Type up a generic list of the events of the life cycle of a pumpkin. Mix up the entire list so that all of the events are out of order. Give each child the mixed-up list, a sentence strip, a sheet of green construction paper, a sheet of orange construction paper, a small square of yellow tissue, a pumpkin seed, and a di-cut or color sheet of a large pumpkin.

The children use all of their materials to glue the steps of the growth of the life cycle of a pumpkin in order, and make the process as they go along. They will start with the seed, then use the tissue paper to make the pumpkin flower, then use the construction paper to make a small green pumpkin and a small orange pumpkin, and finally use the di-cut or the color sheet for their final grown pumpkin. All of these things are glued on the strip in a sequence of events.

Read the book Autumn by Steven Schnur to the class:

After the story, tell the students that they are going to act like the author of this book and write their own acrostics. Create a class example using the word “Fall” so they know exactly what to do. Then, let each child write their own acrostics using some of the adjectives they all listed. Here’s an example:

Apples are yummy on a stick!
Usually, my family rakes colorful leaves together.
The best part of fall is going to the pumpkin farm.
Under stars we toast marshmallows by the fire.
My mom puts a scarecrow in the yard.
Nuts, acorns, and pine needles are all over the place!

After they write their acrostics, they can type them on the computer onto seasonal paper or they can re-write on large paper and illustrate their ideas.

This is a great way to check the children’s oral comprehension skills and abilities to summarize details. It’s also a fun fall/autumn/Halloween activity!

Before reading the The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons to the class, remind them that after hearing the story, they will be asked about what they remember. Also, remind them that they are going to have to remember specific details from the story to make a graphic organizer together.

Once the children have heard the story, ask them about four main parts of the story. (For example: growing a pumpkin, varieties of pumpkins, things to do with pumpkins, and so on) Make a large cluster chart on the board or on a sheet of chart paper using their ideas. Once completed, give each child a sheet of chart paper so they can create their own cluster chart. After that is completed, they can illustrate all of their ideas with drawings to match the ideas.

To get your second grade students in the spirit for the season of fall/autumn, the following writing activity and craft usually is a lot of fun and it turns out really nice too! It’s definitely a colorful fall hallway display or bulletin board activity idea.

Begin the lesson by reading the following book to the class:

It’s Fall (Celebrate the Seasons)

After reading the book, make a list of the following senses on chart paper: see, hear, smell, touch, and taste.

Have the children close their eyes and pretend they are outside on a crisp, fall day. Let them tell you things to list things that they might see, hear, smell, touch, or taste. After completing the chart as a class, give them the following writing prompt (or one like it) and have them add a couple sentences of their own at the end:

Fall is a _________season. I like to ____________ and ______________during fall. Seeing _______________makes me think of fall. I hear __________ and ____________during this time of year. My favorite part about fall is ________________.

Once they’ve written their stories, glue the handwriting paper onto the bottom of a large sheet of construction paper. Give the children real leaves and white paper to create leaf rubbings. Glue the leaf rubbing to the top of the construction paper. Then, give each child fall di-cuts (rakes, tiny leaves, pumpkins, etc…) to decorate the remaining parts of the construction paper. Laminate these once they are finished, because they end up being a fall keepsake for parents!

My story: I was so excited about becoming a new second-grade teacher. I had planned for this day for what seemed like years. I had so many teaching materials, student manipulatives, resources, ideas, and so on prepared and ready to go. Well, let me just say that NOTHING could have prepared me for the weight of responsibility that hit my shoulders when 22 seven year-olds were all sitting there staring at me with that “What now?” look on their faces. I smiled, introduced myself, then excused myself, and went and lost my breakfast in the restroom! This continued on for the rest of that day, the rest of that week, and for a couple more weeks! I had experienced an entirely new feeling- anxiety! I loved my job, but I was so sick for a while that it really took a lot out of me. Once I got the hang of it that year, I felt much better. Then the second year came and the anxiety again returned for a couple of days. From my third year on, it hasn’t been as hard but I still get those “First Day Jitters”!

1. You are not the only teacher with anxiety!

Take a walk around your school and talk with the other teachers. Most likely, every single teacher there will tell you that they still get anxious before the beginning of a new school year. Donâ’t feel like you are alone. The other teachers are there to help you and DO NOT be afraid to talk to them; they have been in your shoes and might actually still be there!

2. Don’t feel like you have to be “Super teacher”!

Don’t try to do it all at one time! Take one thing at a time and try to digest it and think it through. Again, ask other teachers for help! Ask parents for assistance with making, creating, and preparing teaching aids and activities. Realize that there will be so many lessons that you try that completely bomb out! That’s okay – learning what works and what doesn’t work is just a part of teaching and this process is difficult. In the long run, you will be a better teacher because of it.

3. Relate yourself with the students.

As you are going through those first day motions (rules, routines, expectations, schedule, etc.), let the children know that you are all in this together. You will teach them and they will teach you. It really gives them a sense of responsibility and you will most likely have a better-behaved class for it. Try reading the following book the first day of school -it’s actually about the teacher having jitters! It is highly recommended!

First Day Jitters

4. Pace yourself.

Try to keep yourself on a routine with grading, lesson planning, parent conferencing, etc. Remember, this is your job, but you need a little personal time too. If you don’t pace yourself, you will find that you spend just as much time at home doing school stuff as you do at school. Try to keep your lesson plans completed a week in advance. This way, you stay on top of things and you are well prepared for you lessons (and even if something arises and you have to miss school). Have your lesson plans completed by Wednesday afternoons. Have a parent volunteer come in on Thursdays and make copies or prepare lessons for you. Have another parent volunteer come in on another day and do “secretarial work” for you (filing, stapling, etc.). Try to grade as you go along so that you don’t end up with an overwhelming stack in front of you!

The Back to School Book

Welcome Back to School

5. Stay organized

Anxiety for a first year teacher can really flare up if you don’t stay on top of all the paperwork and things that must be done. Back-to-school paperwork and supplies can really pile up if you don’t keep on top of things. Try to keep a checklist with your class-roll around at all times. You will need it for all that paperwork, for lunch counts, for attendance, and for so much more. Again, use those parent volunteers to help you with the “secretarial work”. Manage some sort of filing system in a box or folder that you can keep at a tangible location. Teach the children how to keep a neat and organized desk and you need to do the same! When there are 20+ children along with a teacher in the room (and everyone has so much STUFF), organization is critical.

Your Best Year Yet

Instant Desktop Organizer

6. Have fun!

Yes, it’s overwhelming, yes it makes you anxious, yes it can be stressful, but at the end of the day, YOU have been important in the life of a child. That makes it all worth it. Those children will love you, no matter what. If you mess up, then do exactly what you teach them: “Good, better, best, never let it rest, til your good is your better, and your better is your best! You are awesome, you can and you will be successful-it just takes practice, and maybe a few trips to the ladies room!

1. Name Game: Sit everyone in a circle. The teacher begins with, “My name is ______, and I______”. The student to the right of the teacher repeats, “Her (the teacher) name is ______ and she______. My name is ___________ and I like to ___________.” The game continues with the person repeating what the individual before him/her just said, and then they introduce themselves. After the circle is complete, a review of names and likes is repeated together. This is a cute and easy way to get to know everyone’s names on the first day of second grade!

2. Star Student - The first week of school, I (the teacher) am the start student. I fill out the star student board with facts all about me. I bring in pictures of my family, my friends, my pets, vacations, etc. to share with the children. I also bring in something for show and tell. This helps the children get to know me a little bit better on the first day of school and it also shows them how the weekly star routine works!

3. Writing Activity - Read Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods that Make My Day, by Jamie Lee Curtis. This is a very funny story and the children always get a kick out of the main character’s moods! After reading this story, have the children write about how they are feeling. Start them off with: “Today on the first day of second grade. Last night I felt______. I felt ____________when I was getting ready this morning. Right now I feel__________ and I am feeling _____________ about second grade.” I then have them add on a couple more sentences on their own. Once they are finished, I let them illustrate their mood on a blank face di-cut. The children are then allowed to share what they have written. This is also a good informal writing assessment to see how they are writing. **Before starting this activity, tie it in with the first Writer’s Workshop mini-lesson to let students know expectations for their writing. ***

Today I Feel Silly

4. Math Activity – Pass out a bag of M&M’s to each child. Read the book More M&M’s Chocolate Candies Math by Barbara McGrath. The children will add, subtract, sort, and graph their candies in this fun, hands-on, yummy math activity for the first day of second grade! This is also a great informal assessment to see how their math skills are!

More M&M’s Math

5. Don’t forget to take their pictures (alone) at some point during the day! You WILL use it for some type of memory book or first day of school gift for parents!

6. Classmate Survey – The children will LOVE going around the room finding out facts about their new friends on the first day of school! This is another informal assessment to see who can read their papers and who is having troubles…
http://www.abcteach.com/Backtoschool/classsurvey.htm

7. Take the children on a tour of the school, whether they are new or not. Practice correct procedures for the hall, the lunchroom, the library, dismissal routines, bathrooms, etc!

8. Windows on my first week of second grade: At the end of each day of the first week of school, I have my students color a picture of the events of their day in a window pane I have copied onto white paper. In each of the four panes, they write something about that day. We do one for each day of that first week, then we place all five windows into a folder that is labeled “Looking at my first week in second grade”. This is also a cute place to put other keepsakes from those first few days (like a photo!).

9. First day “kiss” – I send the children home with a note that says, “You had a great first day of second grade, you deserve a KISS!” and a Hershey’s Kiss!

If you have any other great ideas for the first day of school for second graders, please share them below!