Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will create a board game based on the play, Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. They will consider questions like: Where does Willy live? How would you describe Willy’s world? From where did the Oompa Loompas come? What did their native land look like? Students will identify the goals of their board game, select questions, create rules, and write directions on how to play the game. Then, students will present their board games to the class and play the games as a class activity.
Length of Lesson:
Five 45-minute class periods
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 4-5.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- read in order to identify key information about characters, settings, and events.
- work cooperatively to create a Willy Wonka board game.
- develop the goal, questions, and rules of the game.
- develop instructions on how to play the game.
- present the game to the class.
Supplies:
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
- Video or DVD copy of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
- Art supplies: colored paper, colored pencils, crayons, markers, glue, scissors, self hardening clay, scrap wire, and found objects for game board pieces
- Large piece of mat board for game base
- Clear contact paper or laminating materials
- Index cards (15 -20 per group)
- Pencils and paper
- Sandwich bags for game pieces like dice, moveable markers, questions, or spinners
- Examples of board game designs such as "Monopoly", "Life", "Clue", "Chutes and Ladders" or "Candy Land"
Instructional Plan:
Note: Prior to this lesson, students either need to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl or to see the play, Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka, by playwright Tim McDonald. Students can also watch the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Open the lesson by asking students to think about characters in the book,Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. For students who have both read the book and seen the movie or play, ask them if the characters in the movie or play appeared different than they had imagined them to be in the book. Discuss why this might be and talk about how authors create visual images for their readers.
Ask the students if they know what the Oompa Loompa look like or where they are from. In the play, the image of the Oompa Loompa on stage is that of an orange skinned dwarf with stiff white hair and stiff clothes. In his book, Roald Dahl has written quite a different description of them and their homeland, Loompaland. Refer to the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and read this descriptive passage to the students. Compare the two images and discuss how and why this might occur. Explain that when you read a story, visions of what you are reading pop up in your mind. Your vision may not be like the person next to you—everyone visualizes differently.
Ask students if they can think of times when they have visualized something by reading about it, and then have had this vision confirmed or changed when seeing the real thing. (Examples: reading the Harry Potter books and then seeing the characters in the movies, reading a description of Niagara Falls and then comparing your visual image to seeing the Falls in person, or in a film or video of the falls.) Explain that our perceptions and images of characters are made from the vivid, descriptive language of the author or reporter and that our perceptions are sometimes very different than the image of the character presented in a film or in a play. Allow time for discussion.
Next, tell the students that will be placed into cooperative groups (4-6 students per group) to create a game about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Every person in the group will need to contribute equally to the project. Begin by distributing the worksheet, Describing Your Images and Perceptions of the Wonka Story. Explain to students that they will complete the worksheet by describing their images and perceptions of the listed items from the Willy Wonka stories. These descriptions will help them in creating the board game. Allow each group fifteen minutes to complete this worksheet. Encourage students to be as creative and descriptive as possible.
After the worksheet is completed, show examples of different board games, discuss their features, and how they are played. Have students observe the following areas:
- The visual design of the boards and the game pieces— are the game pieces colorful? Is it easy to see the path they will follow?
- What are the goals of the game? How many people can play the game? How is the game scored and the winner determined?
- Is the game fair? Does every one have an equal chance to win?
- Look at the questions or clues given on cards that might be used. Do they help or hinder the game?
- Are dice or a spinner used to move the players around the board or is it a 'pull the next card' kind of game?
Next, distribute a copy of the worksheet, Board Game Prompt, to the students. Review the prompt with the students to be sure they understand the process to be followed. Assign a group leader within the group to keep the students on task. All members must agree on how the game will look, how it will be played, and the types of questions and answers.
Each group will need to have a student(s) who takes leadership in the following areas:
- The Rule Maker(s): He/she must first work with the group to identify the goal of the game, how the game is played, and how to score it. Then after the concept of the game has been agreed to, the other students in the group can begin their roles.
- The Artist(s): Creates the game board, which should be colored in with markers when it is complete. Creates the game pieces using self-hardening clay, scrap wire, or any junk pieces that may be available.
- The Writer(s): Creates and type the questions, instructions, and rules sheet for the game using a word processing program.
- The Researcher(s): Looks in the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and, if available, the script from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory for questions and answers for the game.
The Rule Maker should monitor the work of the others to be sure they are consistent with the concept of the game that was agreed to.
Each game must cover three areas. They are:
- The Characters: Identify the main characters in the story write questions about their character traits.
- The Settings: Identify the settings in the story from Charlie Bucket's shack to the outside and inside of the Chocolate Factory and write questions about them.
- The Events: Identify the main events in the story and build the game around going through the different happenings.
Remind students to use elements of each area in their board game design and in their game questions. There should be a minimum of 18 questions, but students may write more if they want. Allow each group time to research, plan, review, question, revise, and finalize the game. This could take up to two full class periods.
If students have the time and computer access, they can visit sites such as Roman Board Games or the Online Guide to Traditional Board Games for board game ideas.
Once the board games are ready, the group should have a final test of their product by playing their game. If they find any problems, they need to readjust or rewrite the game's description and/or rules to clear up the problem. Then they should play the game again to be sure they have made the needed changes. When the group is satisfied that the game board is complete and ready for others to play, it should be laminated or covered with clear contact paper to protect the surface.
Next, the students will have an opportunity to present their games to each other. Each group leader (Rule Maker) will explain the goal of the game and how it is played. After all groups have done their presentations, allow the students time to play the different games.
To conclude this activity, students will complete a writing assignment in which they will write about their contribution to the making of the game. Before beginning this assignment, share the Assessment Rubric handout with the class. Review the criteria for the writing assignment with the class. Depending o the pacing of the lesson and the time remaining, this writing assignment can be completed in class or assigned as homework.
Assessment:
Use the Assessment Rubric to assess your students' works. As the groups work on the game board project, use the following rubrics to grade them throughout the exercise.
Cooperative Learning Skills
4 - All members contributed evenly to the group
3 - Most members contributed to the group
2 - A few members contributed to the group
1 - One member did all of the work
0 - The group was in major conflict and no work was done
Producing The Game: Visual Arts
4 - Game board and pieces are neatly created
3 - Game board or some pieces are a little sloppy
2 - Game board or pieces are sloppy or missing
1 - Game board is not colored and there is no extra effort made at creativity
0 - No product returned
Producing The Game: Questions
4 - the 18 questions relate directly to the story
3 - the 18 questions closely relate to the story
2 - the questions partially relate to the story and/or only 10-14 questions are written
1 - The questions slightly relate to the story and/or only 6 to 9 questions are written
0 - The questions are unclear and/or no questions are written
Producing The Game: Instructions
4 - the instructions are clearly explained and are neatly typed with no grammatical errors
3 - the instructions are somewhat clear and although typed, have 1-3 grammatical errors
2 - the instructions are unclear, steps seem to be missing, and/or there are more than 3 grammatical errors
1 - Much revision is needed in the instructions due to major grammatical errors
0 - Instructions are not clear or incomplete; complete revision is needed
Sources:
Print:
- Crisp, Erin. "Technical Reading and Writing Using Board Games". ReadWriteLearn.com
- Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. New York: Puffin Books, 1964.
Web:
Authors:
-
Mary Beth Bauernschub, Teacher
Kingsford Elementary School
Mitchellville, MD
