End of the Year Projects

May 7, 2024

I promise the end is in sight. It may feel like the end of the year is very far off, but it will come to an end very soon. The question is, will you be prepared?

I am sure your spring break has already ended or will be ending very soon. The excitement about spring break is not only the week (or two) off from school but the amazing realization that summer is right around the corner. After a year like this one, we all need summer to get here sooner rather than later.

Another plus about this time of year is that

the end is in sight
it is a great time for reflection and growth
planning becomes super focused

This time of year means end-of-the-year projects – which is something I have always loved. These projects allow students to show off their skills and allows the teacher time to sit back and assess where everyone is at.

However, before teachers can totally relax, they have to come up with a plan for creating the end-of-the-year project that will

show student growth during the school year
gives students choice
has enough flexibility to incorporate a number of skills learned throughout the school year
let students show what they know without a lot of restrictions

1. A Google Slide Deck Notebook

Notebooks are a great way to encompass everything students have learned. Paper interactive notebooks are good and I still love them. It is the crafter in me that loves coloring, drawing, and doodling. However, digital notebooks allow for students to use video, GIFs, clipart, and annotate what they have learned. Digital notebooks allow for movement of work on the page and give students more opportunity to be creative and truly show what they have learned over the course of the year.

Get digital interactive notebooks to use throughout the year for ASL 1 and ASL 2

2. Newscast Reports

Grab a green screen and a camera and let students show what they have learned by creating a newscast that explains the skills, structures, and vocabulary they have covered during the term. A newscast allows students the opportunity to reflect and provide context through anchoring the news.

3. Create a Play or Story

Students can create a story and present it in the form of a book or play that shows what they have learned. This idea offers choice for students and keeps things creative. This helps if you watch these projects in class. Students will not get bored seeing the same presentation over and over again. You can even have students recreate a movie.

4. Make a Digital Comic Strip

It is easy for students to create digital comic strips. they can snap pictures with any device and add them to a comic template. Students become the main character in the assignment. This works great with cultural content. Students can use the speech bubbles to annotate the content, info, or vocabulary you are looking for.

5. Create an Infographic

Infographics are always one of my favorite projects. Students can make an infographic about different grammar structures they have learned throughout the year. They can explain how and when they are used, what NMS are related to them, and provide examples.