Last+Week+Activities

The last week of school can be intense! Emotions are running high as you and the students are ready to kick off summer! To keep the learning up until the very last minute, try out some of these ideas compiled from various education sites! I hope you find some of them useful!

**Butterfly Wings** The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly is a perfect parallel to the gains your class has made over the last year. Have students make wings out of cardboard or by stretching stockings over simple wire frames. Then, hold a flying-up ceremony in which the students get their "wings." You can create a classroom chrysalis using a large box or pop-up tent. (The chrysalis is the protective covering from which the butterfly emerges.) Open the box or tent on both sides and decorate it with "We're leaving grade!" signs. Invite each student to take turns crawling inside the chrysalis and donning his or her wings. When each student emerges, congratulate him or her on a successful transformation, and encourage the class to applaud. This special ritual is one they will always remember.

Send your "graduates" off with a tool kit for the upcoming year. Talk with teachers of the grade ahead about what students will be learning next year, and what supplies they may need. Decorate large manila envelopes with cut-outs of hammers and saws, and the child's name. Then fill each kit with inexpensive items such as handwriting paper, a times table, a photocopied map of places kids will study, word lists, a mini-book or dictionary, a summer book list, pencils, and a button or sticker that reads "I'm a grader!" Include a note to kids and parents about the upcoming year.
 * Graduation Goodies**

Send students rolling into the next year by making grade-number-shaped soft pretzels. Use the easy recipe at@http://www.familyfun.com/ to make the dough. When it is ready, cut the dough into small pieces and give one to each child. Have students stretch and roll the pieces into long ropes, then shape into the number representing next year's grade. As the pretzels bake, invite the class to talk about favorite moments of the past year, and to speculate on what next year will bring. Give classroom volunteers, office staff, and others a special thanks by inviting them in to your classroom pretzel celebration.
 * Promotion Pretzels**

In //The Important Book// (HarperCollins, 1999), Margaret Wise Brown reflects on the most important things about apples, spoons, shoes, grass, rain, and more. In //Another Important Book// (HarperCollins, 1999), she reflects on what is important about being ages one through six. Read aloud these charming books to your students, then encourage them to complete this sentence: "The most important thing I learned in grade is...." As a class, put together your own "Important Book" with each child writing one page.
 * Grade-Level Reflections**

At your end-of-year party, give each student a slip of paper and invite him or her to write one goal for the future. Have students slip the notes inside balloons and then inflate them. Later, let kids toss balloons (like graduation caps), keeping one to pop and share its message aloud with the rest of the class.
 * Balloon Toss**

End of year is a great time for kids to think about the future—next year and when they grow up! Hold a What-I-Want-To-Be Day and invite students to come dressed up in clothing that represents a job that interests them. Have students research their chosen profession and report to the class. Take pictures of the event for kids to take home.
 * Grown-up Garb**

Before your students move on, invite them to leave behind some words of wisdom. Give each student a construction paper "brick" on which to record a piece of advice that they think will be helpful to future classes, such as "Remember to feed our fish" and "Don't talk during read-aloud time." Then tape the bricks on a bulletin board to make a wall. Next fall, share these "famous last words" with your new students.
 * Famous Last Words**

More activities to help kids grow into their new grades.
 * From Year to Year**

Get together with the teachers in the grade above and host a Moving-up Day. Children will appreciate the chance to meet the teachers and see their new classrooms. Encourage them to share the exciting activities next year's class will encounter.
 * Moving-Up Day**

Take the learning outside! Bring colored chalk and invite your students to create a mural illustrating the many wonderful things your class did, saw, and learned this year. It will be a great "advertisement" for next year's students. Back inside, have your class write about the favorite memories they drew.
 * Mural of Memories**

Invite your students to write letters to next year's class. Remind them that they are the "experts" on your class, and can give great advice. Next year, place a "buddy" letter on each student's desk—it will help to ease first-day anxiety!
 * Buddy Letters**

Help students create a month-by-month class time line that celebrates the key events from the past year. Invite kids to work in groups to brainstorm important moments of the year, and record them on notecards. Then, lay the cards out and have kids work to put them in chronological order. **The "What We Know" Math Show** Give math some dramatic flair with an end-of-the-year math show. Begin by asking the class to reflect on what they have learned brainstorm and write ideas on the board, breaking down bigger subjects into single concepts. Then, ask students to work in pairs on a single concept, inventing a novel way to present it. They can create a short poem, artwork, or a model, or they can perform their own "Schoolhouse Rock" song or a television commercial that explains the concept. Encourage the audience to participate! //Bob Krech, Dutch Neck School, Princeton Junction, NJ//
 * Our Class time line**

It's an annual end-of-the-year tradition at our school for the teachers to challenge the fifth graders to a game of volleyball. Students take charge of the event, making signs, selling tickets, and setting up the scoreboard. On the big day, children gather on the playground, surrounding the volleyball court. It's an afternoon of friendly fun. The fifth graders are convinced they will win, but to this day the staff remain undefeated! //Charlotte Sassman, Alice Carlson Applied Learning Center, Fort Worth, TX//
 * Staff vs. Students**

Map skills get a boost with our year-end hunt. I use the book The Seven Treasure Hunts, by Betsy Byars, to get the students excited. We then mark off part of the classroom floor with masking tape to form a grid with rows labeled AJ and 110. Each child brings in a small "treasure" from home and chooses any location on the grid to place it. Then kids write four directional clues for finding the treasure, such as "start at A4, move three squares east and two south, then move...." We mix up the clue sheets and then hand them out randomly. Each child follows clues to find a treasure. //Valerie Schiffer Danoff, Bedford Village Elementary School, Bedford, NY//
 * Map a Treasure Hunt**

I consider the end of the year as a time to "gear up" instead of "wind down." At the end of the year, my students create special artwork specifically for our annual art auction. Each piece is matted and displayed in the hallway. Students preview the art and decide which pieces they want to bid on with our classroom currency. I auction off one piece at a time, and students bid with raised hands. I collect the class cash from the highest bidder, and place a "sold" sign on the piece of artwork. The kids feel great about others bidding on their artwork, and I've never had a single drawing or painting left at the end! //Bob Krech, Dutch Neck School, Princeton Junction, NJ//
 * Art for Sale**

To test kids' memories on past lessons, we hold a "Jeopardy!" social studies game. The students choose the categories from subjects we've covered, such as state capitals, Abraham Lincoln, or the Gold Rush. My students work in teams. Each team researches and writes the answers for one of the categories. They love making the questions as much as playing the game! //Carlene Payne, Garfield Elementary, Fairfax, VA//
 * Year-end Jeopardy**

Take It Outside! At the end of the year, my students become "bubbleologists" and learn all about bubbles. We do bubble experiments, test different-size bubble blowers, try different soap mixtures, talk about the rainbow colors in a bubble, and make beautiful bubble art. //Trina Gunzel, Lincoln Elementary, Corvallis, OR//
 * Bubble Blast**

I take the students on a spring walk and have them look for very large things and very small things. They then write a large-sized poem on a piece of construction paper and a teeny-tiny poem on a sticky note. We compile the poems into class books titled "Mega Poems" and "Itsy-Bitsy Poems." //Kathy Holderith, Franklin Elementary School, Littleton, CO//
 * Big and Small Poetry**

We send our memories flying high. First, I purchase inexpensive kites. In groups of three, the students prepare by writing memories on paper strips that they tape to the kite's tail. The last hour of the last day of school we fly our kites. //Louise West, Waurika, OK//
 * Kite Day**

Boredom Busters! During the last week of school, I devote entire days to each subject area. For example, on Super Reading Day, students come to school dressed as a favorite book character. They participate in read-alouds, book talks, storytelling, buddy reading, and literature projects. The other Super Subject Days are math, science, writing, and art. Each day is super special! //Trina Gunzel, Lincoln Elementary, Corvallis, OR//
 * Super Subject Week**

At the end of the year, our team of first-grade teachers does a week of special rotation mornings. First, we agree on a theme for each day, such as bugs, shapes, or favorite books. Each teacher plans a fun activity based on the theme and the kids rotate, spending a half-hour in each classroom. We all enjoy the change in routine! //Loreena Marchant, Show Low Primary School, Show Low, AZ//
 * Grade-Level Go Around**

During the final weeks of school, I always set aside time for a "Teach the Teacher Day." This special event allows me to trade roles with students and learn new skills based on their interests. Students sign up for a block of teaching time on a specified date. With the help of their families, they plan a lesson. Over the years, my students have taught me how to fish, collect baseball cards, speak Spanish, and play the piano. //Jackie Clarke, Cicero Elementary School, Cicero, NY//
 * Teacher for a Day**

To motivate my students to read during the summer, I invite them to share their favorite books with classmates. Students choose a book and sign up for a time slot. I type up a list of the titles and authors and make copies. During their book talks, students share an exciting part of the book without giving away the ending. Classmates listen and circle titles that sound interesting. The end result: personalized summer-reading lists. //Janet Worthington-Samo, St. Clement School, Johnstown, PA//
 * Summer Reading Book Talks**

Schoolyear Keepsakes My students and I create a video keepsake to document our school year. First, I ask each student to recall, through drawing and writing, memories of the year such as their favorite activities, first impressions, and funniest incidents. Then students make short on-camera statements about these memories. We watch the completed tape during the last week of school, and make a few copies for students to borrow. //Sharon West, Memorial Junior High School, Whippany, NJ//
 * Video Scrapbook**

Invite students to take a walk down memory lane, reminiscing about the happenings over the past school year. What were the lessons, activities, and experiences that they enjoyed the most? Have students jot down specific thoughts on paper. Then have them write their final drafts, using a permanent marker on aluminum foil. Mount their "reflections" on construction paper, cut in the shape of hand mirrors, for a reflective bulletin board. //Sue Lorey, Grove Avenue School, Barrington, IL//
 * Reflections in the Mirror**

Show off your students' tech skills with a computer slide show using PowerPoint or a similar program. Scan in pictures collected from the school year and then ask each student to write a caption for one or more pictures. Your class will have fun watching the show, and copies of it can be printed as personalized yearbooks for everyone to take home. //Jacqueline Howes, F.M. Kearns Primary School, Granby, CT//
 * Slide Show**


 * **Produce a TV Commercial.** Challenge students to create their own new breakfast cereals. Each student will create packaging and a TV commercial pitch to go along with it. Videotape students as they present their TV commercials!
 * **Alpha Autobios.** Invite students to create their own alphabetical autobiographies. Here's an example: //"A// is for Arkansas; that's where I was born. //B// is for Bonnie; that's my sister's name. //C// is for Cub Scouts; That's my favorite activity."
 * **ABC Books for Days!** Adapt the ABC book idea, and challenge students to learn about a topic they want to explore. For example, students might be interested in the Civil War, music, authors, Hawaii, sports, or plants. Are you looking for more ABC book ideas? The Education World story [|ABC Books Aren't for Babies] __offers more than 200 of them!__
 * **Fourth-Grade Scrapbook.** Gather samples of student work that you've been setting aside all year long, and invite students to make a Fourth-Grade Scrapbook.
 * **Egg Drop!** Many schools save the last days of school for their annual "egg drop" activity. Each student works within guidelines to fashion a container for an egg so that the egg won't break when the student drops it from an established height -- the school's third-floor window, for example. To read more about the classic egg drop activity, see the Education World story [|Why All the EGGS-citement About EGGS?]
 * **A Little Drama!** Another idea for fun and education -- put on a play! Students might write their own script, or you might use a script you find online. If you're looking for a great resource, see the Education World story [|All the Classroom's a Stage!]
 * **Reading Theme Days.** Keep kids reading right up to the last bell by offering special classroom or schoolwide reading theme days. You'll find tons of ideas in the Education World story [|Reading Activities for Read-In!]
 * **Scavenger Hunt for Info.** Plan a scavenger hunt for information! Develop questions for books in your classroom library, or create a list of five questions for each volume of a set of encyclopedia. When students find all five answers in the, let's say, //C// volume, the teacher can check the answers. Then the student grabs one of the volumes that isn't being used and tackles the five questions related to that volume. Give prizes to the students who come up with the greatest number of correct answers!
 * **Online Scavenger Hunt.** If the computer lab is free, you might want to challenge students to complete an online scavenger hunt. You might use one of Education World's weekly <span style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[|Internet Scavenger Hunts] __or, if you'd prefer to have all students work on the same scavenger hunt, you might use another Education World activity,__<span style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-right: 10px;">[|Brush Up Those Study Skills: An On-Line Scavenger Hunt] __.

Milky Way Award: for the class daydreamer Mr. Goodbar Award: for the student who exhibits the good qualities of friendship Jolly Rancher Award: for the person always telling jokes Nestle Crunch Award: an alternative to pencil chewing Skor Award: for athletes in the class Dove Award: for the class peacmaker Symphony Award: for anyone musical Butterfinger Award: for the person who broke the most things accidentaly Bit-O-Honey Award: for someone very sweet Baby Ruth Award: for baseball-minded person Teddy Grahams Award: for the most huggable Almond Joy Award: for the person who is always happy Hershey's Kisses Award: for the class flirt** || **Payday Award: for someone who always forgets his lunch money Lifesavers Award: for the person who is always helping someone in need Laffy Taffy Award: or someone weet disposition Gummy Bears Award: for a very lovableho is always laughing Sweet Tarts Award: for having a sw child Spree Award: for someone who loves to shop Kit Kat Award: for the student alawys at the teacher's side Nutrageous Award: for an outstanding personality Ouch Bubble Gum Award: for the one who got hurt the most Three Musketeers Award: for the one always with the group Snickers Award: for having an outstanding sense of humor Zero Math Award: - for outstanding performance in Math Gummy Worms Award: for being the class wiggler** ||
 * **Whoopers Award: for the best storytelling.