Classroom Transformation – Italian Restaurant for Commas & Periods

Have you implemented a classroom transformation in your classroom? They have been so successful in my classroom and have proven to be a great way to engage students. 

The most recent transformation was a pizza classroom transformation. Our classroom became an Italian restaurant where students were able to implement all of the comma skills they had recently been exposed to.

My students had just learned six different uses for commas (appositives, words in a series, conjunctions, introductory words, nouns of direct address, and quotation marks) using the resource found HERE. This was a perfect way to informally assess their knowledge of comma usage using an engaging authentic assessment. 

Prep:

At my nearest Party City and Dollar Tree, I spent less that $20 for all the materials. (Of course, you could always get these simple materials for FREE. Some ideas are to have parents donate these items or set up a Donors Choose project.)

Materials purchased: 

• plastic cups (optional for flowers or “candles”)
• plastic bowls
• pasta
• plaid plastic table clothes
• LED light “candles” 

A couple of years back, I also purchased pizza boxes off of Amazon. They are extremely sturdy, so I reuse them year after year. (They easily unfold flat again, so they are easy to store.) However, the first couple of years I implemented this transformation, I did so without the boxes, and it was just as effective.

I also set up glue bottles on each table and a pink flower at the end of the table next to a sign that read, “Today’s Specials: Commas and Periods.”

 

Lastly, I set up the Italian Restaurant Classroom Transformation resource on the tables. The best part was it took just about 15 minutes to set up the entire room once the resources were printed out and the items were purchased. 

 

Running the Activity:

After setting up the props, you are ready to get students engaging in the activities. Here are the steps I follow in order to make sure it runs smoothly.

Step 1: Restaurant Reviews

Students first edited the restaurant’s “Reviews.” This is where students added missing periods and commas used with quotation mark.  As they finished, they would wave me down. I would check their results. If they were correct, they would move onto “Step 2.” If they were incorrect, they would have to go back and review their work.

Students thoroughly enjoyed the transformation and totally got into the role of the patrons with this activity. 

The wonderful thing about this theme is that it could be easily adapted for other ELA skills and age groups. 

Examples:

• Quotation Marks
• Apostrophes
• Contractions
• Possessive Nouns

I’d love to hear about your classroom transformation ideas. Make sure to share what your favorite ones have been in the comment section below.

Happy Teaching!