Can you believe it’s already May? You’ve finally made it to the end of the year! The school year is almost over, and we’re all looking forward to a much-needed summer break. However, before we get there, we have to deal with the final, usually chaotic, days with our secondary students.
During this time, it’s important to keep them engaged and focused, but how can we do that at the end of the year? The excitement for summer break can often lead to some chaos in the classroom but don’t worry, with some careful planning and creative activities, the last week of school can be both productive and enjoyable for everyone involved.
That’s why I’ve compiled a list of six end of the year activities that are specifically designed for middle and high school English Language Arts (ELA) classrooms. These activities are interactive, engaging, and designed to keep students interested and excited about learning, even as the year comes to a close.
Whether you’re looking for ways to spark classroom discussions, offer opportunities for student reflections, or encourage creative thinking, these end of the year activities offer a range of options. From content-specific projects to meaningful writing activities, there’s something for every classroom and every student.
I hope that these end of the year activities help you to navigate the end-of-year chaos and keep your students engaged and motivated until the very last day of school.
Six End of the Year Activities for Your ELA Students
Memory Lane Mosaic
Reflecting on the journey of the school year can be a powerful way for students to appreciate their growth and achievements at the end of the year. To facilitate this process, you can create a “Memory Lane Mosaic” in your classroom. This end of the year activity involves inviting students to contribute their favorite memories from the year and creating a mosaic out of them.
This activity can be done as an individual reflection activity for students, a group project that allows several students to create one mosaic, or use bulletin board paper to create a class mosaic that all students help to create.
You can provide colorful paper or digital templates for students to write or draw their memories, such as a favorite lesson, a memorable classroom moment, or an inspiring quote. This collaborative end of the year activity not only celebrates the highlights of the year but also fosters a sense of community and connection among students.
Letter to a Future Student Writing Activity
One of my favorite end of the year activities that I do at the end of every school year is the Letter to a Future Student writing task. It’s a simple, but meaningful writing activity and often it produces the most impactful writing that students produce each year.
Encourage your students to reflect on their experiences throughout the school year by writing letters to future students who will occupy their desks next year. These letters should contain advice, insights, and words of encouragement based on their own experiences. This activity can help students develop their writing skills while also promoting reflection and empathy.
This activity provides an opportunity for students to reflect on their growth and learning. It also allows them to share their insights with the next generation of learners. I keep the letters they write and hand them out on the first day of the new school year. Each new student gets a letter to read and discuss with their classmates. It’s a great way to break the ice and help my new students to learn the keys to success and get advice from my previous students.
If you are looking for a NO PREP print and digital version of this activity, you can grab it from my TPT store. Click here to purchase this made-for-you activity!
Summer Vacation Debate Banners: Argumentative Writing Project
If you’re searching for a way to keep your students engaged in ELA content and skills during the last days of school, this argumentative writing project is an ideal activity for you. It involves engaging students in a lively debate about the pros and cons of summer vacation. The traditional summer vacation that we’ve all come to enjoy is changing with many districts moving towards a year-round school calendar. Therefore, what better way to get your students excited to learn than to debate whether summer vacation should be protected or if it’s time for a change.
Students can work independently on this end of the year project or you could divide the class into groups. Students will be responsible for picking a position in this debate, creating a clear claim, and conducting research to provide relevant text evidence to support their claims.
Instead of the traditional argumentative essay, students will be creating an informative banner that will include their claim and evidence. In addition, you can include an extension activity that allows students to turn their claim and evidence into a single or multi-paragraph response.
This activity encourages critical thinking, argumentative writing, and collaboration while tapping into students’ excitement for the upcoming summer break. If this sounds like too much work to plan, don’t worry. I’ve already done the heavy lifting and created a print and digital version of this activity. You can click here to purchase it from my TPT store.
Gratitude Graffiti Wall
Another great end of the year activity to foster a culture of gratitude and appreciation in your classroom is to create a “Gratitude Graffiti Wall.” Set up a designated space where students can write or draw messages of thanks for their classmates, teachers, and school staff.
Provide markers, sticky notes, or chalk for students to use, and encourage them to express gratitude for the positive impact others have had on their lives throughout the school year. This end of the year activity promotes kindness, empathy, and reflection while creating a visual reminder of the power of gratitude.
The “Gratitude Graffiti Wall” does more than just promote positivity and appreciation in the classroom at the end of the year. It also creates a visual reminder of the power of gratitude. As students write and draw messages, they will see the wall fill up with positive thoughts and feelings towards others. This can help to reinforce the idea that showing appreciation and gratitude is an important part of building strong and positive relationships with others.
End of the Year Stations
If you’re searching for a structured activity to keep your students engaged during the final days of the school year, end-of-year stations may be the perfect solution. These stations are not only creative and meaningful but also help to keep your students moving and communicating in a productive manner.
You can create a series of interactive learning stations around the classroom where students can engage in a variety of activities. My favorite tasks for this end of the year activity is a mixture of student reflections, short writing activities, and fun projects for students to complete.
For example, at one station, students might be asked to create a reflective journal where they write about their favorite assignments, moments, and lessons from the year. At another station, they might be asked to work collaboratively on a project that showcases what they have learned. This could be a presentation, poster, or other creative work that demonstrates their understanding of the subject matter.
Another station could focus on providing students with a series of prompts or questions that encourage them to think critically about their learning experiences. This might include questions such as, “What was your biggest challenge this year? How did you overcome it?” or “What are three things you learned this year that you will carry with you into the future?”
You can grab a FREE copy of my Glow and Grow reflections station activity here. This station requires students to identify their achievements/lessons learned, identify areas where they still need to grow, and create a growth plan to help them grow. It is just one of the stations available in my End of the Year Learning stations activity. You can click here to purchase all the stations from my TPT store.
Teacher Swap Days
Shake things up in the classroom by organizing “Teacher Swap Days,” where students have the opportunity to step into the role of the teacher for a day. Encourage students to plan and lead a lesson or activity for their classmates, choosing topics they are passionate about or concepts they excel in. This activity not only empowers students to take ownership of their learning but also provides teachers with valuable insights into their students’ interests and strengths.
Here are some tips for ensuring that this end of the year activity will be successful in your classroom:
- Set clear guidelines: Establish clear guidelines and expectations for the activity, including the time limit for each lesson or activity, the topics that can be covered, and any other rules that need to be followed.
- Encourage creativity: Encourage students to be creative and innovative with their lessons. Emphasize the importance of making the lesson fun and engaging for their classmates.
- Provide support: Provide support to students who are struggling to come up with ideas or need help planning their lesson. Offer feedback and guidance throughout the process.
- Allow ample preparation time: Allow students enough time to prepare their lesson or activity. This will ensure that they are well-prepared and confident on the day of the activity.
- Provide feedback: Provide feedback to the students after the activity, highlighting the strengths of their lessons and offering suggestions for improvement.
By incorporating these engaging activities into the last week of school, you can keep students focused, motivated, and excited about learning until the very end. Let’s make the final days of the school year memorable, meaningful, and chaos-free!
