The days are getting longer, the weather is warming up, and your students can feel it. Summer is around the corner, and excitement is in the air. It’s a joyful time, but it also means students may need a little extra spark to stay focused. 

Week 3 of the End-of-Year Teacher Toolkit is all about helping you re-energize your classroom and keep learning meaningful through the final stretch. With hands-on projects, movement-based activities, and reflection opportunities, these resources are built to keep students active, thoughtful, and engaged as you head toward finals.

Let’s use this momentum to end the year on a high note!

MOVE Activities That Get Students Involved and Active

Sometimes, a little movement is all it takes to shift the energy in the room. Our MOVE activities blend physical activity with key financial concepts to keep students learning in a hands-on way.

Try one of these classroom favorites:

• MOVE: Credit Musical Chairs (Types of Credit)
• MOVE: Build Your Budget (Budgeting)
• MOVE: Paycheck Scavenger Hunt (Taxes)
• MOVE: Up and Down with Credit Scores (Managing Credit)
• MOVE: Your Money Values (Behavioral Economics)
• MOVE: Let’s Make a Mutual Fund (Investing)
• MOVE: Your Tax Dollars in Action (Taxes)

These low-prep activities are designed to get students out of their seats, collaborating, thinking, and moving with purpose.

Low-Lift, High-Engagement PROJECTS

If you have space for more creativity in your final weeks, these PROJECTS invite students to apply what they’ve learned in ways that feel meaningful and personal.

Here are a few standout options:

• PROJECT: Timing the Market (Investing)
• PROJECT: Create a Career Portfolio (Career)
• PROJECT: Pitch Your Business Idea (Entrepreneurship)
• PROJECT: Plan a Spring Break Trip (Budgeting)
• PROJECT: Introducing Insurance - You Be the Teacher (Insurance)

These activities work well as final assessments, presentations, or even small-group showcases.

More Ideas to Spark End-of-Year Engagement

Looking for quick, high-impact ideas to boost classroom morale and encourage reflection? Here are a few easy wins:

• Student Choice Days

  Let students choose from a curated menu of NGPF activities, projects, or games that reinforce concepts they’re most interested in. Giving choice can restore a sense of agency and enthusiasm.

• Advice to Future Students

  Invite your students to write short letters, sticky notes, or index cards offering advice to next year’s class. They can reflect on what they’ve learned, what surprised them, and why this course matters.

• Design a Reflection Bulletin Board

  Give students ownership of your classroom or hallway bulletin board. Have them display their advice, favorite lessons, or takeaways from the course. It’s a chance to celebrate what they’ve learned and share that learning with the whole school.

These simple strategies invite students to look back with pride and forward with purpose.

Your Toolkit, All in One Place

As always, all resources highlighted this week are available on the End-of-Year Teacher Toolkit Landing Page. Check back next week as we dive into one of the most effective end-of-year motivators: competition and games.

About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.

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