Positively Perfect Places

Social Studies

Students will create the room of their dreams.

What You Need

• graph paper
• art supplies
• poster boards

What to Do

1. Tell students that they have been chosen as "Middle School Architects of the Year." One of their responsibilities will be to design the perfect bedroom for the middle school student. (If available, showing the boy's room in Big or some of Tim Allen's designs are a good way to stimulate thinking.)

2. Make the following chart on the board.

   Must Have	Would Be Nice to Have	Outrageous to Have

3. Have the class brainstorm a few items under each category. Suggestions may range from the practical to the extreme. Then invite students to work alone or with a partner to continue their lists until they have at least ten items in each section.

4. Use graph paper to plan the design of each room. When the placement and proportion of the furnishings are satisfactory, students can make a poster-sized depiction of their "positively perfect places."

5. When the drawings are complete, display them on a bulletin board. Have each student narrate a tour of the room for classmates.

Teaching Options

• Some students may like recreating their rooms in three dimensional models.
• Scan the posters into a computer and publish a "Middle School Architectural" magazine.
• Ask students to pick their one favorite part of the room to describe in a journal entry.