It’s finally May! You have a couple of weeks of school left. Testing is almost over, and you’re sitting at your desk wondering how you’ll survive. You have forms to fill out, a classroom to clean and close up, grades to input, end-of-year events, and you feel like a circus performer trying to juggle too many balls at once. We’ve been there. We are currently there, and we have a secret. A secret that will not only engage your students but also educate and entertain them as well. We have a secret that will allow you also to fill out forms, clean out a closet, and regain your sanity.
One word: Projects.
Project-based learning is student-centered. Once the project is explained, the teacher takes a step back. The student becomes the teacher within their own project. The teacher becomes the facilitator, guiding the student in their learning. PBL pulls the teacher away from lecturing to the teacher acting as an educational guide to the exploration of their project.
We have 8 fun and engaging projects that will allow your students to immerse themselves in learning, keep them engaged and excited about school, and allow you to step back from the front of the room so you can also complete the million other teacher tasks you have.
#1 Who Was? or Who Is? Biography in a Can Project
Promote independent reading, social studies, research, and biographies all in one. Students choose a Who Was? or Who Is? book to read on their own. After reading the biography, students will decorate a chip or a coffee can based on whom they’re learning about. Next, students will use a graphic organizer to gather information from their book and then turn that research into an index card biography report. The various index cards are then stored inside the can for easy access for presentations. This project incorporates art and is plain fun. It is definitely engaging for students. Bonus points! Play some Who Was? episodes for students after the closure of this project.
Grab the whole project, including graphic organizers, index card templates, a pre-design sheet, and a rubric below.
#2 Independent Book Project with Student-Led Choice
Allow students to exercise their independent reading skills, autonomy, creativity, and their personal interests through an in-class Independent Book Project that has lots of options. Students can complete this solely in class. Students independently read their books for a week to two weeks and then, afterward, work on their project for a week. When completing it in the classroom, set individual goals for each student. Students would take the total number of pages that were in their book, divide by the number of class periods given to them to read their book, and strive for that goal. Any pages not finished within that period during the day would be homework in the evening. Some students excel under this goal-setting challenge.
Then, they choose from a variety of options for their project. Some options include: create a board game, paint a picture of the main character, write an extra chapter, write and perform a song summing up the book, and so many more. What’s great about this project is that students can choose a project based on their own personal interests and the ways they learn best. Students who love to write, excel in art or music, enjoy performing, or even building something get a chance to demonstrate their talents and interests. With it being the last month of school, the project options aren’t too rigorous as well, but are engaging and fun.
More fun than traditional book reports ever were!
#3 Nonfiction Picture Book Investigation Project
Utilize your school or classroom library to have students check out 1-3 books on a nonfiction topic of their choice. Students also explore nonfiction text features in this project. Steer them toward various topics that you’re studying in class or allow students to choose on their own.
From oceans to insects, from the Civil War to robotics, students learn all about their topic of interest through various picture books. After reading the books on their topic, allow them to demonstrate their understanding through various methods, including creating an informational brochure, a simple poster board, an online presentation using Google Slides or Canva, or through a book report.
Here is a free brochure template students can use for this project!
#4 Fiction & Nonfiction One Pager
Students can read any fictional novel/picture book, or nonfiction book. Next, they summarize their reading by completing a one-pager report. A one-pager is a neat alternative to a book report. It combines various comprehension skills, figurative language, and art to fully analyze a story.
With the nonfiction one-pager, you will be able to accurately assess your students on nonfiction text features, setting, key information, and facts about the topic, among other items.
Take a look at our editable one-pager report for nonfiction and fiction books.
Want to know even more? Please visit our blog, 6 Tips for Using One-Pager Book Reports.
#5 Unsolved Mysteries from History Project
Every class I’ve done this mystery project with has loved it. My son, whom I homeschool now, was super intrigued as well. Students gain more interest and excitement about school with this Mystery in History project.
Grab your copy of The Mary Celeste: An Unsolved Mystery from History.
Pair students up or into groups for them to come up with a hypothesis or theory as to what happened. Students must use evidence to back up their hypothesis and put on their detective hats.
Use this free resource to implement. Next, students present their projects and the class votes on which answer would be the most logical.
Grab your FREE Mystery in History today!
This can be a continuous project as students gather evidence, draw conclusions, and practice their inferencing skills. Other books are available in the series, such as The Wolf Girls, The Salem Witch Trials, and Roanoke: The Lost Colony.
#6 I Survived Project-Based Learning Activities
Students can read any of the books from the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis in book clubs in your classroom or as an independent reading block. Next, assign either one of the projects in our project-based learning unit, or present students with all options for them to choose based on their interests. In this unit, we designed 11 projects that can be used with any I Survived book. Students will analyze, design, create, build, and think critically about real historical events. It includes the following:
- Infographic Project
- Newspaper Article Project
- Graphic Novel / Comic Book Project
- Book Cover Redesign
- Scrapbook Diary
- Survival Backpack Project
- Survival Guide Writing
- Time-Travel Warning Poster
- Case File Investigation
- Science Disaster Research Project
- STEM Disaster Demonstration
Your students will LOVE this!!!
#7 Who Would Win? Project-Based Learning Unit
First, students can read any Who Would Win? nonfiction book and dive into the exciting world of animal battles, science, fun facts, and more. Next, assign either one of the projects in our Who Would Win? project-based learning unit, or present students with all options for them to choose based on their interests. We have created 10 projects that students can complete with any of the books. Your students won’t just read. They’ll design, build, debate, create, and defend their thinking like real scientists and researchers.
What’s Included:
- Build-A-Battle Diorama Project
- Animal Fact Trading Cards with 3 Activity Options
- Write Your Own Nonfiction Picture Book
- Who Would Win? Infographic Project
- Comic Strip Battle
- Nonfiction Features Scavenger Hunt
- Animal Adaptation STEM Model
- Create a Battle Board Game
- Build a New Animal-Hybrid Challenge
- Animal Report Card
Grab now! Your students will love this.
#8 Create a Class Carnival Project
Bring the excitement of a carnival into your classroom with our Create a Carnival unit. This engaging collaborative project empowers students to work together to plan, design, and execute their very own class carnival. From food booths and fun houses to face painting and games, from parades to craft booths, students will merge math, writing, art, entrepreneurship, marketing, and teamwork through step-by-step guidance. In just two weeks of work, students will be able to put on a full carnival. This resource includes an introductory PowerPoint inspired by Caine’s Arcade, comprehensive lesson plans, detailed carnival planning sheets with cost calculations, price boards, brainstorming sheets, menus, and more. This would be a perfect unit for May, and what better way to end the school year than with a fun carnival?
Conclusion
Project-based learning transforms the classroom into a place where students actively explore, create, collaborate, and take ownership of their learning. Whether students are researching historical figures, designing STEM projects, analyzing nonfiction texts, or creating their own carnival, these engaging activities help build critical thinking, reading comprehension, writing skills, creativity, and student confidence.
As the school year becomes busy and student energy levels rise, project-based learning activities provide meaningful ways to keep students motivated while reducing classroom stress for teachers. By combining hands-on learning with student choice, these upper elementary projects encourage deeper learning, independence, and excitement about school.
If you are looking for engaging end-of-year activities, creative ELA projects, nonfiction research ideas, STEM integration, or fun literacy-based learning experiences, these project-based learning ideas can help your classroom thrive. Students will not only remember what they learned, but they will also remember the joy of creating, discovering, and sharing their ideas with others.
Be sure to save this post for future lesson planning and explore more engaging teaching ideas, literacy resources, and project-based learning activities at Obsessed With Learning.