So, it is that time of the year again. We have one month of school left and my students are starting to realize that the year is quickly coming to an end. My job... to keep them engaged and learning. I know this isn't always easy to do and I'm thinking it is not just me, so I thought I would share some ideas for helping to make the final days of the school year enjoyable for both you and your students.
Several years ago one of my team members shared an ABC Countdown Calendar that she had gotten from a friend. I don't know who that person was, but I will forever be grateful to her. This ABC Countdown makes the last 26 days of school really fun and helps my students and I get through the end of the year. There are activities for everyday. Some are very simple and some are more complex, but it really depends on how far you want to take it. The first day is of course "A" day, which is Art Day for my class. I have my students watch videos and read about various artists; use play-dough for sculpturing; watch and do directed drawings; and then a bigger art project. You can see it can get really big, but then there are really easy days like "H" Day, which is Hat Day. I just let students wear their hats all day.
Since the ABC Countdown is not a product that I created I can't share the actual calendar (although this one has been modified), but it is really just the idea that you need. Even if I did provide the calendar the dates would be off, so I recommend you making one on your own with the activities that work for you.
Here is a clearer sample of what I use and how it is set up.
There are lots of other things that I like to do to keep my students engaged. Not just at the end of the year, but throughout the year as well. My students love doing the STEM activities. Students focus on science, technology, engineering and math, along with reading, writing, critical thinking, cooperative learning and more. I have several STEM Activities available at my TpT Store if you are interested.
Science activities are always a fun way to get students engaged. I actually use my Science Experiment Day packet on "S" Day. It is definitely one of those way over the top days, but it is my favorite ABC Countdown day. You don't actually need to do all of the science experiments in one day, but it is super fun. I'm already getting all my supplies ready. I can't wait!
Another fun science activity for students is to have them explore things that sink or float in water. It is really fun to do this outside on a hot day. There is bound to be water that has managed to find its way out of the container and onto the students.
There are lots of things I like for the end of the year, but one last idea is to focus on a habitat. We do the rain forest, polar regions, and the desert during the year, but at the ending of the year we focus on the ocean. I happen to have two turtles, two crabs, and I usually have a beta fish. I also have lots of shells, rocks, plastic sea creatures, and other miscellaneous ocean things. I put all this stuff out, along with some books, on my exploration table. The students love it. I also have a thematic packet that I use to help students learn about the habit and/or to practice other skills.
I hope that you have been able to gleam some ideas that you can use to help make the ending of your school year an enjoyable one. I have included links to some of the resources that I have mentioned. Please feel free to check them out.
Anna
STEM Build a Tower
STEM Super Hero
STEM Build a Vehicle
You can visit my TpT Store to see more STEM or other activities.
Science Experiment Day
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Science-Experiment-Day-1245181
Sink or Float Activity
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Sink-or-Float-Activity-Set-2146855
Ocean Themed Activities
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ocean-Themed-Activities-1880350
Rain Forest Themed Activities
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Rain-Forest-Themed-Activities-1615324
Desert Themed Activities
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Desert-Themed-Activities-1622748
As a teacher, I have always used timers as a very useful tool in the classroom. I use them for reading groups, math rotations, computer time, students support, and for my reading assessments. I also use them for choice whole class activities, such as 5 minute quick writes or 10 minutes of independent/silent reading. I usually just use digital timers, but I love using the free online timers when I am doing something whole class.
