These Back to School Would you Rather Activities are prompts where kids are given two options to choose from. They’re also often referred to as this or that questions, discussion starters, and talking topics. They are a great way to increase engagement in your classroom whether it’s during your morning meeting or literacy centers. Students really enjoy thinking about and answering the questions! Learn more about our back to school would you rather activities below!
What These Back to School Would You Rather Activities Include
Each of our back to school would you rather resources includes the following:
- 10 question cards that you can use as whole class discussion prompts or writing center prompts
- 10 writing pages where students can respond to the prompt with a small illustration and in writing
- graphic organizer for students to weigh the pros and cons of each option
- blank template where your students can write their own would you rather prompts
Why Teachers Love Our August Would You Rather Activities
Elementary teachers love our August would you rather resources because of the following reasons:
- Most of the activities require no prep – just print and go!
- Students love these types of activities and will be highly engaged when working on them.
- They are great filler and fast finisher activities, so you’ll be covered in a pinch.
- There are tons of options to choose from in this resource, so you can determine what works best for you and your students.
- They promote thoughtful class discussions that help build a sense of community.
10 Ideas for How to Use These Back to School Would You Rather Questions in Your Classroom
Read the 10 simple ways you can use these back to school would you rather questions in your classroom below.
1. Attendance Procedure Tasks
Using would you rather questions to take attendance can be a fun and engaging way for elementary teachers to start the school day. When it’s time to take attendance, instead of simply calling out each student’s name, present them with a would you rather question.
Ask each student to respond by choosing one of the options. Students can indicate their choice by raising their hand, standing up, or using a visual cue. As students respond, record their choices on your attendance sheet. This can be a creative way to quickly document who is present.
After all of your students have made their choice, briefly discuss the different options. This facilitates an opportunity for a short interactive class discussion to start your school day.
2. Morning Work
Using would you rather questions as morning work in an elementary classroom can be a great way to engage students, spark creativity, and set a positive tone for the school day. Start by introducing the morning work routine and explain that students will start their day by answering a fun would you rather question. Emphasize that there is no right or wrong answer.
Ask students to write out their responses in complete sentences. This not only offers an opportunity for them to practice their writing skills, but also allows you to assess their ability to organize and communicate their thoughts in writing.
At the conclusion of the morning work session, invite students to share their responses with a partner or the class. This is a great opportunity for students to practice verbal communication skills and connect with their classmates.
After students have shared their responses, facilitate a brief class discussion. This can involve comparing answers, exploring reasons behind their choices, and building a sense of community in the classroom. Emphasize that everyone’s preferences are unique and should be respected, which ties in nicely with discussions about kindness, respect, and individuality.
3. Morning Meeting Discussion Prompts
During your morning meeting, pose a would you rather question to your class. Encourage students to share their choice and explain their reasoning in full sentences. This activity will help build a positive classroom culture and strengthen your students’ communication skills. Conclude by summarizing key discussion points that were brought up by your students.
4. Sub Plans Activities
Include a set of would you rather questions in your sub plans as a fun and easy activity. Have the substitute teacher facilitate group discussions based on the questions to maintain engagement. Leave a brief guide for your substitute teacher on how to manage the activity. Use this as a fun, structured way to keep students actively participating and engaged during your absence.
5. Center Work
Set up a would you rather writing center with a variety of questions to choose from. Rotate questions regularly to keep the center fresh and engaging for your students. Consider encouraging your students to discuss their choices with a classmate before writing their responses. This is an easy, sustainable center that your students will enjoy, plus it will basically run itself after students learn the routine!
6. Fast Finisher Activities
Would you rather activities are a great option for fast finisher tasks. Consider designating a spot in your classroom that contains a stack of would you rather cards from the packet highlighted in this post. When students finish a task early, they can choose a card and respond to the prompt in writing. This is a fun and motivating task for students that is easy to maintain – just rotate the questions weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
7. Filler Tasks
Keep a set of would you rather questions handy for unexpected downtime or transitions in the classroom. When there’s a gap in the schedule or a few extra minutes to fill, pose a question to keep your students engaged. It’s a great tool to seamlessly fill gaps while fostering a fun learning environment for your class.
8. Indoor Recess Activities
Indoor recess can get old the later in the year it gets. Keep it fresh and exciting by putting out a would you rather activity for students to use if they’re interested. This type of activity fosters social interaction and creative thinking even in the most confined spaces.
9. Class Book
Assemble a class book using the printables in the resources highlighted in this post. It can serve as a fun keepsake that students will enjoy reading through and looking back at. You could also add it to your collection of items that go into a time capsule at the end of the school year. Students will treasure this!
10. Homework
Send your students home with a would you rather activity as part of their homework assignment. Encourage them to discuss their choice with family members and provide a brief written and illustrated response using the printables included in the packets highlighted in this post. This activity promotes family engagement and builds the home-school connection.
Back to School Would You Rather Activities
Check out the back to school would you rather activities below!
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In closing, we hope you found this post about these back to school would you rather activities for elementary students helpful! If you did, then you may also be interested in these posts:
