Last-Day and Summer Activities
from NCTE INBOX 6-5-07

School is winding down across the United States. As students and teachers prepare for some well-deserved time out of the classroom, these activities provide useful options to last-day discussions and projects.

The Language Arts article "Summer Reading: A Reflection" (E) recounts the author's family's summer reading and how she used it as an opportunity to talk with her children about books and, ultimately, about life. On the last day of school, why not invite students to discuss what they plan to read during the summer months?

"Sharing Ideas for the Tools of Our Trade" (M) from Voices from the Middle includes ideas from several teachers who offer "their best ideas for teaching vocabulary . . . ideas that work even on the last day of school."

Looking for a cool way to send students off with pride in their work? Check out the fortune cookie idea explained in the College English article "Editor's Choice: The Cookies of Fortune" (G). The activity can be used at any grade level.

Teachers need to think about their own summer activities as well. In the English Journal article "What Do You Do during Summer Vacation to Help You Reenter the Classroom Refreshed in the Fall?" (G), five teachers share their own stories of rest, reading, exploring, and reinvigorating.

For additional activities and resources, be sure to visit the Summer Reading and Learning Teaching Resource Collection, which includes additional articles and lesson plans.

And watch next week for details on a special section of ReadWriteThink that will provide out-of-school activities for families and community literacy groups. For a sneak peek, take a look at the Virtual Field Trip screenshot!

NOTE: Free access to journal articles mentioned in this INBOX is provided for 21 days. After this free access period expires, articles are available to journal subscribers only. This Inbox Idea was published 6-5-07.

Initials in annotations indicate academic level of the resource (E=Elementary, M=Middle, S=Secondary, C=College, TE=Teacher Education, G=General).

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