9 Days of Great Science Activities for the End of the Year!
The end of the school year is upon us, and as a teacher, it's a bittersweet moment. We've navigated through countless lessons, projects, and assignments, and now we are going to just sail along through those final few weeks and days without a care in the world. Right?!
Reality check… If there is one thing teachers know, it is not all sunshine and rainbows until the last day of school. The kids are getting super energized, and our goal is to manage all their energy in a creative and worthwhile way.
Once they start wearing shorts and t-shirts, the allure of lazy days and outdoor adventures can make it hard for students to stay engaged in the classroom.
One of the keys to keeping students engaged is to inject some fun and excitement into the classroom. I have always tried to teach with the mindset “If I am bored, they are bored… If I am having fun, then they are having fun.”
Now don’t get me wrong- that does not mean that every day in my class is an entertaining show. There are plenty of days we need to do what they may think is boring, but once state testing is over and the warm weather arrives, I am psyched to do these activities and projects, as we wrap up the year!
Here are three of my favorite activities that can help you to put your lesson plans on autopilot for 8-9 days! My classes are standard 43 minutes in length so your time will vary depending on your class schedules.
The Create Your Own Book Project, Paper Airplane Lab and Outdoor Scavenger Hunt are ready to help you plan out those last 2 weeks of school! Designed to be both educational and entertaining, while providing hands-on learning, these 3 activities are sure to be popular with your classes!
Let’s start with the 4-5 Day Create Your Own Book Project. This is a fantastic way to get students excited about reading and writing, even as the school year draws to a close. By allowing students to create their own children’s books from a science topic, you're giving them ownership over their learning experience. Plus, the creativity and critical thinking skills they'll develop along the way are invaluable. They love working with friends and my students donate the books to elementary schools in our area. The whole project is a win-win!
Ready to take the students outside? The Outdoor Scavenger Hunt is the perfect activity to choose when the weather is going to be wonderful, and you are looking for a reason to take your classes outside! Can you do the hunt inside… sure…. but it is so nice if you can get outside!
This one-day lesson has your students searching all around the school grounds for 25 colorful cards that have science trivia AND a codeword on them. The students fill in a worksheet with the missing words from the trivia AND they also must get the codeword. This last step prevents them from just secretly looking something up on their phone. This activity even comes with a certificate to give to the teams who are “Successful Scavengers”!
Next on my list is the classic Paper Airplane Lab. This 2-3 day activity never fails to captivate students' attention. There is something so wonderful about seeing the tech driven students of today have fun making a good old fashioned PAPER AIRPLANE. Not only do they have fun making the plane, but they are learning about physics, engineering, and problem-solving. This usually takes them 2- 3 days to complete this lab. For this activity we fly the planes in either the hallway or the gym. I have tried doing this outside but unless you have a very still day with no wind, it is just too hard to get good data.
One of my students favorite labs to do is the Egg Drop Challenge! I have done this from grades 6-11 and they always enjoy the competition to create the best design! Having tried several versions over the years, hands down the best way is for the teacher to provide the supplies. I use very inexpensive items and most can be supplied by my school. I have a FREE 2-3 day EDITABLE lab for you! Click on the image to go directly to the free lab!
Here is what I use: 1 plastic egg for design template ONLY (egg CANNOT go inside), one raw egg, 1 small plastic bag, 1 meter of string or yarn, 8 popsicle sticks, 1 balloon, 1 brown lunch bag or 1 piece of construction paper, 1 meter of toilet paper, 1 meter of a paper towel, 1 meter of masking tape, digital scale to mass the final design.
I hope these activities can help you wrap up a successful school year! These end-of-year activities are not only a fun way to mark the end of the academic year but also a chance to create lasting memories and foster a sense of community within your classroom. So, let's make the most of these final days together and celebrate all that you have accomplished. Wishing you a great end to the year!
