What to Do the Last Week of School in Middle School ELA
The last week of school in middle school ELA is its own special kind of classroom adventure.
Students are excited. Teachers are tired. Schedules are strange. Library books are due. Grades are almost finished. The weather is nice. Everyone can feel summer coming.
And yet… you still need meaningful classroom activities.
If you are wondering what to do the last week of school in middle school ELA, the goal is not to start something huge or reinvent your entire lesson plan. The goal is to give students activities that feel engaging, purposeful, and manageable.
Here are a few end-of-year ELA activities that work well for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students.
1. End-of-Year Reflection Writing
Reflection writing is one of the best last week of school ELA activities because it gives students a chance to pause and think about how they have grown. You can ask students to respond to prompts like:
What is one book, story, article, or poem you remember from this year?
What is one writing skill you improved?
What is one challenge you are proud you got through?
What advice would you give next year’s students?
What is one thing you learned about yourself as a reader, writer, speaker, or thinker?
These prompts can become journal entries, letters to next year’s class, classroom displays, or quick discussion starters.
2. Reading Recap Activities
The end of the year is a great time to help students look back at their reading lives.
Students can make a “reading yearbook” page that includes:
Favorite book of the year
Most surprising book
A book they abandoned and why
A character they remember
A book they would recommend to a friend
A reading goal for next year
This is meaningful, but still light enough for the final days of school. Another option is to make a fill a Reading Recap Bag as the video below describes.
3. First Chapter Friday Favorites
If you used First Chapter Friday during the year, invite students to vote on their favorite read-alouds, create recommendation cards, or build a “books we loved” list for next year’s students.
If you did not use First Chapter Friday this year, the last week of school is still a great time to try it. Choose a high-interest book, read the first chapter, and let students respond with quick thoughts, predictions, or recommendations.
A good first chapter can create energy without requiring a multi-week unit.
4. Brain Break Games
Middle school students need movement, laughter, and novelty during the last week of school. A classroom-friendly brain break can help reset the energy without losing control of the room.
Trivia games, picture detective activities, would-you-rather questions, and quick team challenges can all work beautifully in the ELA classroom because students are still practicing important skills (inference, listening, speaking, and reasoning) all while playing a game.
The key is to keep it simple. No complicated setup. No twenty-step directions. Just a quick activity students can jump into right away.
Check out a Brain Break video playlist here. And grab all of the printable answer sheets here.
5. Creative Writing Challenges
A short creative writing challenge is another excellent end-of-year activity for middle school ELA. Try prompts like:
Write a mystery that takes place on the last day of school.
Write a letter from your backpack’s point of view.
Create a survival guide for next year’s students.
Write a scene where summer vacation starts with a surprise.
Describe the school year as if it were a movie trailer.
Students can write independently, share in pairs, or turn their writing into a short classroom gallery walk. For more writing prompts, check out the Word Nerd Daily app!
6. Book Recommendation Sharing
The final days of school are a perfect time to help students recommend books to one another. Students can create:
One-minute book talks
Book recommendation bookmarks
“If you liked this, try this” lists
Book posters
Summer reading suggestion cards
This keeps reading visible and positive as students head into summer. And one last idea for you before I send you back into the classroom, the 10 x 10 Reading Challenge! Watch the video below and then grab the full directions + student challenge charts here.
Keep It Simple and Meaningful
The best last week of school ELA activities do not require hours of prep. They give students a chance to reflect, celebrate, laugh, write, read, and leave the classroom feeling successful.
When in doubt, choose activities that are flexible, easy to explain, and connected to the reading and writing work students have already done.
Want This All in One Place?
Download WORD NERD DAILY. Inside the free app, you’ll find:
First Chapter Friday videos
Writing prompts
Teaching tips
Brain breaks
Book recommendations
RitaBot to help you plan fast
Available in the App and Google Play Store