The end of the year is like a curtain closing on a long, dramatic play. Like any good playwright, we want to go out big! But, the end of the year poses it’s own challenges: wrapped up curriculum, checked-out attitudes, and lots of paperwork. What end-of-the-year activities will keep your students engaged until the end while also providing meaningful closure? Fear not! I have five great activities so you can rock your final curtain call. And, if they request an encore, I have some backups for you too.

1. Futureme.org
2. Podcasts
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Episode 227 The Key to Getting Organized: For this one, they will be asked to get out a piece of paper and pencil and follow along to prompts.
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Episode 147 What the Heck is Your Purpose: They will also be asked to get out pencil and paper for this one too.
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Episode 155 Oh No! Your Attitude is Showing!: There is a quiz for this one.
3. Email etiquette
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Start off by reading the article as a class. You could use this article analysis guide to analyze the modes of persuasion and the tone.
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Discuss the article as a class.
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Review this website, linked in the article, to discussion email etiquette.
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Then, give several scenarios and ask students to compose an email based on that scenario, e.g. your digital gradebook says you have a zero for an assignment you know you completed, you missed class and you can’t find the homework, you are sick and can’t attend class, you are unhappy with your grade on an essay, etc. You might even ask a few students to intentionally write unacceptable emails so you can point out the flaws.
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Instruct students to read their emails to the class and ask the class to critique the emails.
4. Charades
Follow me on Instagram @doc_cop for more teaching tidbits!
5. Film study
Example 1:
I use Life Is Beautiful, the Italian tragicomedy, for my end-of-the-year film study. Because my students dive deep into tragedy, like Macbeth, and comedy, such as The Importance of Being Earnest, this film acts an engaging denouement to the year. As a bonus, the film is in Italian so they have to read subtitles. You can find my film study unit here.
Example 2:
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My husband who teaches AP Government and Politics and senior government shows 12 Angry Men, a classic courtroom drama starring Henry Fonda. He asks students to write a reflection answering the following prompts:
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Explain what each character represents.
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Explain which character you most identify with and why.
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Analyze the film’s message about democracy and the legal system.
Happy (almost) summer!
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