Sunday, May 8, 2016

End of Year Activities

The testing season is over. No more cramming for THE big test.

Now what?

It's the end of the year, and you've still got to teach the kiddos and keep them thinking, learning, and creating.

I have put together this list of fun and engaging activities for the end of the year.

It's the end of the school year, and you need some new ideas for your classroom so you don't go crazy. Click here for 13 fun and engaging activities that your students will LOVE!

1. Math games - Put all of the main math topics that you've covered this year into a hat. Let each child pick a topic and create a board game on that topic. I have my students create at least 24 question cards (they need to be up to your standards, so you might want to check them after 1 or 2 questions) and a game board. It can be a fun themed game board like the jungle or circus. My students LOVED to make games like this!

2. Fractured fairy tales - Have the students choose a fairy tale. Then they rewrite the fairy tale, making it fractured. Change the characters, the setting, point of view, or plots. I'm sure you've heard of the The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. That's a fractured fairy tale. I did this years ago, and my students loved it! A couple of my students changed the setting to today's time, and they were hilarious. I had them create picture books with their fractured fairy tale and then present it to the class. Great fun!

3. Be the teacher - Brainstorm a list of all the topics that were covered this year. Have students choose one of the topics and create a lesson to teach it to the class. They have to create the lesson and the materials and then present it to the class. Have you ever heard of this before? Pretty profound.

30% of what they learn when they see a demonstration.
20% of what they learn from audio-visual.
10% of what they learn when they’ve learned from reading.
5% of what they learn when they’ve learned from lecture.

4. ABC book - Create an ABC book on how to survive the 4th grade (or whatever grade/subject you teach). Come up with something for each letter of the alphabet and then illustrate it.

5. Classroom awards - Instead of buying awards for your students and having to choose them yourself, have your students come up with the awards (all positive of course). They will probably come up with some pretty creative awards, maybe ones you've never heard of. Then either they can vote for each student/award (every student should get one), or they can each choose who gets what and deliver them themselves. Makes it very personal when they do that.

6. Game day - Have your students bring in game boards and have some good game time. Game boards encourage bonding and problem solving. I grew up playing games, and many of our students today don't play games at home. They will love you for it!

7. Scrabble tournament - Put all those learned vocabulary words to good use! Bring in some Scrabble games and have a tournament. 

8. Literature circles and book clubs - Choose some books (4-6 books) and let your students choose a book to read. Students meet up with their book club and discuss the many chapters to read, what they are going to discuss, etc. Give them the ownership and let them have fun with it.

9. Brochure - create a brochure for future students on how to survive the 4th grade (or whatever grade/subject you teach). Include what they need to know, what they will learn, tips, and advice.

10. Compliment day - Have students write their name at the top of a piece of paper. Pass the paper to the person next to them. That student starts at the bottom and writes a one line compliment. Encourage them to not focus on physical characteristics. Then they fold up the bottom of the paper, covering their words, and pass the paper to the next students. Another way I've done it is to have my students write all the students' names on a paper. They write a compliment next to each name. Then cut out each line. Call each student's name out and everyone brings them their compliment line. Students glue each compliment line onto a big piece of construction paper. Each student will go home with a page of compliments. What a way to build their self esteem!

11. Class Jeopardy - Create a class Jeopardy game together. Put students into groups, with each group having a different subject area (if you are self-contained). If not give each group a separate topic that was covered this year. Have groups create Jeopardy questions and answers for the class game and input them into a class Jeopardy powerpoint.

12. Reading/Math buddies - Team up with a younger or older class and practice reading or math. If you're an older class, your students can read with the younger ones. Teach your students to ask thinking and metacognition questions. They can even prepare some questions on cards. You can also play math games with the younger classes. Games for math facts would be perfect. Board games would even be great.

13. Memory book - Have your students create an end of year memory book on this school year. It's a great way to reflect on the school year, thinking of everything they have learned, the friends they have made, the accomplishments they have made, and all the wonderful memories. You can create your own, or I have one that you could use too. All you have to do is print and copy! Check it out HERE


I hope you have found at least one or two activities that you can use with your kiddos! 

Keep calm. School is almost over!

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