Preschool–Kindergarten

	Objectives Students will listen to a story about a raccoon that is anxious about the first day of school. Students will identify matching objects. Students will introduce themselves and answer a question about themselves. Students will recall another child’s name and state one fact about this child to the class.
	Materials Needed The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn Picture cards Plain white envelopes (one per student) Best-Buy Crayons My New Friend reproducible Scissors Before You Begin Download and print out two copies of each picture card for pairs of students in your class. Cut out the pictures so each has a match. (For classrooms with an odd number of students, make two additional copies of one picture to make a group of three identical picture pairs.)
	Introduction Read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Reassure children that it is okay to miss home or feel a little nervous about starting school with a new teacher and some unfamiliar faces. Remind students that they will soon make new friends and learn what to expect in the classroom, telling them that you will have a great year together!
	Procedure Explain to students that your class is going to play a game to help everyone learn a little about their classmates and make new friends. Place an envelope with a picture card inside it on each student’s desk, making sure to distribute at least two copies of every picture. Ask students to open the envelopes and look at their pictures. Then invite students to walk around the room to find a student who is holding the same picture! Once students find their match, encourage the partners to introduce themselves to each other and share one fact about themselves. (For example, students can reveal their favorite color, favorite food or the playground activity they enjoy most.) Have students sit on the floor next to their partner as they form a circle with the rest of the class. One at a time, have students introduce their partner to the class and then share what they learned about their partner. (For example, students can say, “This is Mark, and his favorite thing on the playground is the slide!”) If students hesitate, you can encourage them by asking both partners questions about their favorite things. Continue until all students have had a turn to introduce their partners to the class. If desired, you can choose to create a cluster web display as they speak, listing the students? names and facts about them. (For example, you can write “Joanne likes chocolate chip cookies. Sam likes riding his bike.”)
	Independent Practice Once students return to their desks, provide them with the My New Friend reproducible and some crayons. Have students draw a picture of their new friend and what this friend shared, such as a favorite food or game. (Younger students can draw a picture of themselves and what they shared instead.) As students are working, walk around the room and have students dictate a sentence for you to write that describes their picture. (For example, they could say, “Ava is eating her favorite food, pizza!”) Display the completed pictures on a bulletin board for students to enjoy!
	View the preschool–kindergarten lesson plan. (Includes all printable materials.)