Classroom Transformation - Italian Restaurant (Punctuano's Ristorante Italiano) for Commas and Periods

This pizza classroom transformation is a fun and engaging way to review or assess students on their knowledge of commas including: commas in a series, with conjunctions, appositives, to set off introductory words and with quotation marks. Your students will absolutely love having their classroom transformed into an Italian restaurant experience.

Classroom transformations have been so successful in my classroom, that I have recently done two in the last month. They 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:

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.

Next, they read a text titled "All About Pizza," and added the missing commas and periods using pasta pieces that they would "dip" in the "alfredo sauce," also known as glue to adhere to their paper. Again, as they finished, they would wave me down, and I would check their work. If they were correct, they would move onto "Step 3." If they were incorrect, they would have to go back and review their work.

The last step was to create their own dish. Here, students had to write their own sentences using the directions given. For example, one task was to write a sentence that includes a comma to set off an introductory word.

Students who finished before others would become "hired help." They would walk around and assist me in checking the patrons work and assisting them when needed.

To add to the ambiance, I had a large welcome sign displayed on the projection board and Italian music found on YouTube playing in the background.

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