Preparation:
For the first unit, third graders are learning to introduce themselves for the first time. I made these name cards to make the first lesson a little less intimidating for those daunted by English. The sheet only has 10 characters so make enough copies to cut out (and maybe laminate) for each student to have a single character.
In Class:
First, introduce target language, i.e.
"Hello"
"My name is..."
"Nice to meet you."
Then, after students have practiced a few times, present each one with a name card. Give them about 2-3 minutes to find other persons with the same characters using the target language. The goal is to find your pair (or group depending on class size).
This will help familiarize them with the vocabulary and card exchange as they will do this with their own cards later on in the unit.