Who Was Books About Students & All About Me Student Autobiographies

I love to start my year by getting to know my students a bit better. Here are two fun writing projects that I have used in my classroom that do just that. These are great for the beginning of the year, but I have used the autobiography one in the middle of the year with great success too, so timing is not really a huge deal on either of these projects.

Autobiography Writing Project

The thing I absolutely LOVE about this project is that it includes having students interview their parents about before they were born and when they were little. It traces the student's lives from their parents finding out they were going to have a baby all the way up until their current age. 

Students dive in one interview and piece of writing at a time. I usually start with the very earliest stage of their lives and work up to their current life. I send home an interview paper on the first day. They are supposed to interview their parents that night and return the information the next day. Then they use the questions and answers to create a paragraph that tells about their life. We repeat that process for several days, sending interviews and then writing the paragraph the next day. Toward the end, students can do their own work without needing to interview their parents. The result is a super sweet keepsake autobiography pocket book for each student to display. 

I just LOVE this project so much! I learn a lot about each student and they learn about themselves as well. They take home a beautiful project that will be a keepsake for years to come. 

This comes with so many different forms for different nationalities and looks of children. 

Who is Books

This is another fun way to have students write about themselves and this is completely different from the last activity. The information in each is unique. First, I start by having the students write in 4 different ways about themselves. Here's what that looks like for me. 

1. Bio Poem

This is a fun way for students to practice writing poetry without it being too challenging. This poem is a formula (just search bio poem in your search engine and it will pop up with directions for how to have students write this poem). 

2. Hopes and Dreams (Goals)

Students write about things in school that they hope or dream for their year. This is basically a list of goals they want to achieve that are school-related.

3. One Little Word 

Students choose one word to represent something they want to strive for this year. They also write about why they chose that word.

4. Favorites

Students write a list of favorites such as: color, number, sport, subject, animal, friend, etc. 

Once the writing is done, I used AI to create book covers. Sometimes I have to play around with this for a little bit, but this is the basics of what I do:

Upload a picture of the front cover of a Who Was book from my library or on the web. I also upload a picture of one of my students and tell the prompt to create a Who Was style book. I tell it to name it using my student's first name. I also pick a theme if wanted. This time I had it create them in a sports pose playing their favorite sport and wearing their favorite color. That was about it. I made sure that it made the head big and the body small in each picture to match the actual artwork on these books. 

Once I get an image, I save it and I upload it to a Powerpoint and center it on the right side of an 11x8.5 document. I type out the four pieces of writing (two on one slide and two on another). Then I print the writing front to back and print cover. I fold it all like a book and staple the single sheet inside the front cover and it's done. I hung these on the wall outside my classroom and got a lot of attention from other students and staff. Super fun...and free!

Here's where you can find the autobiography for your class. 

Football Reading Comprehension Wreath Craft: A Fun, Hands-On Literacy Activity for your Classroom

Looking for a fun, engaging way to boost reading comprehension while keeping your students motivated? This football-themed reading comprehension wreath craft is the perfect blend of literacy, creativity, and seasonal excitement - making it a favorite for both teachers and students. 

Whether you are celebrating football season, planning a Super Bowl classroom activity, or simply trying to add more hands-on learning to your literacy block, this craft helps students interact with texts in a meaningful way - not just answer questions and move on. 

Why Teachers Love Football-Themed Reading Activities

Seasonal themes make learning feel special. When students see something familiar and exciting, like football, they instantly feel more connected to the activity. 

This football reading comprehension craft: 

• Keeps students engaged
• Encourages deeper thinking about texts
• Provides a visual representation of understanding
• Works as a bulletin board display
• Supports multiple learning styles

Instead of just throwing out another worksheet, students build their comprehension, piece by piece, using this interactive wreath.

What is the Football Reading Comprehension Wreath Craft?

This craft allows students to respond to a reading passage, book, or story by completing structured prompts (from a menu of choices) and assembling them into a football-themed wreath craft. 

Each piece of the wreath represents a different reading skill such as:

• Character
• Setting
• Problem/Solution
• Text Connections
• Favorite Part

Once assembled, students have a visual summary of their thinking - and teachers have an instant comprehension check. 

Perfect for so Many Classroom Uses

This football literacy craft is extremely versatile. Teachers can use it for:

• Football-themed reading centers
• Small group instruction
• Whole-class novel studies
• Independent reading responses
• Book reports
• Earlier finisher activities
• Bulletin board displays
• Hallway showcases
• Super Bowl week lessons

It works especially well for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, but can easily be adapted up or down, depending on the needs of your students. 

Why Crafts Improve Reading Comprehension

Craft-based literacy activities aren't just "fun extras" - they are powerful learning tools. 

This interactive reading comprehension craft helps students:

• Slow down and reflect on the text
• Organize their thinking
• Use academic language
• Make text based connections
• Stay motivated longer

Students are much more likely to engage with comprehension questions when they know they are building something meaningful. 

Easy Prep for Busy Teachers

One of the best parts? This football reading craft is designed to be print-and-go. 

Just get started by following these steps: 

1. Print the template for each student
2. Assign, or read aloud, a short story
3. Let students respond and assemble

No more complicated materials. No stress. Teachers will love that this activity feels special without all the hours of prep. 

Makes the Perfect Bulletin Board

Once they are finished, these wreaths make stunning classroom displays. They are colorful, personal, and full of student thinking. Try pairing them with a fun heading such as: 

• Touchdown Reading!
• We're Scoring Big in Comprehension
• Reading Champions
• Game on, Readers!

Your classroom will feel festive, purposeful, and student centered. 

Great for Differentiation

This football craft can be easily differentiated: 

• Give easier prompts to struggling readers
• Use sentence starters with emerging writers
• Open-ended responses for advanced students

You can also assign different texts to different groups and still use the same craft structure.

A meaningful alternative to traditional worksheets

If you're tired of students rushing through comprehension worksheets, this football reading response craft gives them a reason to slow down and think. 

Students are not just answering a set of questions, they are creating something meaningful along the way. 

And the best part is, they're proud to show it off!

Want to Try it in Your Classroom? 

If you are looking for a football-themed reading comprehension activity that is:

• Hands-on
• Engaging
• Low prep
• Visually appealing
• Educationally meaningful

...this wreath craft might be exactly what you need. It is a simple way to make literacy fun while still targeting essential comprehension skills. 

You can find this printable activity in my Teachers Pay Teachers shop. It has clear instructions, student-friendly templates, and easy classroom implementation. 

If football season brings extra energy to your classroom, this is a great way to channel that excitement into purposeful literacy learning. 

Get it right here.

Looking for some more football fun for the classroom? Check out these other blog posts below for more!

Math Block: Football Season Classroom Fun

Football Room Transformation

Math Block: The Best of the Best Engaging Math Activities

12 Days of Christmas Day 4: Easy Christmas Ornaments

Do you make ornaments with your class? It's something I enjoy doing. I have made ornaments with handprint snowmen, minion bulbs, baby Jesus ornaments (I teach in a Christian school) and this year we made two fun popsicle ornaments. 

This year, we made popsicle stick nutcracker ornaments. These were pretty simple until it came to doing the faces. We didn't have the right type of paintbrushes and those little hands had a bit of a challenging time getting things just right, but I really liked these despite them not being perfect, they still turned out cute. I found the directions at this blog over here. 

Next up was a super simple ornament that cannot be messed up. I got a box of colored popsicle sticks and glued them into stars ahead of time. The students took a colorful piece of yarn and tied it to one stick. Then they wrapped it around the popsicle stick however they chose. Afterwards, they dipped small pompoms into glue and scattered them around the star. The results were really very cute. I could not find the exact star I made, but I found the directions to one that is similar, but without the string. You can find the directions here.  

 

Christmas ornaments are a fun tradition in many classrooms. They end up as priceless treasures for years to come. My mother-in-law still hangs my husband's egg carton bell, he made more than forty years ago, in her tree. I just helped my parents unpack their old ornaments after moving back to the states after 25 years as missionaries. While digging around, I found a plastic canvas ornament I made way back. 

Whatever ornaments you choose to make with your class, be sure to have the child sign the back and write the year. Details about family heirlooms are often forgotten.