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Digital Back to School Activities for Middle and High School
- Write and Read (Laura)
- Jul 30, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 9, 2021
Starting the school year virtually may make it challenging to build relationships with students. Here are some fun suggestions to help build community and get to know
your students in a virtual setting.
Would You Rather
Would You Rather is a great icebreaker game to get to know students. You can adapt this for a Zoom meeting by sharing your screen with students. To answer, students can hold up one or two fingers for their response. With a mix of silly and serious questions, students love this activity.
Digital Class Culture Quilt
A digital class culture quilt is a great way to get to know students and celebrate their differences. Students work on their own quilt piece, and when all students’ quilt squares are together, they form the class quilt. It’s a project that can later be printed and displayed in the classroom.
Class Slideshow Project
A class slideshow is a great way to get to know students. More importantly, it’s a great way for students to get to know each other. It can be hard building relationships in a virtual classroom, but this activity can help students identify shared interests and hobbies with their classmates. This is a great project for students who are making a big transition starting their first year of middle school or high school.
Digital Back to School Activities
This digital back to school activity pack provides digital versions of many important first week activities. Students can set goals for the year, think about their learning styles, and provide you with important information to help build relationships.
Four Corners Game
Four Corners is my favorite back to school activity in the classroom, but it can be adapted for a Google Meet or Zoom Meeting. That first meeting with students shouldn’t just be spent reviewing procedures and expectations. It’s a chance to meet everyone and set the tone for the year. Four Corners is a great way to break the ice and get to know everyone.
Happy Back to School!
Laura
Check them out:
Digital Back to School Activities
Class Slideshow Project
You can also check out my back to school bundles:
Related Blog Posts:
Getting students engaged at the start of the school year can definitely set the tone for everything that follows. Digital back to school activities are such a smart way to connect with middle and high schoolers, especially since they are already comfortable with tech. Interactive surveys, virtual scavenger hunts, and creative intro slides help teachers learn about their students in a fun way. It actually reminds me of how organized systems like the Glacier National Park Shuttle keep everything running smoothly and on schedule. When structure meets creativity, students feel both supported and inspired from day one.
I completely agree that 'Would You Rather' is a fantastic icebreaker for virtual classrooms. It's so important to have these interactive, low-pressure activities to help students feel connected and seen, especially when building relationships without the benefit of physical presence. Beyond the excellent suggestions here, I've found that incorporating other similar question-based games can also be incredibly effective for fostering deeper connections and helping students discover shared experiences. For those looking to expand their repertoire of digital icebreakers, you might find some really insightful and engaging Never Have I Ever questions that work wonderfully for middle and high schoolers.