3 Fall Projects for Middle School
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Oct 2, 2023
Fall has always been my favorite season. By the time October comes around, I have typically hit my stride in the classroom, and students are well versed in our classroom routines. In this post I share 3 favorite Fall projects for Middle School. These are tried-and-true activities that up the engagement factor, maintain the rigor, and bring a little seasonal oomph to our regular classroom curriculum.
Why Do Leaves Change Color – Close Reading Activities
Close Reading is an instructional approach that integrates several reading strategies, where students add knowledge gained from text to their schema. Doing so builds habits of successful readers. It also builds stamina and persistence with complex text.
For this activity, students read a full text reading passage that explains why leaves change color. Afterwards, students use the fun pennant templates to answer a variety of comprehension questions. I love this activity because the complete pennants make fantastic (and educational!) hallway displays for the fall season.
For additional information on close reading, and tips and tricks for using it with your learners, be sure to check out our complete close reading guide!
Signs of Fall Outdoor Scavenger Hunt Activity
Fall is a great time to take your students outside to learn! Members of the Creative Classroom Core community that have been following me for a while already know how passionate I am about Outdoor Education.
To complete the activity, students head outside with the included scavenger hunt cards and search for signs of fall. Once done, they can use the included templates to create their own hunts and also write their own Fall stories. I love how this activity extends the learning with literacy based activities, and it makes for a lovely break from sitting at their desks all day!
Looking for more ways to incorporate outdoor learning activities into your regular classroom instruction? You won’t want to miss our complete guide to place based learning!
Fall Projects for Middle School – Spooky Short Stories
As many of you already know, short stories are some of my very favorite things to teach.
Short stories make a big impact in few pages. Their limited length ensures they get straight to the point. Because of this, they pack a massive literary punch. These short works of literature grab a reader’s attention right from the start. This makes them great for reluctant readers. This is because their patience and attention spans can often run short. While they can be enjoyed by all students, they are perfect for the kids who are unable (or unwilling) to tackle an entire novel. Throw is a little Halloween spookiness, and you have a unit that is a surefire hit for the month of October. They are definitely some of my favorite fall projects for middle school.
Read more about spooky short stories for middle school by checking out our complete list!
Favorite Halloween Short Stories for mIddle School
Some of my favorite short stories to teach during the month of October include:
The Elevator by William Sleator
The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe
The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier
Click Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman
Hey You Down There by Harold Rolseth
The Feather Pillow by Horatio Quiroga
To read more about using spooky short stories in your middle school classroom, you can check out my previous posts here and here.
Looking for a bundle of spooky short stories to use with your middle school learners? Check out the spooky short story bundles I have available in my TPT shop by clicking on the images below.
Looking for more favorite fall projects for middle school?
Check out some of my previous fall related posts by following the links below.
Halloween Activities for Middle School ELA
Edgar Allan Poe Activities for Middle School
Activities for Orange Shirt Day
Halloween Writing Activities for Middle School
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