24th Day... Building Community While Having Fun! {FREEBIE!}

Even though I still have a few weeks before I "officially" return to work, I have already begun planning activities that can build community in the classroom.

Sixth graders are pretty savvy; they can usually tell when I am trying to sneak "learning" into an activity. That's why learning through games and other fun tasks are usually well-accepted--even during the first week when we are all longing for the freedom of summer.

When I first started blogging, I shared a "Get to Know You" game designed to encourage students to engage in conversation by playing a game.

frame from Fancy Dog Studio HERE on TpT

When we play this game in my classroom, we use one standard number die and one colored dot die like the one pictured here...

I just love those colored dot dice. We use them for SO many things! (Click on the picture above to take you to these dice by Koplow Games at www.dice-collection.com) However, I recognize that many classrooms don't have these dice. Consequently, I revised the game to include a spinner... which works just as well. Either way, you simply need something to choose colors and something to choose numbers. Add the game board and you have everything you need!

The game board looks like this...

Students roll a die and spin the spinner to determine where they will land... and which question they will answer. Some questions even have an "Explain why" component, so students are working on supporting their thinking from the very beginning of the school year!

In my room, we switch seats quite often, so the game can also be used when teams or table groups change or when students are regrouped or change classes after the first semester.

If you think you might like playing this game in your classroom, the game is available HERE in my TpT store for FREE. Or, just click on the picture below.

Sending lots of happy back-to-school wishes and hopes for a good year...