I always struggled at the beginning of the year with selecting activities for the first days. So many of the typical ideas favor extroverts and require students to “put themselves out there.” As someone who finds those types of activities miserable, I tried to limit them or make them less uncomfortable for my introverts. Here are two activities I found worked well.
They can also be divided up and used throughout the year as bell ringers or used as SEL check-ups periodically.
1. Would You Rather: Past vs. Present
- The Idea: Ever wonder if you’d rather sit in traffic or get stuck in a muddy road with a horse and buggy? This no-prep, 20-slide Google Slides activity challenges students to make tough choices between today’s annoyances and yesterday’s real struggles.
- How to Do It:
- Project or share a “Would You Rather” scenario
- Ask students to choose which they’d most or least want to experience.
- Discuss or reflect on their selections.
- Response Options:
- Discuss in small groups.
- Respond independently through a Google Form, Google Classroom question, or other digital response tool.
- Share out the whole class.
- Why It Works: It’s a low-stakes way to build classroom community and recognize that teens in the past faced problems just like students today. Students will practice critical thinking by defending their choices and justifications.
2. American History Mood Meter
- The Idea: Forget picking a boring smiley face! This unique activity helps students check in on their feelings by choosing from a hilarious cast of historical characters.
- How to Do It: Each of the 15 Google Slides features a different historical figure or symbol shown in eight different emotional variations. You project a slide—say, eight different emotional versions of Abraham Lincoln—and students pick the one that best describes their mood. It’s a fast, 2-3 minute daily routine that’s a perfect conversation starter.
- Why It Works: It’s a fun, low-pressure way to teach social-emotional skills and build empathy. By looking at these historical figures, students start to see history in a new light.
- Connection Builder: Allowing students to express how they are feeling in a low-stakes way offers you a chance to check in with students individually and provide an informal follow-up. They will appreciate that you notice when you pick the sad or tired face and acknowledge that is how they are showing up.
heatherthehistoryhound.com 