7 end of year lesson ideas to engage students

1. Continue giving clear learning intentions

At this time of the year it is imperative that students are given clear learning intentions. Apart from the researched benefits of providing a learning intention for their learning, it also communicates to them that you are serious about teaching and learning in their lessons as per usual. 

2. Plan activities out of your normal repertoire 

If you have a general structure to your lessons and you want to change things up for the end of year – do it! Students will be intrigued when you do something out of the ordinary and so you will capture their attention. Whether this be trying an inquiry lesson or group projects, use of videos or even dressing up!

3. Revise content in new and exciting ways

The end of year is a great time to revise key concepts without the pressure of exams and assessments. So why not make it fun?! My favourite end of year lesson ideas for revising content are digital escape rooms, printable board games and tarsia puzzles. 

Here are some examples below:

These activities are great as they can be used again every year. 

If you want to save yourself a couple of dollars and make them yourself then grab these FREE templates:

• FREE board game template
• FREE tarsia puzzle template

Without being too salesy though, it is worth spending a few dollars to save yourself the hassle! You might like to read my post on 3 best revision activities for the end of year.

4. Take your students outside

Taking students outside, even if the rest of your lesson structure stays the same in terms of teaching and activities, is often enough to make the lesson memorable for students. I always provide strict guidelines for behaviour whilst learning outdoors and make it clear that if I believe they are not acting appropriately or not engaging in the learning that I will have them back in the classroom immediately. This is usually enough to keep them in line during the outdoor lesson.

5. Focus on real-world or tangible examples

Perhaps you have had a term of learning about a concept and haven’t fully explored the real world implications or applications of it. The end of term is a perfect time for this as it helps students connect the learning to its relevance. There are multiple ways you can do this from videos to individual research projects. Best end of year lesson ideas for high student engagement

6. Make learning hands-on

As a science teacher I am always up for adding in extra experiments and hands-on activities. While not all subjects lend themselves towards this type of learning, even adding in board games and tarsia puzzles like mentioned earlier are a good alternative. If you have opportunity to do modelling with playdough, building with cardboard or even designing posters with paint, then the end of the year is a great time to utilise these kinds of activities to continue engagement. 

7. Use technology for student-centred activities

One of the best activities I did with a year 7 science class towards the end of the year was having them in small groups and create a stop motion film for the formation of a landform. Stop motion films are great for students to make while showcasing their understanding of concepts. Stop motion is just one example for how technology could be used. Students could create presentations, online quizzes and animations.

Keeping the technology use as student centred also means less prep for you. In these environments you become more of a facilitator to help them reach their desired outcome.

And don’t fret if you don’t consider yourself to be ‘tech savvy’. The students will work it out and teach you! Best end of year lesson ideas for middle school

Conclusion

The end is near! Keeping students engaged at the end of the year can be the hardest part of the profession. Take a few of these end of year lesson ideas and see if they help!

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below!

Best end of year lesson ideas for high student engagement

What should you look for in revision activities?

So before we get to the good stuff, what is it that you should look for when selecting revision activities?

You want to ensure that:

1. It covers key concepts and vocabulary
2. It engages students
3. Promotes collaboration
4. Easy for you to prepare/mark
5. Students will feel a sense of accomplishment and achievement 
6. All students can access it or it provides differentiation options

When you read a list like this it is obviously difficult to find resources that tick ALL of the above boxes. But I have some suggestions here that do! 

Best revision activities for middle school and high school students.

3 best revision activities for the end of the year 

Here are my 3 favourite revision activities that your students will love!

1. Digital escape rooms

Digital escape rooms are my all-time favourite revision activity for maximum student engagement. 

What is it?

A digital escape room is an online challenge in which students need to solve various tasks or puzzles in order to reveal the ‘key’ or ‘passcode’ to get to the next challenge. Once all challenges have been solved students have ‘escaped’. 

Why do I love them?

1. It is a fun and engaging way for students to review content.
2. It builds student skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration.
3. It can be used in a wide range of environments including in the classroom, online learning, homeschooling and distance education.

How can you differentiate it?

The content included in digital escape rooms can’t be easily differentiated. However, you can still ensure it is accessible for all students in the classroom by choosing appropriate groups / pairs, and by the support you offer.

Get more info

See my full blog post on what digital escape rooms are, how they work, and why they are an awesome addition to your classroom. 

Freebie

Grab a free taster digital escape room on scientific method & lab equipment here.

Purchase

Visit this link to see examples of my own digital escape rooms.

2. Printable Board Games

Printable board games are also a favourite as they are naturally highly engaging. 

What is it?

A printable board game is exactly what it sounds like! A board game, cards and instructions that you print to use in your classroom.

Why do I love them?

I used to get so frustrated when I would finally find a cool science board game I could use in class, but then didn’t have the budget to purchase 8 sets so my entire class could play. 

With a printable board game, you can print as many copies as you need so your whole class can play at the same time! All you need to do is grab some dice and something as game pieces (like counters or even just little bits of coloured paper). 

Get more info

Read my full blog post on how to create your own printable board game.

Freebie

Its easy to make your own! Grab a free template to make your own here. Then put together your question cards. Want a quick way to come up with questions? Have each student write two questions (with the answer) as an exit slip for a lesson. Then use these to make up the game board quiz cards.

Purchase

If you want to see examples of mine or purchase one for your classroom, follow this link. Did you know my printable board games come with multiple differentiation options?

Best revision activities for middle school and high school

3. Tarsia Puzzles

These print and go activities are great for reviewing key vocabulary and concepts.

What is it?

The idea is that students match the two sides together so the statement, or the key term and definition match. If you have a glossary of key terms then this is super easy to convert into a tarsia puzzle. Just grab my free template below and substitute your terms and definitions into the corresponding text boxes. 

Conclusion

Revision activities at the end of term or year do not have to be boring. Digital escape rooms, board games, tarsia puzzles and quizzes are fun ways to engage students and keep learning at the same time. 

Please comment below with your favourite revision activities for middle school and high school!

Best revision activities for middle school and high school