All About Me! A Beginning of the Year Science Activity

Setting the Tone at the Beginning of the Year

For almost ten years, I taught science for all three grade levels (6th, 7th, and 8th) in my middle school building. It was always wild to witness the difference between my wide-eyed 6th-graders and my veteran 8th-graders. No matter their age, my students always reveled in the opportunity to share a little about themselves at the beginning of the year.

Getting to know your students at the beginning of the school year lays a strong foundation for a successful and positive learning experience. It enhances student engagement, promotes academic growth, supports social-emotional development, and helps build a positive classroom climate.

I have found that taking the time to learn about my students has helped me build rapport with some of the students many teachers deemed “challenging.” Understanding your students’ backgrounds, interests, and personalities helps in managing behavior effectively. You can anticipate potential challenges, provide positive reinforcement, and address issues with empathy and understanding.

The All About Me Activity

It all started with a piece of printer paper and some folds.

It was the first day of science class, and I had just finished going over the classroom expectations and telling my students a little about me. There were still about twenty minutes left in the class period, and I had to think fast.

Since I created comics, my brain took the comic path. My students could create a comic about themselves!

I handed each student a piece of copy paper and asked them to fold it to create six equal quadrants (one vertical fold and two horizontal folds). I told the students it was their opportunity to create a comic all about their interests and life.

The results were great! So many of my students embraced the opportunity to share a bit about their lives. The impromptu beginning of the year activity quickly evolved into a project students look forward to, and it set the tone for a welcoming environment in my science classroom.

Prompts or No Prompts?

If your science classroom is anything like mine, you will have a wide range of responses from this beginning of the school year activity. My sixth graders tend to take on this project with enthusiasm and a plethora of ideas. My eighth graders tend to face the challenge with a touch more apathy.

A handful of my students find it challenging to come up with ideas for each box. So, I started to give my students prompts. Most of the time, we brainstorm as a class and put a list of ideas on the board. This helps make the project accessible to students who are shy or struggle with ideas.

I have toyed with different approaches to the prompts. There are so many options here.

Varying the All About Me Comic

Since my 6th graders eventually evolved into 8th graders, it has been important for me to modify the project for each class. Students certainly do not want to complete the same project every year.

At the beginning of the year in 6th grade, my students are asked to simply create a comic about themselves. This could mean they are filling in each quadrant with an individual topic, similar to the sample pictured on the right.

When my students reach 8th grade, they are required to create a sequential storyline. In addition, the comic has to be science-related. This adds a bit more of a challenge for my middle school science students.

In this case, the comic can depict a story about something science-related that the student experienced in a previous classroom or outside of the classroom. Here are some example topics-

1. A hike and observing nature
2. An experience with extreme weather
3. A favorite science experiment
4. A career path that involves science or STEM
5. An experience at a doctor or vet

Benefits of Getting to Know Them

I am a strong supporter of taking the time to develop a strong teacher-student relationship at the beginning of the year. Doing so creates a supportive and trusting classroom environment. When students feel connected to their teacher, they are more likely to feel comfortable asking questions, seeking help, and participating actively in class.

Every student is unique with different learning styles, strengths, challenges, and interests. By getting to know your students, you can better tailor your teaching strategies, assignments, and activities to meet their individual needs. Some of my most challenging students start to improve once I take the time to get to know them.

Knowing your students allows you to make connections between the science concepts you teach and their lives. You can relate lessons to their interests, experiences, and future goals, making the content more meaningful and relevant.

The first impressions students have of their teacher and classmates can shape their attitudes towards school and learning throughout the year. A welcoming and positive atmosphere encourages enthusiasm and reduces anxiety.

The Activity Crafted for You

To help make it easy for other science teachers to incorporate this project into their beginning-of-the-year curriculum, Cool School Comics delivers a ready-to-go teaching resource. The key component of this resource is the visual instructions crafted with the comic style. In addition, a variety of templates and a rubric have been included.

Providing instructions in a visual format helps break down language barriers and makes the project accessible to a range of learning and reading levels. This will set a tone for these members of your classroom. Hopefully, your students who have struggled in previous classrooms will feel welcome and supported.