Paper Art Quilt for Jurassic Park

Advance Preparation

• Have materials needed for project available for students.
• Students may be given uniform squares of white drawing paper (if using 81/2" X11", be sure students all know in which direction the pieces will be arranged).
• When all pictures are ready to be arranged in the quilt, you will need strips of colored paper to edge them and create the quilt effect or can use larger-sized construction paper to glue the pieces to.

Introduction

The novel Jurassic Park has many colorful and vivid descriptions which are intricately woven together to create the story's adventure and suspense. A paper art quilt, when it is complete, puts together all the perceptions of individual students and their visualization of the chapters of the book. Each student will be assigned two (or more) chapters from the novel so that all chapters are covered; pictures can then be placed in chapter order when made into a quilt.

Each depiction should include

• a picture which shows the main idea or main action of the section;
• one or two relevant quotations from that section; (or simply important words) wording needs to be large enough and dark enough to be easily read;
• chapter titles and page numbers can be included or put on the back

Student Objectives

By completing a paper art quilt, students will:

• visually represent main ideas from written material;
• experience other students' perceptions and creativity;
• use another of Gardner's seven intelligences;
• experience a sense of classroom community;
• see a visual conception of the plot of Jurassic Park;
• create a classroom artifact for community display.

Class Time Needed

The time needed for this activity depends on teacher planning and individuality. The entire project may be done in class; some phases may be chosen as classroom activities; or the project may be done without using any class time at all. The students' pictures may be drawn as a culminating activity after the novel is completed, or the drawings may be assigned to the students at the beginning of the reading of the book. The design of this activity is based on the preferences of the teacher and the needs of the class. It could easily become a joint project shared by English and Art, or any other discipline. It does take about an hour to put all together and put up on the wall; however, it can be an after school project for a few students.

Materials

• white drawing paper (Hint: for easiest assembly, have students use the same size square paper. You may have a square for each student, or a square for each chapter. It is important to think it through before making the assignment. Also keep in mind when choosing the size of the squares, how large the quilt will be when assembled.)
• colored paper border for "quilt pieces"
• butcher paper as backing for the quilt to add stability
• colored pens, pencils, water colors, tempura (whatever medium is needed for coloring pictures
• black felt tip lettering pens for writing the words
• glue
• masking tape to reinforce quilting on the reverse side
• Paper Art Quilt overhead for the students instructions

Note: The overhead for this activity is the only instructions needed for the students.

This activity is a great Public Relations display that incorporates visually the concepts in the novel with the idea of science (biotechnology) gone awry. The quotes from the novel will flow with the main ideas of Jurassic Park from beginning to end. And no student is left unrepresented; it is definitely a classroom community project, and it makes a beautiful display for Back to School Night or Open House.