Morning Meeting Script

Warm-Up: Good Morning Greeting & Calendar Check (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning, wonderful learners! Let's start our day with our special morning meeting. Look at the Morning Meeting Slides. Can everyone say 'Good Morning'?"

(Pause for student responses, model if needed. Encourage AAC users to activate 'Good Morning' if programmed.)

Teacher: "Let's see what today is! Look at our calendar slide. Today is... (Point to the day of the week)... (e.g., Monday)! Can you all say 'Monday'? Great!"

(Guide students to identify the day. Use hand-over-hand or pointing cues for AAC users.)

Teacher: "And the month is... (Point to the month)... (e.g., October)! Wow! And the date is... (Point to the date)... (e.g., the 23rd)! And the year is... (Point to the year)... (e.g., 2023)! Fantastic work, everyone!"

Teacher: "Now, let's think. If today is (e.g., Monday), what day was yesterday? (Pause for answers, prompt with visuals). That's right, yesterday was (e.g., Sunday)! And if today is (e.g., Monday), what day will tomorrow be? (Pause for answers). Yes! Tomorrow will be (e.g., Tuesday)! Excellent job with our calendar!"

Weather & Emotion Check-in (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Time to be weather reporters! Let's look out the window or at the Morning Meeting Slides. What is the weather like today? Is it sunny? Cloudy? Rainy? Cold? Warm?"

(Show Weather Icon Cards. Encourage students to point, use their AAC devices to describe the weather, or verbally respond.)

Teacher: "I see it's (e.g., cloudy and a little chilly) today. Who can tell me another word to describe the weather? (Pause for responses). Wonderful descriptions!

Teacher: "Now, let's do an emotion check-in. How are you feeling today? Are you happy? Sad? Excited? Tired? (Show Emotion Cards and point to each one). Think about how you feel right now. You can point to an emotion card, tell me, or use your talker to show how you feel."

(Pause and give individual attention. Prompt AAC users to find 'happy', 'sad', etc., on their devices. Acknowledge and validate feelings.)

Teacher: "It's good to know how we're feeling. I'm feeling (e.g., happy) today because I get to spend time with all of you!"

Fact or Opinion Fun (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Alright, let's play a game called 'Fact or Opinion'! On the Morning Meeting Slides, we see what a fact is and what an opinion is. Remember, a fact is something that is true and can be proven. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels, and it cannot be proven. Like, 'The sky is blue' is a fact. But 'Blue is the best color' is an opinion! Does that make sense?"

(Pause for understanding, provide more examples if needed.)

Teacher: "Now, let's look at our Fact or Opinion Sorting Activity. I'm going to read some sentences, and you tell me if it's a fact or an opinion! Ready?"

(Read statements from the Fact or Opinion Sorting Activity, guiding students to sort them. Provide clear praise and support. For AAC users, prompt for 'Fact' or 'Opinion' on their devices.)

Teacher: "That was fantastic sorting! You are getting so good at telling the difference!"

Short Story & Predictions (8 minutes)

Teacher: "It's story time! Today we have a special story called Short Story Reading, 'The Little Seed's Big Adventure.' As I read, I want you to listen very carefully, because we're going to make some predictions. A prediction is when you guess what might happen next in the story! It's like being a detective!"

(Read the first part of Short Story Reading as indicated in the story text.)

Teacher: "Okay, pause! The little seed just fell into the ground. What do you predict will happen next? Will it grow? Will a bird eat it? Use your words, point to a picture, or use your talker to tell me your prediction. I think... or Maybe..."

(Allow students to share predictions. Acknowledge all responses without judgment.)

Teacher: "Great predictions, everyone! Let's keep reading to see what happens."

(Continue reading the rest of Short Story Reading.)

Teacher: "Wow, what an adventure! Were your predictions correct? (Discuss briefly if predictions were met and why/why not). Fantastic listening and thinking!"

Daily Routine & Wrap-up (7 minutes)

Teacher: "Now let's look at our day ahead on the Morning Meeting Slides! We just finished our Morning Meeting. What's the next thing we're doing today? (Point to the schedule). That's right, (e.g., Math Class)!"

(Go through the daily schedule item by item. Ask questions about specific activities. Distribute the Daily Routine Worksheet and have students mark off activities as discussed.)

Teacher: "What is your favorite part of our routine today? (Pause for answers)."

Teacher: "To finish up, let's play a quick round of our Daily Review Game! This will help us remember everything we talked about today."

(Lead the Daily Review Game.)

Teacher: "You all did an amazing job during our morning meeting! For our cool-down, please complete the Cool Down Reflection. What was one thing you learned or one thing you enjoyed today?"

(Collect Cool Down Reflection or have students share briefly.)

Teacher: "Thank you for a wonderful morning meeting! Have a fantastic day, everyone!"

Weather Icon Cards

(Teacher Note: These are visual representations. Print, laminate, and display for students to point to or select.)

Card 1: Sunny

☀️ Bright yellow sun with rays

Card 2: Cloudy

☁️ Grey cloud

Card 3: Rainy

🌧️ Grey cloud with blue raindrops

Card 4: Snowy

🌨️ Grey cloud with white snowflakes

Card 5: Partly Cloudy

⛅ Sun peeking out from behind a cloud

Card 6: Windy

🌬️ Swirling wind lines

Card 7: Hot

🔥 Red thermometer indicating high temperature

Card 8: Cold

🥶 Blue thermometer indicating low temperature

Emotion Cards

(Teacher Note: These are visual representations of emotions. Print, laminate, and display for students to point to or select. Consider using diverse facial expressions or emojis.)

Card 1: Happy

😊 Smiling face

Card 2: Sad

😢 Frowning face with a tear

Card 3: Excited

🤩 Starry-eyed, joyful face

Card 4: Angry

😡 Red, scowling face

Card 5: Scared

😨 Wide-eyed, gasping face

Card 6: Calm

😌 Relaxed, peaceful face

Card 7: Surprised

😮 Open-mouthed, wide-eyed face

Card 8: Tired

😴 Sleeping face

The Little Seed's Big Adventure

Once upon a time, in a cozy little garden, lived a tiny brown seed. It was very small, but it had a big dream: to grow into a tall, strong plant! One sunny morning, a kind gardener came by. She carefully picked up the little seed and placed it gently into the warm, soft soil.

(Teacher: Pause here for student predictions: What do you think will happen next to the little seed?)

The little seed snuggled deep in the earth. It felt the sunshine warming the soil above and then, drip, drip, drip, rain started to fall! The seed drank up the water, and something amazing began to happen. A tiny, green sprout pushed its way out of the seed and stretched towards the light.

Day after day, the sun shone, and the rain fell. The little sprout grew taller and taller. Soon, it had strong roots reaching deep down and green leaves reaching up to the sky. It wasn't a little seed anymore! It was a beautiful, blooming sunflower, standing tall and proud in the garden, smiling at the sun.

My Day Ahead!

Name: ________________________ Date: ______________

Here is our schedule for today. As we talk about each part of our day, put a check mark next to it! You can also draw a picture of your favorite part!

Today's Schedule:

1. Morning Meeting

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

2. Math Class

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

3. Reading Workshop

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

4. Lunch & Recess

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

5. Science Experiment

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

6. Art Class

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

7. Dismissal

   • Check: [ ]
   • Picture:
     
     
     
     

My Favorite Part of the Day is:

Fact or Opinion Sorting Activity

(Teacher Note: Read each statement aloud. Have students identify if it's a Fact or an Opinion. They can use thumbs up/down, pre-made cards, or AAC devices.)

Instructions:

Listen to each sentence. Is it a Fact (something true you can prove) or an Opinion (what someone thinks or feels)?

Statements:

1. The sun is bright.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

2. Chocolate ice cream is the best flavor.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

3. A dog has four legs.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

4. Recess is the most fun part of school.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

5. Birds can fly.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

6. Wearing a hat makes you look silly.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

7. There are seven days in a week.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

8. Learning is hard.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

9. Trees are green.
   
   
   

   • Fact or Opinion?

10. Pizza tastes better than salad.
    
    
    

    • Fact or Opinion?
      
      
      ---

Fact or Opinion Answer Key

Here are the answers and reasoning for the Fact or Opinion Sorting Activity.

1. The sun is bright.

   • Answer: Fact
   • Reasoning: This is a statement that can be proven true by observation.

2. Chocolate ice cream is the best flavor.

   • Answer: Opinion
   • Reasoning: This is what someone thinks or feels. Other people might like different flavors, and there's no way to prove one is objectively 'the best'.

3. A dog has four legs.

   • Answer: Fact
   • Reasoning: This is a characteristic of dogs that can be observed and proven.

4. Recess is the most fun part of school.

   • Answer: Opinion
   • Reasoning: Fun is a feeling, and what one person finds fun, another might not. It's a personal preference.

5. Birds can fly.

   • Answer: Fact
   • Reasoning: While not all birds fly, the general statement that birds can fly is a biological fact for many species.

6. Wearing a hat makes you look silly.

   • Answer: Opinion
   • Reasoning: Whether someone looks 'silly' is a subjective judgment based on personal taste, not a universal truth.

7. There are seven days in a week.

   • Answer: Fact
   • Reasoning: This is a standard unit of time that can be proven by looking at a calendar.

8. Learning is hard.

   • Answer: Opinion
   • Reasoning: Learning can be challenging for some and easy for others. It's a subjective experience and feeling.

9. Trees are green.

   • Answer: Fact
   • Reasoning: Most trees have green leaves due to chlorophyll, a provable scientific fact (though leaf colors can change seasonally).

10. Pizza tastes better than salad.

    • Answer: Opinion
    • Reasoning: Taste is a personal preference. What one person finds delicious, another might not. There's no objective way to prove one food tastes 'better'.

Daily Review Game: Morning Meeting Mix-Up!

(Teacher Note: This is a quick question-and-answer game. Ask questions related to the day's morning meeting topics. Students can answer verbally, by pointing to visuals, or using their AAC devices.)

How to Play:

1. The teacher will ask a question about something we talked about in our Morning Meeting.
2. Students will take turns answering the question. You can say the answer, point to a picture, or use your talker.

Game Questions (Choose 3-5 to keep it quick!):

1. Calendar: What day of the week is it today?
   
   
   
   

2. Weather: What is one word to describe the weather outside right now?
   
   
   
   

3. Emotions: Can you show me how you are feeling today?
   
   
   
   

4. Fact or Opinion: Is the sentence "The grass is green" a FACT or an OPINION?
   
   
   
   

5. Story Time: What was the little seed hoping to become in our story?
   
   
   
   

6. Routine: What is the next thing on our schedule after Morning Meeting?
   
   
   
   

Cool Down Reflection

Name: ________________________ Date: ______________

Let's think about our Morning Meeting today!

1. What is one new thing you learned or remembered today?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. How did our morning meeting make you feel?

   • (You can draw a picture of your feeling or write a word)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

3. What was your favorite part of Morning Meeting?