In the book A Letter From Your Teacher On the First Day of School by Shannon Olsen, a teacher writes a heart-warming letter to her students sharing all of the things she is looking forward to in the upcoming school year. Students will use the StoryboardThat Creator to illustrate "Three Thrilling Things" that they are looking forward to this year! For example: making new friends, a book or project they're excited about, a school play, or a game they love to play in P.E. Student storyboards can be shown on a screen and shared with their classmates as well as printed and hung around the room!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a spider map of Three Thrilling Things that you are looking forward to this year!
Invite students to share their storyboards with the class in small groups or as a whole. Create a safe and encouraging space by modeling active listening and positive feedback. This helps students feel valued and builds classroom community.
Set expectations for active listening by having students look at the speaker, keep hands still, and wait their turn. Use visual reminders or hand signals to reinforce positive listening behaviors.
Model how to ask questions that show curiosity, such as “What are you most excited about?” or “How did you choose that activity?” Encourage students to practice with sentence starters to deepen their engagement.
Hang student storyboards in the classroom or hallway to recognize each child’s interests. Refer back to these throughout the year to connect learning to students’ personal goals and build excitement for upcoming activities.
The 'Three Thrilling Things I'm Excited About This Year' lesson is a back-to-school activity where students illustrate three things they're looking forward to using StoryboardThat, inspired by the book A Letter From Your Teacher On the First Day of School.
To use StoryboardThat, have students create a spider map with three cells, each featuring an illustration and short title about something they're excited to learn or do in school this year.
Examples include making new friends, participating in a school play, working on a favorite project, reading a new book, or playing a game in P.E.
Sharing what excites them helps build classroom community, foster positive relationships, and set a welcoming tone for the year.
Yes, this activity is flexible and can be done individually or in groups, allowing teachers to adapt it for different classroom needs.