We first began using this activity on the first day of school several years ago. Traditionally our first day of school, we only have 20 minute classes. We did not want to spend the entire time going over our syllabus, so we decided to try this instead. It worked better than we expected.  We use simple string figures to teach classroom success.  We love this activity for multiple reasons. Check out Learning 365 to purchase this activity. 

1. – This hands-on activity reinforces the idea that you must ACTIVELY participate to learn in class. Watching us work problems on the board or letting your friends do all of the work in the group will not lead to success.
2.  – To be successful, you must continue to work hard and try. You may not get it on the first attempt. This is not a problem, if you continue to try to improve.
3.  – Students must read and interpret the directions as they are written in order to be successful. Too many times in class, we explain the directions instead of making our student read them. As a result, we get frustrated having to go over the directions fifteen times. Once we quit immediately introducing directions, students had to read them before they could ask questions. This cuts down on many problems about the directions later during the year.
4.   – Missing class is difficult, but missing a science class can be really difficult. You need the actual experience of participating in class to really grasp the material. Reading the directions alone does not always guarantee success.
5.  – Many times you need the expertise of other students to help you.
6.   – Watching someone else do the activity is not the same as doing it yourself. Watching us work problems on the board is easy but will not make you successful. You have to practice to succeed.
7.   – Our students really enjoyed this activity. It really breaks up the monotony of the first day of school, and they learned about how to be successful in this class.