Google Projects to Wrap Up the School Year

Grade Level: 6-12 | Time Frame: Flexible, 120–150 minutes recommended (Day 1: Plan and draft your Google Vid | Day 2: Build, customize, and finalize)

Students are to create an end of the year reflection Google Vid that showcases the year they had as well as serve as an introduction for incoming students.

The Google Vids template for this project can be found HERE.

• If assigning through Google Classroom, be sure to add a template copy to the assignment from your Drive and select “Make a copy for each student.” (see screenshot below) This method of sharing is suggested so that turning in the final project is a breeze for students.

Directions & Tips

Google Vids tutorials

• What is Google Vids?
• Full tutorial(use the timer bar across the bottom to jump to timestamps for specifics)
• Generate a Voiceover

There are basic instructions on each slide of what to include, but make it your own! If you would prefer voice over than a recording of yourself, do it! If you want to add more images, go for it! If you would prefer different colors or order of content, mix it up!

Other Pro Tips

• Use the slider for each video slide to be an appropriate length time for the content - you don’t want your viewers to miss out on amazing content because of the speed being too fast!
• If you don't want everything to be a video, you can use images and include voiceovers.
• Include music that evokes the emotions and memories of the school year.
• Experiment with the effects and transitions to add flair and creativity.
• Change colors to reflect your style.

Time Frame: 90–120 minutes recommended (Day 1: Build the class story with Gemini | Day 2: Generate and play quiz with QuestionWell)

Use Gemini to create a class story. Insert students’ first names, a few events and other details that are specific about your class. Be sure to sprinkle in the basics of some projects that were completed, and let Gemini do the magic! See what I created below. Remember to jazz up your creation with more prompting. I asked it to add some extra flare with figurative language to get my students' attention. Then, add the text to Question Well and let it do its magic. I added the text Gemini created, let it create some comprehension questions and threw in some vocabulary for flare, and exported to Kahoot (Blooket is a fun option too). You will be prompted with easy to follow instructions as you do this.

This is a fun way to think back on the events of your school year, but still maintain the skills of reading and comprehension with a fun spin. Don’t be afraid to create more stories with your students helping you create the prompts. You will be uber impressed with the results and students will love seeing their names in your stories! If your students are 13+ and your district has Gemini turned on as a core app, let your students create their own.

Example Prompt:

I am a fifth grade science teacher. Create a fun story about my 5th grade class this year. We had a fun field day, a water fight day with the firetruck and sprinklers, a stay at school field trip where reptiles were brought on our campus to teach our students about local wildlife, especially alligators since our school mascot is the Gators. We had several funny incidents in class. One funny time was Noah falling out of his chair after Mrs. Dupuy sneezed extremely loudly. Another funny thing was when Lucas and Harper were partnered together for an activity where they had to create a skit on the water cycle and they made up a rap and performed it for the class. My students names are:

5th Grade Class (First Names): Chloe, Mason, Olivia, Ethan, Sophia, Noah, Isabella, Liam, Mia, Jackson, Ava, Lucas, Harper, Benjamin, Evelyn, James, Amelia, William, Charlotte, Henry, Emily, Michael, Abigail, Daniel

Pro Insight: Can you add some extra flare with figurative language to get my students' attention as they read?

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Kristin’s Finished Class Story

A Gator Year to Remember: Our 5th Grade Science Adventures

The end of the school year always arrives like the final scene of an exciting movie, bringing a rush of anticipation for summer and a warm, fuzzy feeling for the memories just made. And what a blockbuster year it's been for this incredible 5th-grade science class here in Prairieville! From day one, it was clear this group – Chloe, Mason, Olivia, Ethan, Sophia, Noah, Isabella, Liam, Mia, Jackson, Ava, Lucas, Harper, Benjamin, Evelyn, James, Amelia, William, Charlotte, Henry, Emily, Michael, Abigail, and Daniel – was a constellation of bright, shining stars.

Science wasn't just confined to the classroom walls this year; it exploded outwards! Remember Field Day? The energy crackled like static electricity! Mason was a blur, moving faster than a speeding comet in the relay races, while Sophia cheered everyone on, her voice a happy trumpet call. Even though science skills weren't officially tested, you could see the physics of a perfect sack race jump – launching like a little rocket – and the biology of pure exhaustion painting happy, tired smiles on faces like Ethan's and Olivia's.

Then came the legendary Water Fight Day, a day that will live in 5th-grade lore! Forget Bunsen burners; the real heat was beaten back by glorious arcs of water from the Prairieville firetruck, like a friendly dragon's breath, and the dancing, giggling spray from the gauntlet of sprinklers. It was pure, joyful chaos! Liam and Mia were drenched instantly, looking like they'd jumped into a swimming pool, laughing the whole time. Jackson tried a tactical approach, dodging behind trees like a secret agent, while Ava just embraced the soak, water dripping from her ponytail like a leaky faucet . It was a fantastic tsunami of fun to cool off and just be kids.

But the learning adventures didn't stop. Our "Stay-at-School" Field Trip brought the wild right to our doorstep! Seeing those reptiles up close was like stepping into a nature documentary. Everyone was fascinated, their eyes wide as saucers, especially knowing our school mascot is the mighty Gator! Benjamin asked brilliant questions about camouflage, his curiosity a sharp tool digging for answers, and Isabella, brave as a knight, was gentle enough to touch the snake's cool, patterned skin. It was amazing to see students like James and Amelia connect the dots between our classroom lessons on ecosystems and the actual creatures slithering and crawling nearby – especially those awesome alligators!

Of course, no school year is complete without those unforgettable, laugh-until-your-sides-hurt classroom moments. Who could forget the day everyone was quietly working, the room humming with concentration, when suddenly Mrs. Dupuy let out a sneeze so mighty it could have woken a sleeping giant? Poor Noah, completely startled, tumbled right out of his chair like a dropped sack of potatoes! After the shock wore off and everyone confirmed he was okay (he was, just surprised!), the whole class, including Noah and Mrs. Dupuy, erupted into a volcano of giggles. It was one of those moments – totally unexpected and utterly hilarious. Henry and Charlotte were trying so hard to hold their laughter in, shaking like leaves in the wind .

And then there was the sheer creative power! When it came time to demonstrate the water cycle, Lucas and Harper decided a standard skit was just too plain. Instead, they unleashed a full-on water cycle rap that hit the classroom like a bolt of lightning! With Lucas laying down a beat on the desk as steady as a heartbeat and Harper dropping rhymes about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation like a seasoned MC, they had the whole class, including usually quiet students like William and Emily, clapping along as if at a concert. It was epic – "From the river to the cloud, yeah, make the water cycle proud!" became an instant class anthem. Abigail and Daniel were front row, their faces lit up with admiration.

From the everyday discoveries sparked by curiosity to the big events that shook up our routine, from quiet concentration (sometimes punctuated by earth-shattering sneezes!) to bursts of creative genius shining like fireworks, this 5th-grade class has shown incredible curiosity, teamwork, and spirit. You learned about the world around you, embraced your inner Gator with pride as strong as an alligator's bite, and created memories as colorful as a rainbow. What a fantastic voyage this year has been!

Time Frame: Flexible, 90–120 minutes recommended (Day 1: Virtual exploration and research | Day 2: Build and present your digital trip)

To begin your "Dream Destination Digital Tour," visit the Google Arts & Culture ‘Talking Tours’ website. Once there, you will use the Talking Tours feature to virtually explore 1-3 dream destinations.

As you explore, gather information about each location's geography, culture, and history. Finally, create a Google Slides presentation to showcase your journey, incorporating what you've learned.

Start your tour! | Google Slides presentation template

Explore destinations around the world with Google Arts & Culture’s Talking Tours—an immersive way to spark curiosity and build global awareness in your students.