Are you looking for some End of the School Year Projects to do with your middle school students? Are you trying to find meaningful activities that not only keep your students from being bored, but that also keep them engaged and learning?
End of school year projects provide an excellent opportunity for middle schoolers to reflect on their academic and personal growth throughout the year. By incorporating hands-on activities and creative expression, these projects not only reinforce academic skills. They also nurture essential skills such as critical thinking, communication, and self-awareness. In this post, I will cover 11 meaningful projects that will engage your students in reflective activities.
- Portfolio Project
- Memory Book
- Career Exploration Presentation
- Time Capsule
- TED-Ed Style Talk
- STEM Fair Project
- Cultural Heritage Project
- Podcast Series
- Environmental Awareness Project
- Entrepreneurship Challenge
- Reflective Journaling
Portfolio Project
This is one of my favorite end of the school year projects. This project is done throughout the whole school year. I like to give my Portfolio guideline sheet out the first few days of school. I explain what I want my students to do, and I guide them throughout the year to select the correct pieces to place inside of their portfolios.
My students love doing their portfolios. And, over the years, my former students parents’ have commented on how much they loved the Portfolio Project themselves. I do have guidelines for the Portfolio Project in my TpT store, so be sure to check it out or some of my other projects.
Materials Needed:
Access to computers or tablets or a Pre-made Portfolio Booklet
Digital files of students’ work (essays, artwork, presentations, etc.) or hard copies
Instructions:
I explain to my students that the Portfolio project is a collection of their best work from the school year. You can encourage your students to include written reflections on each piece, discussing what they learned, challenges they faced, and areas of improvement.
If you decide to have your students do a digital version, then be sure to instruct them to arrange their work in a visually appealing and coherent manner. And, to choose a software that is easy for them to navigate.
Memory Book
This is another one of my favorite end of the school year projects. It’s an alternative to the Portfolio. The Memory Book focuses more on the fun things that the students do throughout the year instead of on their academic work. I have allowed my students to do memory books, but I prefer the Portfolio because it is more academic based. However, this is a fun and creative way to keep your students engaged these last days of school.
Materials Needed:
Blank notebooks or sketchbooks
Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, etc.)
Photographs or printed memories from the school year
Instructions:
You can introduce the concept of a memory book to students at the beginning of school or toward the end. Explain to your students that the Memory Book is a personalized keepsake filled with memories from the school year.
Provide time for students to reflect on their favorite moments, accomplishments, and experiences from the past year.
Instruct students to use their notebooks or sketchbooks to create a memory book. Encourage them to include photographs and any written reflections that they want to add.
Allow your students to decorate their memory books using art supplies to personalize their pages.
Be sure to provide time for your students to share their memory books with their classmates. Discuss with them the significance of each memory and reflecting on their growth throughout the year.
These are great keepsakes that your students and their parents will treasure.
Career Exploration Presentation
Some schools like to host Career Days, and these are great ideas. An alternative version of this project can be a Career Exploration Project. In a Career Exploration project, the students will decide on a career in which they would like to explore. Then, they do research on that particular career.
Materials Needed:
Access to computers or tablets
Presentation software (e.g., Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint)
Research materials (books, websites, etc.)
Instructions:
Introduce the concept of career exploration to your students, explaining that it involves researching different career fields to learn about job opportunities and requirements. Then, instruct your students to choose a career field to research and create a presentation showcasing what they’ve learned. Make sure that your students include information about job responsibilities, educational requirements, salary potential, and personal reflections on why they’re interested in the chosen career.
Next, is the good part. Allow your students to present their career exploration projects to their classmates
Time Capsule
A Time Capsule is an end of school project that I have been fascinated with ever since my little brother graduated from high school. One of his teachers had them create a time capsule that included only one sheet of paper.
On that paper was a list of their goals for 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years. He was instructed not to open their capsule ( a tiny jar with a cap) for at least 10 years. And, Maurice didn’t. But, I must confess. My mom and I were just as excited as he was to open the capsule after 10 years. It was interesting to see which of his goals had he accomplished.
This end of the year project can create excitement and anticipation in your students. And, it’s a great way to keep your students engaged and fill-in those last days of school.
Materials Needed:
Airtight container or box
Items representing students’ lives and interests (letters, photographs, small objects, etc.)
Optional: Decorative materials for decorating the time capsule
Instructions:
Explain the concept of a time capsule to your students. Simply explain to your students that the time capsule is a collection of items that represent a specific time period. Discuss the significance of preserving memories and reflecting on the passage of time.
Instruct your kiddos to choose items that represent their lives, interests, and experiences at this time.
Encourage your students to write letters to their future selves. Have them to reflect on their goals, dreams, and memories from the school year.
Once the time capsule is assembled, store it in a safe place to be opened in the future. Some teachers may want their students to bury their time capsule in a designated place.
My brother kept his on a bookshelf at our mother’s house. And, there it stayed safe and secure for 10 years.
TED-Ed Style Talk
Are you familiar with Ted-Talks? I must confess that I’m not all that familiar with them. However, they are a great opportunity to allow your students to do engaging end of the school year presentations. Introduce the concept of a TED-Ed talk to your students. Explain that a TED-Ed talk is a short, engaging presentation on a topic of interest or expertise.
Materials Needed:
Access to computers or tablets
Presentation software (e.g., Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint)
Research materials (books, websites, etc.)
Instructions:
Discuss the elements of a successful TED-Ed talk to your students. Explain to them that they should be sure to communicate clearly, to tell compelling storytelling, and to use engaging visuals.
You can opt to let your students choose their own topic or you can choose one for them. Either way, they should choose a topic that they are passionate about. Then, they should conduct research to gather information and evidence.
STEM Fair Project
Science is the future. And, a STEM Project is a way to offer your students hands-on experience and keep them excited and engaged during the last days of school.
Materials Needed:
Science experiment or engineering project materials (varies depending on project)
Poster board or presentation materials
Research materials (books, websites, etc.)
Instructions:
Before beginning this project, discuss the scientific method with your students. Emphasize the importance of asking questions, making observations, and drawing conclusions. Encourage your students to choose a topic of interest. Help them develop a research question or problem statement.
Guide your students through the process of planning and conducting their experiments or projects, providing support and resources as needed.
Instruct your students to create a poster or presentation showcasing their project, including background information, methods, results, and conclusions.
Cultural Heritage Project
It is important that your students are culturally aware. As the school year comes to an end, a Heritage Activity is one of the projects that can help stir up your middle school students’ passion for learning during the last few days of school.
Materials Needed:
Research materials (books, websites, etc.)
Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, etc.)
Optional: Traditional cultural artifacts or clothing
Instructions:
You can begin by explain to your students that the United States of America is a giant melting pot. Explain that cultural diversity is normal.
Let your students know that culture includes the traditions, customs, and history of a particular group of people. And, that there is nothing wrong with being “different”.
Discuss the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural diversity and encourage students to explore their own cultural heritage.
Assign students to research a cultural heritage topic. You can allow your students to choose their own topic, or you can assign them a topic. of their choice. Instruct them to include such things as traditional celebrations, folktales, or historical events.
Instruct your students to create a project showcasing their cultural heritage. Have them to incorporate research findings, artwork, and their own personal reflections.
Podcast Series
Are you listening? Are you listening? Podcasting is becoming more and more popular. And, having your students create their own podcast series can be unique ways of keeping your students on their toes these last days of school.
Materials Needed:
Access to computers or tablets
Recording equipment (microphones, headphones, etc.)
Podcast hosting platform (e.g., Anchor, Podbean)
Instructions:
What exactly is podcasting? Podcasting can be explained to your students as a digital audio format for sharing stories, ideas, and conversations.
Discuss the elements of a successful podcast with your students. Explain that a successful podcast includes storytelling, interviewing, and editing.
Help your students to choose a topic for their podcast series. Make sure that it is appropriate for school, but also something that they are interested in.
Guide students through the process of planning and recording episodes, emphasizing the importance of scripting, interviewing, and editing. Once the podcast series is complete, publish it on a podcast hosting platform and promote it to their peers and school community.
And, remember, this is an end of the school year project, so it doesn’t have to be a long series.
Environmental Awareness Projects for Students
The earth is slowly dying. Why? Because we are polluting our air and lands. Teaching our students to be environmentally aware is crucial for fostering a sustainable future. By incorporating lessons on recycling, conservation, and the impact of human activities on the planet, we empower young minds to make informed decisions that benefit the environment. And, hands-on projects help students to develop a personal connection to nature and understand the importance of preserving it.
Materials Needed:
Poster board or presentation materials
Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, etc.)
Research materials on environmental issues
Instructions:
Discuss the importance of environmental awareness and the impact of human actions on the planet. I am a huge video fan, and this is a good time to show your kids videos on pollutions and the impact that it has on the planet.
Brainstorm environmental issues with your class. Consider topics such as recycling, pollution, climate change, and conservation. Then, divide your students into groups and assign each group an environmental issue to focus on for their campaign.
Once the students are have chosen their topic, have them conduct their research. When your students complete their research, have them present their findings to the class.
Budding Entrepreneur Project
Here is one of the end of the school year projects that is near and dear to my heart. What is it? It is an “Budding Entrepreneurship Project”. And, why is it so much fun? Because it gives your students a chance to be real-world businessmen and businesswomen. They get to think creatively and design their own company and/or product.
Materials Needed:
Writing and presentation materials
Art supplies for creating prototypes
Optional: Business plan templates or software
Instructions:
Explain what entrepreneurship is to your students. Explain to them that they will be identifying problems and creating solutions to those problems by creating product that help provide an answer.
Discuss the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs such as creativity, critical thinking, and resilience.
Challenge your students to develop a business plan for marketing their product. Here I like to take my students to Canva. Once on Canva, I let them look at the premade business plan templates. They can then choose the one they want to use. If they don’t like these, I encourage them to design their own.
When creating their business plan, I tell them to think about their invention, their target markets, their competition, and pricing.
Reflective Journaling
Here’s another one of my favorite end of school projects. And, I don’t just mean for students. Reflective journaling is also a great way for teachers to reflect upon their own school year. Reflective writing can help you as well as your students to gain clarity about the events of the past school year. (Psssst…I do offer a Teacher Reflective Journal. It’s for Back to School, but it can be used for the End of School too! Be sure to check it out by clicking the link.)
Materials Needed:
Journals or notebooks for each student
Writing materials (pens, pencils, etc.)
Instructions:
Explain what reflective journaling is to your students. Explain to them that it involves writing regularly to explore thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Discuss the benefits of journaling to your students. Share with them that reflective writing help students to become more self-aware and improve their writing skills.
Provide prompts or journaling topics for students to respond to. Encourage them to write about their school experiences, goals, and aspirations for the upcoming school year.
Allocate time during class or designated periods for students to write in their journals. If they want, let them share excerpts from their journals with their classmates.
By engaging middle school students in these end-of-year projects, you can provide opportunities for reflection, creativity, and personal growth. Whether through portfolios, community service projects, or cultural heritage presentations, your students can take ownership of their learning and celebrate their achievements as they prepare for the next chapter in their academic journey.
Other videos to watch:
And, if you happen to have one of those End-of-the-School-Year Observations, these projects will have you covered. Be sure to check out some tips on how to handle a End-of-School Surprise visit from your principal.
