Survival Mode

As the last day of school is finally almost a reality, we've been in full survival mode.  Grades closed last Friday, and so we've basically been trying to keep a lid on the energy that's threatening to explode.
And so here's Survivor:7th Grade Edition

Monday:  While half of our students finish science presentations Monday morning with my partner, I kept 25 students under control with tesselations, line designs,  packin, and final prep for the afternoon activity:  Ethnic Entrees.  Students prepared a meal representing a country they'd researched, invited a guest, and served it up.  We had spicy chicken and soup from Thailand, a tofu dish with pickled ginger from Japan, stuffed dates and hummus from Egypt, hoisin pork from China, and a lamb and potato dish from Greece in my room, while my partner had dishes from Russia, Australia, Poland, Cuba, and France.  It was fun and delicious.

Tuesday:  We put our kids in groups and challenged each group to create a video Survival Guide to 7th Grade or 7 Tips for Success in 7th!  They had a lot of fun with that project. We gave them 2 hours for the project, and then spent the last 1/2 hr of the morning watching their videos.  During the afternoon the whole grade walked to a park for kickball, capture the flag, and basketball.

Wednesday:  Today's plan is a medieval themed movie: Robin Hood - since we've just finished a study of the middle ages.  This afternoon one of our paraeducators asked to lead a cooperative game called Survival.  So of course, we said yes!  We'll also throw in some locker cleaning and packing.

Tomorrow is the last day- and it's a half day.  We have awards and then a school-wide celebration involving a  rotation of activities: karaoke, a dance, board games, and something else that I've forgotten at the moment.  It was originally planned to be a big outdoor affair, but since the forecast is for stormy weather, it's been moved indoors.  I actually think the indoor idea will be easier to control!

So, the end is truly in sight!