This is the time of the year where we all start winding down and focusing on the end of the year. Now is the time I make sure everything is super mapped out and I have all the end of the year tests and activities in my plan book. I at least try to have something down for each level for every day left of the school year.
To wrap the year up, you might be thinking about final exams, major projects and what material you still need to cover. So now it’s the time for you to let students put together all the skills and knowledge they have learned to work and create something AMAZING.
Today let’s take a look at a few ideas for the end of the year projects that will get your creative teacher juices flowing…or maybe this will inspire you to create your own projects.
End of the Year Projects
Towards the end of the school year, it is easy to get in the habit of just reviewing but assigning a project can spark passion in students. End of the year projects can also be used as summative assessments. Projects are not fact-checking from every unit that was covered in the semester (or year), the projects are cumulative, pulling from lessons covered throughout the learning period.
Project Ideas
Here are a few ideas for inspiration.
- Website – Have students create a website showcasing everything they have learned. Websites are great for organization since they can be put together using subpages. Subpages and headers are great to show themes that have been learned. These organizational tools can also help students make sense of everything they have learned too. Google Sites and Weebly
- Recreate a movie – Students can use their creativity to show off the various vocabulary and structures they have learned by taking their favorite (school appropriate) movie and making it into a signed film. Students will use the language skills acquired to make a shortened version of a popular movie. A variation is to take the movie and tweak it to make the characters deaf to showcase the culture they have learned not just the language. You can also genre switch a movie that really spices things up.
- Connect with a community member – This might be a bit harder to make happen but the goal here is to have a student (or small group of students) connect with someone who is deaf in your community. Use this as an interview or special presentation. Use Skype or Google Meet.
- Create an infographic – It is no secret my love of infographics. Infographics are an easy, simple way for students to show what they have learned. I like using them for cultural information. You can also add a signed video by incorporating a shortened URL.
- Tell a story – Storytelling can be an amazing tool and a fabulous way for students to pass on information. Instead of students regurgitating facts, students can frame information in a story. You can model storytelling first and use graphic organizer to check what students know. Then let them get creative.
- Make a documentary – Students can show what they have learned about a specific culture project or famous deaf person and make the information into a documentary. This is a great way to see what students have learned.
Make the Project Effective
Here are some tips that will help students put projects together more effectively.
- Give students options. Give them a list of projects and let them choose. This will give students a connection to the assignment and projects will be higher quality (we hope).
- Independent Review. You don’t need to do a whole-class review. Students can use their notes, online material, and other resources to help them prepare. Since the project will be considered an assessment, we want to see what they know and can do. Providing time will help them jog their memory.
- Prioritization is important. Help guide students to the content they need to use. There is no way they can use everything they have learned through a semester or a year in one project. Help them find the right material for the project they have selected. A timeline for completion is also a must with large projects to help students keep organized.
The last bit to remember is to select an audience. I like to show the end of term projects to the entire class. Sometimes that does not work for everyone because of time restraints in the classroom. I do this because I think students tend to perform better if there is a bit of peer pressure in the room. Student work just seems to be better when they know their peers are watching it.
Enjoy the end of the school year. Go out with a bang!
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