies they will need and how many, the day of the party, how many people will attend and their names, what kind of food will be served and how much it will cost. Tell students you need the complete list at least one week before the party can be held.

Rationale: It is a good motivator to set up an award for good behavior or great accomplishments among students. This creates an individual drive to succeed, as well as a class/team drive to succeed. Students will help each other by working together, studying, tutoring, etc to make sure that the entire class achieves the goal. Though the activity is fun, students are still expected to be responsible and work together, by assigning duties, creating and managing a budget, submitting the documentation to the teacher and submitting the party plan in advance.

Activity#3: Own your Behavior Journal

(This activity was inspired by Dolores Choat “Teacher Made Activities for Teaching Responsibility”)

Preparation:  At the end of each week, as a close out assignment, ask students to write in their journal about a behavioral situation that occured during the week.

Time: 15 minutes

Instruction: Students will describe the event and give a brief summary of what happened in their journal. Students will then write what they did in response to the situation. Tell students, “Now that you’ve had a chance to look back at the situation, how could you have handled it differently? What would you change, if anything? What steps can you take to either prevent the situation or change the outcome?”What have you learned from this situation? Journals will be reviewed by teacher at the end of each week, but will not be graded.

Rational: The journal activity provides an opportunity for students to be reflective on their behavior whether good or bad. It also allows students to analyze ways in which they can change their behavior to produce a more positive outcome. This activity teaches students that their behavior has consequences and that if they think about their actions they can produce positive results.

Activity#4: Write and Perform in a Class Play

Time: A total of 5 days, 20 minutes each day

Preparation: After reading about slavery and the abolition of slavery in social studies; ask students to write a play. Students will be grouped into four groups of four. Write 4 different topics on pieces of paper and place them into a hat. Ask each group to choose a topic by picking a piece of paper. The topics are: (1) the underground railroad with Harriet Tubman; (2) Rosa Parks on the Bus; (3) A slave trade auction (4) A day in the life of a slave.

Instruction: For each topic, you may add fictional elements to bring the story to life or make it more believable; however, you must include or draw from factual accounts from your textbooks or trade books. Each member of the group must have an assigned role to act in the play. Everyone in the group must contribute to the writing process of the play.

Rational: Through the writing process students are able to work collaboratively and interdependently to research, gather information and write the play. Students are also learning to share responsibility of getting the data together and writing the play. This activity also gets students to become active in the writing process as well as the performance. Since the requirement is that every team member must have a role, each student must “act” or contribute to creating the scene.

Activity#5:  Encouraging participation in gym/ PE

Time: 30 minutes

Preparation:  Design a serious of physical activities for students to do, ex. Jumping jacks, runs, sits ups, pushups. Place a circle in the spot where each activity will take place. Any equipment needed should be placed in the circle as well.

Instruction: Tell students that they will be performing a serious of activities to test their endurance and stamina. Tell students that they are not being graded on how may repetitions they do, but rather if they put effort into what they are doing. Tell students that they can choose any 3 activities that they think they can do well or they are good at.  Activities are labeled using a circle.  Everyone at the same circle becomes a team for that activity; your team will change based on which activity you choose to do next. Once you start the activity, the first “team” to stop is out; the last team standing wins the round. If one member of the team stops, the whole team is out.

Rational:  This activity will encourage individuals to participate to keep their team in the game. Team members will encourage each other to keep going as each person’s decision affects the whole team. Students chose’s which activity to do base on their confidence in their ability to keep up in the activity. Not only does this activity promote active participation, but it also teaches students to be responsible for their action and the group’s.

Activity#6: Debate

Time:  Total of 2 days; 45 minutes each

Preparation: Discuss the topic; “The government should give vouchers to every parent to send their children to the school of their choice.” Students are placed into groups that are either pro-voucher or against vouchers.

Instructions: Assign groups to either argue for or against government vouchers. Each group will assign a person to give the opening statement, the closing statement, and at least 2 rebuttals. The entire team will research the topic and gather information to support their position. Two teams will debate each other at a time. Each team will have an opportunity to state their position and respond to the other team’s rebuttals. Teams will have 3minutes to present their position, and 2 minutes to argue each rebuttal.  Each member of the team must speak; either by giving the original position, a rebuttal or closing arguments. Teammates are awarded individual points and a group grade.

Rational: This activity allows students to distribute responsibility to each team member. It requires team member to work interdependently to complete the task. It also provides opportunity for each team member to actively participate in the debate.