麻豆传媒入口

In the last few minutes of class, students鈥� minds are often focused on what awaits outside the classroom door鈥攍unch, a pop quiz, a group presentation, unfinished homework, a chat with friends. 

But when students 鈥渁bruptly go onto the next class鈥� without a moment to make sense of what they just learned, we miss a valuable opportunity to reinforce newly acquired learning, says Sarrah Saasa, an economics teacher at the pre-K to 12 Riverside School in Ahmedabad, India. 鈥淲e want to understand whether they鈥檝e understood the concepts, so we close the loop with reflection.鈥�

Just like 鈥渃ontracting your bicep at the top of a dumbbell curl,鈥� quick reflective closure activities 鈥渟queeze extra oomph into a lesson,鈥� writes Todd Finley, a professor of English education at East Carolina University. They鈥檙e an opportunity to surface and correct misunderstandings, emphasize key points, and consolidate recently learned content. Plus, they can help plot out important next steps in instruction. 

There鈥檚 not always time for closing activities, of course鈥攅ven ones that require limited advance planning. But when you can spare a few minutes, especially at key junctures like the end of a chapter or project, they can offer brief but powerful opportunities to 鈥渃orrect, clarify, and celebrate,鈥� says Finley. 

Quick Draw: Students select three main concepts from the day鈥檚 lesson and draw them. They can use words, symbols, or numbers where necessary. (Sourced from )听

Teach a First Grader: In pairs, have students explain key concepts, vocabulary terms, or connections between concepts in ways that are simple and accessible to a first-grade student. (Sourced from Todd Finley)

Misconception Check: Introduce a common misunderstanding and challenge students to use what they learned in class that day to correct it. Alternatively, present students with a statement or solved equation and ask them to identify mistakes. (Sourced from Laura Thomas) 

Finger Facts: On a piece of paper, have students trace the outline of their hand. Each student writes down a key concept from the lesson on the palm of their drawing, adding a relevant fact to each finger. Have the class share their responses in pairs or small groups. (Sourced from ) 

Two-Dollar Summary: Tell students that each word they use is worth 10 cents, and they must write a two-dollar summary of what they learned in class today. (Sourced from Ann Lewis and Aleta Thompson)

Here鈥檚 What You Missed: In pairs, students complete a bulleted list of key takeaways from the day鈥檚 lesson to share with classmates who were absent. Encourage students to be thorough, as their peers may be encountering much of this information for the first time. (Sourced from )

Rock, Paper, Scissors: Students identify the lesson鈥檚 most challenging element (the rock), a central concept they should write down to remember (the paper), and the least critical details they can cut (the scissors). (Sourced from Shannon Kenyon) 

Let Them Cheat: Ask students to create a 鈥渃heat sheet鈥� for an upcoming quiz on the material they learned that day. They鈥檒l need to rank facts, formulas, or vocabulary based on importance and synthesize key information. (Sourced from Ann Sipe)

This One Thing: Toward the end of the lesson, each student must describe the day鈥檚 lesson using a single word. To add a bit of movement, have students stand up and walk around the room, sharing their word with peers and explaining why they chose it. (Sourced from )

鈥淲hat I Know Now鈥� Gallery Walk: On a sticky note, each student writes down one new thing they feel confident enough to share from the lesson. After posting them on the wall, students walk around the room reading peers鈥� reflections. (Sourced from )

Three Ws: Students respond to three questions on sticky notes, index cards, or a sheet of paper that they hand in as they leave the classroom:

• What did we learn today?
• So what? (Why is this relevant, important, or useful?)
• Now what? (Can you predict where the next lesson will go from here?)

(Sourced from Ann Sipe)

Singing Scholars: Students summarize main ideas from the lesson to the tune of their favorite song. They can record on their phones or, if some are feeling brave, perform it for the class! (Sourced from Todd Finley)听聽

Random Question Generator: Type up several closed and open-ended questions connected to the day鈥檚 or week鈥檚 learning and collect them in a container. One student reaches in and grabs a question for the class to answer. For example: What can you tell me about functions? Or, what is the formula for the area of a circle? (Sourced from )

Vocab in Verse: Choose a vocabulary word and write it on the board, then students create acrostic poems explaining what they鈥檝e learned in class that day. (Sourced from )

Anything to Add?: For students who have prior knowledge about a lesson or topic, ask the class to answer this question before leaving: Is there anything else about this topic that you know but I didn鈥檛 ask you? (Sourced from ) 

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Create a short list of content-specific multiple-choice questions, and have students respond silently by simply putting a thumb up for A, down for B, pointed to the left for C, and to the right for D. Choose a couple of students at random to explain their choice. (Sourced from Ann Sipe)听

Take a Selfie: Students take a selfie of themselves making a face that represents how they feel about the day鈥檚 lesson. Ask them to include a caption that explains their choice. For a phoneless alternative, have students choose an emoji that best describes their feelings. (Sourced from ) 

Jeopardy in Reverse: Provide an answer to the class鈥攕ilver, for example. Next, have students each write a question that would lead them to that answer. For example, 鈥淲hich element has the symbol Ag?鈥� (Sourced from Ann Sipe)

Reflect Ball: After writing a handful of reflective questions鈥攍ike 鈥淲hat strategies helped you learn today?鈥濃�攐n an inflatable beach ball with a dry erase marker, toss the ball around the room. The question a student鈥檚 hand touches when they catch the ball is the one they鈥檒l answer aloud; then they pass the ball to a classmate. (Sourced from )听

Human Bar Graph: Create a long line with tape from one side of the room to the other. Toward the end of class, ask kids to place themselves on the line according to their level of understanding. Students who are confused line up on the left, students who feel confident on the right. Those who are unsure can stand in the middle. Kids can ask questions of their peers, then move along the line as their comprehension changes in real time. (Sourced from ) 

Muddiest Point: Ask students to identify where they lack clarity by answering the prompt, 鈥淲hat was most confusing to me about the material in class today?鈥� Extend the activity by asking them to also identify their clearest point. (Sourced from and )听

Finger Signals: After raising a hand to chest level, students put up the number of fingers that correspond to their understanding of the topic:

• 5鈥擨 can teach this to my classmate.
• 4鈥擨 understand this well.
• 3鈥擨 need more examples.
• 2鈥擨 need you to teach it again.聽
• 1鈥擨鈥檓 as lost as a sock in a dryer! (or something funny)

(Sourced from )

Definition Dash: Allow students to briefly discuss vocabulary in small groups. Toward the end of class, everyone lines up and, in their own words, each student defines a key term to you before exiting the classroom. Students who struggle step aside and wait for a few of their peers to go by before trying again. Keep the tone light so that students don鈥檛 feel singled out. (Sourced from Ann Sipe)听

Think and Twist: To see how students鈥� thinking has changed from the start of the lesson to the end, have them answer the following prompt: 鈥淚 used to think鈥� now I think鈥︹�� (Sourced from )

Quiz the Next Class: Have students work together to craft three quiz questions鈥攃ould be true/false or multiple choice鈥攖hat you will have the next class answer. (Sourced from Todd Finley)

Where Does This Fit?: Have students create a sequence of newly learned concepts on a line in their notebooks鈥攂ased on chronological order, on importance of each topic, or in order from simple to most complex. For example, students learning about the water cycle could do this activity with terms like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. (Sourced from Ann Sipe)

Fireworks and Feedback: Similar to highlighting roses and thorns, ask students to celebrate and share their fireworks鈥攍earning that sparked joy or a moment where a concept really clicked鈥攁nd feedback, input from peers or teachers that helped them take a step forward. (Sourced from Jason Kennedy)听

What Did We Miss?

We received so many amazing suggestions from our educator community for this list. If you have your own favorite closure activities, please share them in the comments.