End of Year Teaching Activities and Ideas for Senior Classes
Classroom Olympics: The Olympics are just around the corner so it is a good time to integrate the event into your lessons, particularly if you have a very sport loving class like I do! Organise a series of challenges, get the children involved in coming up with the challenges too! These can include math puzzles, riddles, hula hoop challenges, bean bag toss, relay race- the opportunites are endless. Students can work in teams, earning points for each challenge they complete.
Book Trailers: Students create book trailers for their favourite books read during the year. They can do this in school if you have access to IT or for homework.
History Projects: Students can choose a historical event or figure they learned about during the year and create a presentation. This can include posters, dioramas, or a presentation.
STEM Challenges: Engage students in hands-on STEM activities using materials you already have in your classroom. I will share a link to the STEM cards I made which I use with my class.https://www.muinteoirvalerie.com/product/design-and-make-task-cards-science-2/ They are currently reduced to E2.00
Art:
Classroom Mural: Work together to create a mural that represents the themes or topics studied throughout the year. Each student can contribute a section. The girls in my class created a beautiful mural which will be in the school for many years to come. They worked on it during break times in term one and it is really beautiful. It could work well with a whole class if you bring them out in groups to work on it.
Memories:
Time Capsules: Have students create time capsules filled with items and letters that represent their experiences and growth over the year. They can write letters to their future selves or include artifacts from projects and activities. Find a suitable sealed box and bury it in a suitable place at the school.
Memory Books: Students can complete memory books highlighting their favourite moments and memories from the school year. You can purchase my 6th class memory book here: https://www.muinteoirvalerie.com/product/6th-class-end-of-year-memory-book
Scavenger Hunts/ Orienteering : Organise scavenger hunts which require students to solve puzzles or answer questions related to the year’s curriculum to find the next clue.
Nature Walks: a nature walk or outdoor science lesson. Students can observe and identify plants, insects, and other natural elements, tying in with lessons in SESE. I plan to bring my class to Ardgillan Castle to identify different types of tress and plant life ( and to go to the playground and play football if I am being completely honest!) We will also go to the beach for a day.
Board Games: Earlier in the year we designed our own board games and the class did amazing work. I may get them to design another one. If you haven’t done this yet you definitely should! I will also allow them to play boardgames to revise concepts and to have fun!
I plan to do the ‘pop a balloon and see what is inside’ which I have done every year since I started teaching. I will blow up balloons and put a piece of paper inside. Whatever it says is what we will do that day. So far I have, do our work in the outdoor classroom day, beach day, Ardgillan day, pizza party day, teach the teacher day, sit beside a friend day, board game day, PE day, and art day. I need to think of a few more!
So that is it. I can’t beleive the last few weeks are here now. Most of all I just want to chat to the class and make the most of my time with them before the leave.
Enjoy the last month everyone!