Back to School Class building: making a personal CLASS PUZZLE as a metaphor for the class

This is an idea for an activity to do with a class to strengthen the class spirit and unity within the class. Full instructions are included, but it comes down to this: Students each colour a piece of a class puzzle. When all the pieces are put together, the puzzle is a beautiful tool for a class discussion:

By asking questions in a group discussion, lead the students to understanding the metaphor of this puzzle: Look at this beautiful colourful creation, that we made as a group effort! The puzzle symbolizes our class. Each of you is a very special piece of this puzzle. The puzzle, and thus the class, is unique, because each of you is unique. Everyone has their own way talents, their own way of adding colour to the class! We all need each other to make the class complete: with just one puzzle piece missing or not fitting in properly with the others, the whole puzzle wouldn’t be complete. We are each different - we have different colours -, but what binds us is the class itself and what we share - the black marker lines! We need to do our best to fit together, give each other space. TOGETHER we are this class!