11 FUN END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS-The end of the year is typically a time of reflection, meditation, and excitement…for the teacher! Does the following sound like you?
I am REFLECTING on what I will be doing or NOT doing this summer! I am MEDITATING on that book I have always wanted to read and am eagerly anticipating finally getting to it this summer! I am EXCITED about dusting off my feet and leaving my classroom for the peace and serenity of the summer! And you know what? I think our students feel the same way!
As we end the year, we want lessons and activities to be simple. You don’t have to rush through a research paper or start a whole new unit. Just take everything day by day and teach those texts you have been dying to teach.
Below are some of my favorite FUN END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS:
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SHORT STORIES: End of Year Activities for Middle School and High School Students
1. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe
If you have forgotten about the most-read short story in the secondary ELA classroom, it is vital to read it with your students ASAP! The end of the school year is a perfect time to read about murder and mayhem and people going literally insane.
I think we can all see the connection 🙂
Check out this bundle for tons of activities for “The Tell-Tale Heart!”
Read here for activity ideas >>> The Tell Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe At His Best!
2. “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury
Put “The Pedestrian” On Your List for your End of Year Activities for Middle School and High School Students! This story is quick, relevant, and SO easy to teach!
It tells the story of a society consumed by technology and someone who quietly bucks the system only to suffer the consequences….
Click here for fun lessons >>> “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury
3. “The Cactus” by O. Henry
This story is a lesser-known tale by the writer of “The Gift of the Magi,” but it has a great message about pride and miscommunication!
Click for this NO PREP lesson for your End of Year Activities for Middle School and High School Students >>> “The Cactus” by O. Henry
POEMS that are FUN and ENGAGING: End of Year Activities for Middle School and High School Students
4. “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
You don’t have to teach the whole poem, as it is quite long. Why not take an excerpt from the poem and let your students connect this poem to their own lives in your END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL?
Check out this poetry pack to include in your End of Year Activities for Middle School and High School Students>>> “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
5. “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe
Have fun comparing this poem to a clip from the movie “Hairspray!” >>> “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe
6. “My Fears” by Kristin Menke
Reading poetry about fear can be a simple way to introduce this tough topic. Before, during, and after the reading, you can chat about what we all are afraid of without having to write a full paper or read psychological reports or analyze a full short story or novel that could take days or weeks. Click here for the poem>>>“My Fears” by Kristin Menke
FILM ACTIVITY IDEAS: End of Year Activities for Middle School and High School Students
Teaching with movies can be fun, yet tricky in the classroom. Maybe it is the end of the year with testing finally completed after weeks and weeks of state exams. Or maybe you are two days from Winter Break, and YOU just need a break… Instead of starting something entirely new, you simply want your students to watch a movie. It can be tempting, but when an administrator stops by, it can be hard at times to justify. Most administrators might see students watching movies and think the teacher is trying to avoid teaching. Instead, think of teaching with films as a vital part of the educational experience!
Click to read about TEACHING WITH MOVIES IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL!
7. Want an easy-to-teach Film Analysis Activity Pack to help with the end-of-the-year stress? Click below!!
It is so tempting to just play and movie and relax; however, few administrators will approve of this end of school year pastime. So why not teach students how to write a basic yet rigorous film analysis?
Click below to get film analysis activities!
8. Check out this FREEBIE to help get your students excited about FILM ANALYSIS as a part of END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL!
UNIQUE ACTIVITIES FOR ANY ELA CLASSROOM / END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
9. Reading Poems Simply for FUN like “Unique Unicorn” by Kristin Menke!
This poem is fun and relevant as it gets kids thinking about who they want to be! You can teach character traits, rhyme, alliteration, etc. Plus, who doesn’t love unicorns? Click the image below to get more poetry ideas!
10. Read a short story you have waited all year to read like “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl!
Make it a 2-day event by comparing and contrasting the short story with the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode! Click the picture below for writing activity ideas!
Lamb to the Slaughter Short Response: Step-By-Step
Sentence 1: Answer the question about the characterization of Mary from beginning to end
Sentence 2: Incorporate a piece of evidence
Sentences 3-4: Examine how the evidence conveys a specific effect that connects to the characterization (trait)
Sentence 5: Incorporate another piece of evidence
Sentences 6-7: Examine how the evidence conveys a specific effect that connects to the characterization (trait)
Sentence 8. Reiterate the traits of Mary and the purpose of the characterization
11. This Digital End of Year Activities For Middle School and High School Pack is a FUN way to engage your middle and high school students as they close out the year in distance learning!
They will reflect on their summer dreams and real-life scenarios by creating social media posts based on their ideal and/or realistic summer(s)!
Click the image below for My Summer in Social Media!
MY END OF THE YEAR GOALS FOR SUMMER!
I teach English 1 and AP Lang completely online as a virtual full-year teacher, so I am only getting 1 week off in June and 1 week off in July. I plan, however, on using these precious 2 weeks and the rest of the summer to relax and achieve some of my personal non-school goals:
- Read for pleasure! I have a list of books that is growing longer and longer each day.
- Spend time in my garden. I love flowers, growing vegetables, and getting my hands dirty 🙂
- Go on weekly outings with my family. Particularly, I love the zoo and beach in Jacksonville, FL.
- Rest! This is easier said than done, but my goal is to take my time, move more slowly, and nap…a lot!
- Walk everywhere. Before I had kids, I walked 15,000+ steps a day, and I felt great! I NEED to get back to this!
Click below to get a bundle of END OF YEAR ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL!
