Back to School Activities, Lesson Plans, & Bulletin Board Ideas | Middle School

Start the year off strong with these engaging Back-to-School activities, flexible lesson plans, and a digital Meet the Teacher Night Bulletin Board idea—all designed specifically for middle school students. Build community and learn about your students.

These activities are easy-to-use plus fun and engaging. Designed to save you time and build community from Day 1.

✅ First Days of School—Lesson Plans and Activities for the First 3 Days of School

✅ Six-Word Memoirs—Display Student Work in time for Meet the Teacher Night

✅ Goals and Growth Mindset—Set SMART Learning Goals and prepare for Parent-Teacher Conferences.

This product includes 3 Google Drive™ Slideshows plus a PDF file for printing.

1. Teacher Resources

• Instructions for Distributing Via Google Classroom
• Sample Lesson Plan Overview for the First 3 Days of School
• Detailed Lesson Plans and Instructions for Each Activity
• Editable Teacher True/False Quiz

2. Student Digital Activities (Will work online or in-person with social distancing)

1. "Lost in Space" Icebreaker
2. Compass Points Activity (2 versions—includes a blank version for you to write your own questions) Great Unit Opener for any topic!
3. “Unwritten” Writing Prompt
4. Graphic Organizers for “Unwritten”
5. “Note to Self” Digital Handout
6. 2 Editable Course Overview Templates (I use these for students on the First Day and Parents at Open House, Meet the Teacher, and Parent-Teacher Conferences.)

3. Bonus Resources

1. Writing Survey (on a Google Slide)
2. Reading Survey Google Form
3. Why Read? Digital Sign for Students and Parents
4. Summer Reading Bulletin Board Book Review (Digital and Print)
5. Six Articles of Digital Citizenship Poster
6. It's All About Me Slide for a Class Slideshow or Digital Bulletin Board

4. A PDF file for photocopying with the following:

1. Compass Points Handout
2. Student Directions for “Unwritten” Writing Activity
3. Letter to Self Graphic Organizer
4. Note to Self Final Draft Page
5. Course Overview Templates
6. Writing Survey
7. Best Book Ever for Bulletin Board
8. Digital Citizenship Sign

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✅ Six-Word Memoirs—Great for Bulletin Boards and Class Slideshows

This product includes 4 Google Drive Slideshows:

1. Teacher Resources
2. Six-Word Memoir and Writing Process Slideshow
3. Graphic Organizers
4. Bulletin Board and Class Slideshow Resources

1. Teacher Resources

1. How to Use This Product
2. Try It Before You Teach It
3. Ideas for Publishing Memoirs
4. Lesson Plan Objectives
5. Lesson Plan Procedure
6. Writing Prompts

2. Six-Word Memoir Overview Slideshow

1. What is a memoir?
2. Background of Six-Word Memoirs
3. Overview of the Writing Process

3. Graphic Organizers

1. Six-word Memoir Think Sheet and Example
2. My Own Story in Six Words Think Sheet
3. Color-Symbol-Image: My Personality in Six Words Think Sheet and Example

4. Bulletin Board and Slideshow Resources

1. Bulletin Board Signs
2. Slides for Student Memoirs in Two Sizes
3. Blank Meet the Teacher Template
   

Slides are 11 X 8.5 inches so you can download and print as a PDF, if desired.

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✅ Goals and Growth Mindset Slideshow & Graphic Organizers to help students set and meet learning goals.

This product includes the following Google Slideshows:

1. Teacher Resources

• Tech Tips
• Font Guide
• How to Use This Product

2. Set a SMART Goal Slideshow: Present in Class or Upload to Your Class LMS to Assign to Students

• Set a SMART Goal
• What is a SMART Goal?
• Broad Goal vs. SMART Goal (3 versions: complete example, partial example, blank example for you to create your own)
• How to Set a Goal: A Case Study
• Make it Attainable

3. Digital Graphic Organizers

• Goal-Setting Think Sheet Example (3 slides)
• Goal Setting Think Sheet (3 slides)
• Blank Goal-Setting Think Sheet to create your own
• Action Plan Example
• Action Plan with Editable Chart
• Goal Reflection Example (2 slides)
• Goal Reflection (2 slides)

4. Growth Mindset Slideshow (Upload as jpegs to your Class LMS as Digital Classroom Posters)

• Benefits of Setting Your Own Goals
• What is a Growth Mindset
• Growth Mindset Self-Talk
• Attitude Digital Posters

*This product also includes a PDF of an earlier edition of this product for printing—both in color or black and white.

⭐ Please note this product includes 3 separate products, and your purchase may take a few minutes to download from TpT to your Google Drive. Grab yourself a cup of coffee and you should be all set! ⭐

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You might also be interested in these NEW products for Distance Learning:

• Student Guide to MLA Format 9th Edition Interactive Digital Notebook
• Meaningful Student-Led Conferences Digital Portfolio
• Daily Grammar Digital Bellringer

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Best wishes always,

Linda Ricci

M.A. Education

M.A. Journalism

B.A. English