Learning Teasers for Summer

Facilitator: Dr. Bruce Ellis (@DrBruceEllis)

Join us for a plan to create and share easy (but fun) learning teasers for your students over the summer. With very little effort, you can encourage your students to make learning practical, fun, and possibly funny, even while on summer break!

Before school is out

Year Timeline

Unroll butcher paper or bulletin board paper and place on the wall(s) of your classroom. Draw a horizontal line down the middle and mark off the months of the school year. Have students identify different memories of learning they have and mark them on the timeline. Besides telling what they learned, have them draw a picture to represent the info.

Student Cookbook

Send home instructions with each student asking them (and their parents if needed) to write down one of their favorite recipes (and why it is their favorite). Students bring them to school and organize them. Scan them to PDF and make an eCookbook for your class. If possible, add a photo of each student to their recipe to help make it a lasting memory.

Read & Fold

Read aloud one of many books about paper cranes and then have students create their own orizuru (origami paper cranes). Have them write on each crane something they are thankful for or a dream of something they would like to do in the future. Students then string the cranes together with thread to make a senbazuru.

Flipbook Stories

Have students write a story (or retell one they read earlier in the year but with a twist). Student then make a flipbook to go with part of their story. Flipbooks can be easily made from paper or online using a tool such as Google Slides. Here are some examples on Pinterest to share with students for ideas if they've not made a flipbook before. If creating an animated flipbook is too much work, have them create a flipbook chart.

Have students work in teams to do a 1 Hour Flipbook Challenge. Here is a compilation of Andymation and his best flipbooks - AMAZING!

Create a Game

You can have students work in pairs or individually to design a gameboard of their choice. Have them brainstorm games they've played on a gameboard (or bring some in for them to experience). They'll create the layout, rules, artwork, and game pieces. Here's a video if you need. It can be based on content they've learned or just for fun!

For the summer

For many of these summer ideas, you'll need a way to communicate with your students. Consider creating a mailing list with their emails, creating a special hashtag to use if you Tweet out the ideas, or have a digital newsletter that you can send out at specific intervals. Here are some ideas to include...

Summer Bucket List

Before school is out, have students bring a stamped envelope (or just a stamp) to class. Have them write a bucket list of ideas for them to do during the summer; some things they want to learn, some fun things, and some memories they want to make. They address their stamped envelope. Two weeks after school, drop the letters in the mail. EVERYONE loves getting mail! OR have them email themselves the list by using FutureMe.

Virtual Tours & Trips

If you teach middle or high school, put together a list of colleges that offer virtual tours. Each month, send out a list of colleges for them to investigate, career ideas, easy ways to prep for SAT or ACT, etc.

If you teach younger students, share out a list of virtual museums, zoo webcams, or virtual fieldtrips.

Build an Airplane

Building paper airplanes can be fun and educational. Since it doesn't need a lot of supplies, it can be an interesting adventure. Check out these websites for directions:

Break a Record

Every kid (regardless of age) wants to be known for something. Consider encouraging them to identify a Kids Guinness World Records or the original Guinness World Records to see what amazing things others are doing and what they might find challenging! They can also listen to the Record of the Day podcast or explore the Hall of Fame for more motivation and inspiration.

STEM-based Summer

Encourage students to have fun by doing various STEM-based activities! They'll find tons of fun (and educational) things to learn from as they explore these websites.

College Bound

Encourage your high school students to do things that will look good when they apply for college. Need some ideas? Here are many to choose from.

Explore AI

Artificial intelligence is impacting many things that adults do...though we don't really notice it. Here are some experiments for students to explore to have fun with AI.

Learn to Code

Coding can be fun, adventurous, and educational all at the same time. Encourage your students to consider learning to code this summer by checking out one of these resources.

5-7 Years Old

7-15 Years Old

12 and Older