Investigate the Teacher | Back to School Inference Activity | Icebreaker

Turn the first day of school into an exciting mystery! Investigate the Teacher is a fun, inquiry-based activity that gets students moving, observing, and thinking critically as they search the classroom for clues about their new teacher.

Students will walk around the room collecting evidence from classroom displays, decorations, books, photographs, supplies, and other carefully placed clues. Then, they'll work with a partner to make inferences about their teacher, using evidence to support each conclusion before sharing their ideas with the class.

This engaging activity is the perfect way to introduce the concept of making inferences using text evidence while building classroom community and sparking curiosity from day one.

What's Included:

• Student clue recording sheet
• Evidence and inference recording page
• Easy-to-follow student directions
• Ready-to-print PDF

Students Will Practice:

• Making observations
• Gathering evidence
• Making inferences
• Supporting conclusions with evidence
• Partner collaboration
• Speaking and listening skills
• Critical thinking

Perfect For:

• Back to School
• First Week of School
• Icebreaker Activities
• Getting to Know the Teacher
• Reading Comprehension Skills
• Inferencing Lessons
• ELA Centers
• Classroom Community Building

Grade Levels: Grades 3–12

This low-prep activity combines movement, collaboration, and critical thinking while giving students an engaging introduction to one of the most important reading comprehension skills—using evidence to make meaningful inferences. It's the perfect first-week activity to build curiosity, encourage discussion, and create lasting classroom connections.

If you use this resource, please leave a review — it helps other teachers find it and lets me know what to create next. Thank you for supporting independent educators!

©  The Bewitched Teacher. For single-classroom use. Please purchase additional licenses for sharing with colleagues.