By the time spring arrives in the classroom, suddenly students are independent!
It is my favorite time of year!
My teacher heart goes pitter-patter just watching students get excited about new things, work together, and take the reins on their own learning.
Spring is definitely the time of year when projects like math projects and research projects are front and center in my upper elementary classroom!
There are so many fun and relevant topics to explore with students once spring rolls around! I love to use seasonal topics and projects to engage students and harness the excitement that comes with spring fever. The list below includes my favorite topics and projects to do with students during springtime to keep them motivated and knee-deep in authentic learning.
Changing Seasons
Grab this free print and digital activity below {at the bottom of this post} to get your students comparing the seasons!
Upper elementary students are ready to go a bit deeper and understand the science behind how and why seasons change. Following this comparison activity, my students love learning about the spring equinox and why it is such an important day!
Get learning about the spring equinox in your classroom with these:
- Sci Show Video: Spring Equinox {5 minutes}
- Discovery News: What is Spring? {2.35 minutes}
- Spring Equinox Reading Activities
Bring all things spring to life for your students with these high-interest spring picture books...and bonus, grab the free teacher resources to go along with them!
Earth Day
- Must Watch Earth Day Videos
- FREE Write a Letter to Mother Earth Writing Task
- Save the Rainforests Nonfiction Reading
Another lesson we dive into during our Earth Day investigations is all about harnessing solar energy! After we learn about different types and forms of energy, the children work to create ways to harness solar power. Students also create solar energy homes that can turn the energy from the sun into energy to run their homes.
Endangered Species
My favorite spring project is focusing on endangered animals! During this unit, we spend a lot of time discussing the difference between extinct and endangered species, as well as the different levels of endangerment that can be found on the endangered species conservation list.
Students love to research different endangered species! To make this research project manageable for students to work independently, I break down each step of the process for them, assigning them one component each day. This allows them to be independent while doing the research but they are still guided in how to collect and compile the information that they learn.
Once students have collected the information, they write their endangered species essays. Students are responsible for presenting what they learned to the class. I give them a variety of options for presenting. From posters and handouts to slideshows and persuasive speeches, each student can find the presentation format that is just right for them!
Get started on an endangered species project with these resources:
- WWF website of endangered species
- Save the Polar Bears Video National Geographic for Kids {3 minutes}
- Earth Day and Endangered Animals Video Sci Show {17 minuts}
- Endangered Species Reading Articles
- Endangered Species Research Project
- Will We Miss Them? Read Aloud
Poetry and National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month! I love bringing poetry into my classroom every day, but I sure don't mind having a reason to read and write even MORE poetry!
There are so many reasons why I love using poetry in the classroom! Here are some:
- Engages struggling readers
- Engages struggling writers
- A change of pace from reading long passages
- Increases reading fluency
- Strengthens reading comprehension
- Great way to differentiate in the classroom
- Poetry make quick and fun read alouds
Poetry truly engages all levels of readers and writers! You will see a huge increase in participation when your reading and writing lessons are focused on poetry. Students love to read aloud poems because of their easy-to-follow rhyme and rhythm and they love sharing the poems that they wrote too!
One type of poem that I LOVE writing during the spring is a Bio Poem. These are so much fun to write about towards the end of the year because they truly show how much students have grown!
Teacher tip: Have your students write bio poems at the start of the school year to help you get to know them, and then again at the end of the school year. You and the students will be amazed at how much they have grown as writers and as students. I love adding these to their writing portfolios!
When spring fever is in the air...engage your students in high-interest activities that will promote their love of learning and get them independently researching, reading, and writing! From the spring equinox to Earth Day and everything in between, your students will learn so much and enjoy every minute of it!
Happy spring teacher friends!
You might be interested in this cross-content
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