The Toll Bridge Troll Activity

 

This was a fun activity to start the year with.  I was able to fit in oral reading, a fun group activity, and a writing prompt!  Score!

 

I began by reading The Toll Bridge Troll to my students.  In this book, it's the troll that gets outsmarted by the little boy on his way to school.  Ultimately, the troll decides he should go to school to get smart too.  You can have this read for your students on You Tube too!

 

After reading the story, we played a game in which students worked in pairs to solve riddles and "cross the bridge".  It was a fun way for students to work with new classmates.  It also gave students a chance to show off their riddle solving skills.  I have some outside the box thinkers this year!

 

Finally, I used this book as a way to teach summarizing and a little bit of response to literature.  Phew!

What the Teacher Learned:  A great story can go a long way!

 

Welcoming the Students

 

I've seen this idea using Goldfish Crackers in many ways on Pinterest.  Sadly, our printer was running low on ink the night before school started, so I had to  go with something very basic.  If you're interested in something craftier, check this out.

Thinking basic, I found a very handy template for sandwich bag treat toppers over at Avery.   I was able to fill up 36 bags with 29 grams of Goldfish per bag.  To do that I purchased one bulk size container and one regular size bag.  I think I could have put in a few less grams and gone with just the bulk size container of Goldfish. 

My students were so excited to get these at the end of the first day.

What the Teacher Learned:  It's great to get off on a good start!