Hot Seat Activity

Jurassic Park

Introduction

One way to have students think deeply about the characters in the novel is to have them answer questions posed by students in the persona of a particular character. This activity compels students to think about the actions of the characters and to analyze the motivations of characters. In this activity students will also have the opportunity to ask characters questions about their actions in the novel. By assuming the persona of a character of the novel, students will have a better understanding of the forces that drive that character.

Objectives

By participating in this activity, students will:

• analyze the motivations of characters;
• better understand the different views of the biotechnology used in the novel;
• use critical thinking skills to formulate both questions for other characters and answers as characters;
• practice their speaking skills;
• work independently, with small groups, and in the large group;
• practice impromptu speaking skills.

Class Time Needed

This activity, as written, would take two days; however, the format can be changed to suit the needs of a particular teacher.

Procedure

1. List the major characters of the novel to be used for the hot seat activity on the board or overhead. (Suggestions: Hammond, Grant, Malcolm, Ellie, Nedry, Tim, Lex)
2. Assign students to the characters; there should be approximately equal numbers of students per character.
3. Have students meet together in like-character groups. (I.e. All Ian Malcolms meet together.) In these groups students will discuss character traits and brainstorm possible questions that the rest of the class may ask that character. Further, they discuss possible answers to these questions, based on how the character acts in the novel.
4. After students have had the opportunity to work in their like-character groups, call the class back together for homework instructions.
5. For homework, students are to generate three questions for each of the other characters that are being represented in the hot seat activity. Instruct the students to write interpretative questions that cannot be answered with "yes" or "no" or with simple facts from the novel. Example: Poor question: Tim, were you scared when you were stuck in the tree? Better question: Tim, what was going through your mind when you were stuck in the tree? Show students how to begin questions so that the characters must think of the reasons why they are answering as they do. For homework, students should also spend more time thinking about the character they will depict They may want to work on how they will "portray" the persona of that character. For example, a student representing Ian Malcolm may choose to wear black clothing and work on an arrogant tone for answering questions. He may also want to look closely at Malcolm's ideas about the chaos theory.
6. (Next day) Form separate groups for the number of characters represented; have students find a group in which no one else is portraying their characters. In other words, each group should have a Hammond, Malcolm, Grant, Ellie, Tim, Nedry, Alex..., but any one group shouldn't have two of any character.
7. Once in their groups, announce, "For the next five minutes, Hammond characters are on the 'hot seat.'" Using the questions formulated the previous night, students question the character. Students will generally not run out of questions in five minutes; in fact, they often spring-board from answers to new questions they hadn't thought of before. At this point the teacher should be circulating among the different groups to monitor the activity, intervening when necessary. After five minutes the teacher stops the groups and moves on to the next character and continues on until every student has had an opportunity to be in the "hot seat."
8. After the small group activity, ask for volunteers to set up a panel of characters in front of the class. These characters then field questions from the entire class. The teacher monitors that all characters on the panel are being asked questions. The benefit of including this part is that it gives the very enthusiastic students a chance to show their talents and gives all the students an opportunity to hear from more students' perspectives in both questions and answers.
9. After the activity, students will write responses to the following questions in a reflective journal: What did I learn from formulating questions to ask characters from the novel? What did I learn from listening to the questions and answers of my classmates? How did I feel when I was in the "hot seat"?
10. Teachers may choose to have students share parts of the journal entries with the class.