End of the year ELA activities can be tricky in middle school and high school ELA. Everyone is tired (students and staff alike) and just wants to hit the reset button and start fresh again next year. Although it can be difficult to win the battle with fatigue, the end of the year provides a unique opportunity to bond with your students and end your year on a high note. Here are a few of my favorite activities to help you engage your students until the very last day.
#1: One Pagers
Giving students a chance to demonstrate what they know with a high quality assessment is always a good idea. Assigning a high-interest summative can be an incredibly powerful way to end the year. I often use my One Pager Project and allow students to choose any novel we’ve read throughout the year to complete. Allow students to present so they can recommend their favorite books to their peers for summer reading.
Find more information about One Pagers and six other high-interest assessments on my blog right here.
#2: End of the Year Soundtrack Project
Music is always a powerful way to motivate students to complete any assignment. My End of the Year Soundtrack Project project allows students to recall all of their favorite music of the year and analyze the lyrics. Students are able to capture all the emotions, memories, and experiences of their school year into a single playlist that they can listen to for years to come. The project comes in both print and digital versions, so you can give students a choice of how they’d like to complete it. It’s the perfect marriage of close reading and creative fun.
#3: Literary Field Trip
Sure, real field trips are great, but have you thought about having your kids create a literary field trip? This is a perfect end of the year ELA activity. Allow your students to brainstorm a list of places they’ve “visited” in the books you’ve read all year. Then, have your students create a field trip to those places. Check out my pre-made resource for this activity here. This one has always been a student favorite!
Another fun option? Have your students create their own using something like Google Tour Creator!
#4: Artistic Farewell Memento
This is an easy activity that requires nothing more than blank paper and some markers. (Pro tip: Before I complete this activity, I send a blank piece of a paper around the room and have everyone sign it in the color they chose. This way I have a record of who is using which color just in case you have a student who might have something unkind to say.)
Begin by having students design their name in the center of the paper. I tell them not to take up too much space, but to make it creative and theirs. Then, set a timer for two minutes. Give each student two minutes to write a goodbye message to each other. I usually put some sentence starters on the board in case they can’t think of anything to say. Make sure to create one for yourself, too!
I’ve done this with multiple classes and the activity leaves some time for reflection, but also a really nice memento.
#5: ABC Yearly Review
Have your students create a booklet compiling review terms for each letter of the alphabet. Tell them that they can use anything you’ve covered this year. (For example, A is for Allusion or P is for Prepositional Phrase, etc.) This will get their brains moving and incorporate plenty of creativity.
#6: Literary Quote Book
You’ve probably read tons of great texts this year with plenty of quote-worthy lines. Have your students curate a collection of the best quotes with a literary quote book. This activity is perfect for reviewing what you’ve learned this year and diving back into some of those rich themes. Click here to check out my done-for-you resource to run this project in your own classroom with no prep for you.
#7: Independent Reading Choice Board
These activities always make for a great end of the year wrap up. Students can either choose a book to read independently or give them the option to use a book you’ve already read together. Sign up for my email list below to receive a free copy of my choice board.
Grab the Bundle!
If you have more than a few days to fill and you’re looking for ideas for an entire unit that will get you to the end of the year, click here to check out my blog.
I hope that I have given you a few activity ideas to fill the space between now and summer. The end of the year can be tiring, but with just a little bit of effort, you can add some activities that will fill those final days with joy.
Happy teaching!
