End of Year Ideas to Showcase Student Work

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Many schools seem to do some type of year end wrap up. Nearly every elementary school I’ve been at has done this in some fashion or another. One school ran an Academic Fair, another called it a Project Fair, and some simply call it an Open House. Regardless, there are some neat things that teachers are doing for these events!

end of year ideas to showcase student work

In my most recent school, the Academic Fair was held for students in third through eighth grade. Third graders created a poster board based on a book they read. They stood by their board – sometimes in costume – and told people about it as they walked by.

Here are some great ways to showcase all of the work your students have done all year! These ideas are great for end of year in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade! You'll be able to do activities with history, poetry, science, and more!

The fourth, fifth, and sixth graders set up a wax museum. We based their characters on the social studies standards that aligned to their grade – 4th grade had South Dakota historical figures, 5th grade covered US history characters, and 6th grade portrayed Ancient Civilization people (which proved to be the hardest).

In addition to the wax museum, the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students all showed off some of the science projects they worked on this year. The third through six grade teachers also brought down some of the math posters the students had created throughout the year. We tried to incorporate as many subjects as possible. Some may have called it a “dog and pony” show, but it really was about taking things that happen in the classroom on a regular basis and showcasing them for parents! A little bit of organization and advertising helped make it all worthwhile. =)

The seventh and eighth graders showed off their science fair projects. Actually it was the day their projects were judged by the panel and prizes awarded.

At another school, the students and teachers hosted a Project Fair. For this one, the teachers and students set it up – but the students didn’t actually explain their projects. There was a room open for parents to walk through during one day, which they came to at any time that worked for them. Students continued learning, but parents still got to see what was going on in the school. (This one might feel like less of a “show” to some.)

Here’s what was included –

Poetry books: