Curriculum area:
Social Studies

Grade level:
3-5

Objectives:
relationship building

Materials needed:
healthy snacks (ie. grapes,
loaf of tasty bread, pretzels)
and a place to sit in a circle

Time estimate to complete:
30 min

Procedure:
"Why should I listen to you, learn from you or respect you at all if we don't know each other and I don't trust you?"
I suspect that this goes on in most students' heads, consciously or not. Vygotsky spoke a lot about the social aspect of learning and I think he was right on.
The teacher and students need to have sincere, open relations with each other for their to be real growth.
The first day of school, I sit with my students in a circle and tell them a little bit about myself - not my college degrees, but things they'd want to know, like that I've gone skydiving and love music.
Then, I open the space up for informal introductions and free-flowing discussion.
If necessary, I'll insert a topic idea here and there - has anyone had a great time at a big sporting event? A terrible time? - but it's not difficult to get everyone engaged.
I pass around grapes and bread and mini-marshmallows and try to create an atmosphere in which the children feel welcome, feel like they belong, and feel like their teacher genuinely cares about them, which I do.
Doing something this "un-classroom-like" the first day grabs the students' attention and eases their worries.