Last period of the day...

It is a universal truth that those entering the last class of the day must act completely insane and different from how they have acted the rest of the day.

At this point in my short career I have taught four classes at the final period of the day.  Three have been World History II and one has been Entrepreneurship.  All have been crazy.

It doesn't matter how big the class is (two classes had 20-25 student and the other two classes were under ten students). 

It doesn't matter what grade the students are in (most of the classes have a lot of 10th graders, but are mixed).

It doesn't matter what the students are learning (in the first semester my third and fourth periods are doing the exact same content).

It doesn't even matter how 'high achieving' my students are in other classes (I have had both top honors students and students who barely pass their classes in my fourth periods).

They all become different people when they pass through that classroom door.

Things that seem inconceivable in  my other periods become altogether too possible in my last period of the day:

Students talk out of turn at alarming rates.
Students get into physical and verbal fights.
Students yell.
Students run around the room.
Students don't complete a single assignment.
Students physically destroy each others' work.
Students steal the possessions of others.
Students from other classes walk into my room and do whatever they please.
The list could go on and on.

I understand that the day is long, but it doesn't justify the type of insanity I have often experienced in these classes (and the complete lack of control I seem to have over the situation).  While it isn't every day, it is far more often than I find even remotely acceptable. 

I am still trying to find ways to deal with this situation, because right now I really just try and ride the wave and power through it.  But that is very tiring and it isn't good for the students overall (When I give out surveys to the students to assess how the class is going, the only negative comments I ever get come from 4th period, and the big complaint is usually the behavior problems of other students).  I need to find ways to positively get the class under control.

I just don't know how to get through to them, to hold on to their attention throughout the day.  I know one thing I can do is make the lessons more interactive and as fun and relatable as possible.  But even some of (what I believe are) my best lessons have completely bombed in fourth period. 

Fourth period requires a whole different way of thinking and interacting with the class.  I can barely let them do independent work because it immediately dissolves into chaos.  I can't let them talk much or it dissolves into yelling matches.  I have to have a seating chart to keep certain students from talking all period and/or killing each other. 

One thing that has helped is making them stay quiet but allowing them to violate school policy and listen to their own music on headphones (but that stops working when an administrator comes in and yells at the students - and me by proxy - to put them away).

I may need to institute some type of regular physical stimulus to both keep them interested and release their pent up energy (calisthenics anyone?) but I honestly don't have any experience in that arena and I don't know how I could do that properly without wasting too much time.

Any suggestions for helping students release all that energy in a positive manner on a regular (if not daily) basis?