Literature Land Theme Park!

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Description: Students respond to a literature selection by creating the characters, costumes, menus, thrill rides, and entertainments scripts for a Literature Land Theme Park.

OBJECTIVE
The students will:

1. Work in cooperative learning groups.
2. Research settings, textiles, food, and entertainment related to a literature selection and its time period.
3. Design costumes, menus, and theme park rides from the literature’s time period.
4. Write short entertainment scripts to be produced in the theme park.
5. Present their projects to the class.

MATERIALS

1. Literature Land Theme Park Rubric (PDF)
2. Transparency/Overhead projector
3. Art supplies for each group: butcher paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, paint, construction paper, glue, writing paper, etc.
4. A variety of books and Web sites to be used as research resources for the literature’s time period.
5. Computers with Internet access
6. Maps of local theme parks (optional)

SET UP AND PREPARE

1. Copy the rubric for each student.
2. Make a transparency of the rubric.
3. Prepare a variety of art supplies for each group.
4. Bookmark some local theme park and time period research Web sites on lab/classroom computers.
5. Determine cooperative groups of 4 or more. See Supporting All Learners suggestion below. If you wish, you may want to designate a team leader or project manager for each group and assign specific rubric expectations to each student in the group, based on their individual learning style.

REPRODUCIBLES

1. Literature Land Theme Park Rubric (PDF)
   

DIRECTIONS
This lesson is intended to be taught as a response to any literature selection previously studied in class that offers a comprehensive theme upon which students can expand into the design of a theme park. I like to use the play Romeo and Juliet or any Greek myths. You can certainly adapt a literature piece of your choice.

PART I

Step 1: Begin the lesson by asking students to name their favorite theme park and reasons for choosing it. Discuss their responses to the following questions: What are your favorite rides? What is the significance of their names? What type of food is served? Are any themes represented in the park? Is the park divided into different sections? If so, do these sections have a name? What are the employees wearing that control the rides? What type of plays, shows, or other entertainment is offered at the theme park?

Step 2: Inform the class that they will create their own section of a class theme park called “Literature Land” while working in small groups. Help students recall the story elements of the literature previously read; its setting, time period, plot, characters, problem, resolution, etc. Emphasize the aspects of the selection that will help students brainstorm ideas for the theme park in terms of designing the costumes, rides, menu, and entertainment scripts.

Step 3: Distribute the Literature Land Theme Park Rubric to the students. While using your transparency and overhead projector, thoroughly review the expectations for each area. Inform students of the due date. If you have not assigned specific rubric tasks to each student, then discuss the fact that each group member must decide what they will be contributing. Talk about the variety of learning styles and which task would be appropriate for each. See the suggestions in Supporting All Learners below.

Step 4: Model a group brainstorming discussion by asking for their ideas about the following example. A group has decided to create a section of the theme park called Romeo and Juliet Land. What kinds of dress or costumes come to mind? Where could they find pictures or drawings of what people wore during that time period? Refer students to the books, resources, and internet websites you have collected for the project.

Step 5: Discuss the fact that only one thrill ride needs to be designed for the project. Ask students to think about the theme of the play Romeo and Juliet. What kind of ride would be representative of the theme? An example might be “The Bungee Jump of Love” or “Masquerade Madness.”

Step 6: Ask students where they might find information about the foods that were eaten during this time period. You might want to suggest fresh fruits and roasted pig.

Step 7: Talk about the kinds of entertainment they read about in the play, such as the Masquerade Ball or the sport of fencing. Ask the students how they might create a form of entertainment that is based on these types of recreation. Brainstorm what a script might entail that could be performed for the class.

Step 8: Break students into groups and instruct them to begin brainstorming a theme park section name, time period, and ideas for the costumes, rides, menus, and entertainment scripts. The group should decide who will be responsible for which task at this point.

PART II

Step 9: Allow time for the groups to research their theme park ideas and prepare for their class presentation. I usually allow a minimum of 4 days. Monitor the groups, making sure that each student is on task and following the rubric suggestions.

Step 10: Once students complete the project, instruct groups to practice their presentation. They should choose a speaker and decide how the other members of the group will participate. Recall the rubric expectations. A top notch presentation would include wearing the costume designs, sharing a model of the thrill ride, sharing a sampler of the menu, incorporating the entertainment script, and providing a summary of their section of Literature Land. Use the rubric to grade each group. You may need to use several class periods for the presentations.

Step 11: Afterwards, meet with each group, asking students what they feel their strengths and weaknesses were as they worked on the project and during the presentation. Share their grades.

SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS
When determining cooperative groups, be mindful of each student’s talents and interest. Because this lesson lends itself to a variety of interdisciplinary studies, create heterogeneous groups that allow each student to be the “expert” at one of the rubric expectations. For example, the mathematical/spatial learners might enjoy designing the thrill rides; the interpersonal/linguistic learners may enjoy performing the script and modeling the costumes; the kinesthetic learners may enjoy creating the menu and cooking the samples; the intrapersonal/spatial learners may enjoy crafting the costumes and artistic designs of the theme park.

LESSON EXTENSION
Allow students to design another feature of their section of Literature Land, such as rides for young children or different types of souvenirs sold throughout the theme park.

ASSESS STUDENTS
Use the rubric provided.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Research selection’s time period.
2. Design costumes.
3. Design a theme park ride.
4. Create a menu.
5. Write a script.
6. Present project for t

   EVALUATE THE LESSON
   How well did the groups work together? Are you aware of each student’s learning style?

   

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