Post-Show Comparison Activity

Two people dance inside a bar. The people around them watch, as one dancer dips another. — Photo of Alfred H. Wilson, Willie B., AnJi White, Geno Walker, Kelvin Roston Jr., and Juwan Lockett by Michael Brosilow.

Guide students to compare and contrast East Texas Hot Links with an episode of The Twilight Zone, one of Director Ron OJ Parson’s inspirations for this production.

East Texas Enters The Twilight Zone

Activity Preparation

Supplies
- Video of I Am the Night—Color Me Black (Twilight Zone, Season 5, Episode 26) (available on DailyMotion, Paramount+, and Prime Video, where it’s listed as episode 27, and clips are also available on YouTube)
- East Texas Hot Links x The Twilight Zone Handout (one per student)
- Additional paper or a device for creative writing
Set-Up:
- Ensure access to the video of I Am the Night—Color Me Black prior to the start of class.
- Determine whether students will have total free reign over the topic and structure of their creative writing, or whether they will have a few options or a specific directive that suits the needs of the class (see Step 8); prepare any supplemental materials or instructions accordingly.

This activity will take approximately 70 minutes.

The Twilight Zone creator and narrator Rod Serling in a still from the show. — Photo of Rod Serling, courtesy of *The New York Times*.

Learning Sequence

Ask students if they are familiar with The Twilight Zone. As needed, give students some context for the show; share that it was a fantasy/science fiction horror anthology series that ran from 1959-1964. The show was created by Rod Serling and is where the phrase “the Twilight Zone” (referring to a surreal experience) originated. (~2 minutes)
Explain that the director of East Texas Hot Links, Ron OJ Parson, named a particular episode of The Twilight Zone as a source of inspiration for the play. Share that, in today’s class, students will watch that episode, compare and contrast it with East Texas Hot Links, and then engage in a creative writing activity using both texts as inspiration. (~3 minutes)
Play I Am the Night—Color Me Black for students. (~25 minutes)
Briefly ask students to turn and talk to summarize the plot of the episode. Invite a few pairs to share their understanding of the show. (~5 minutes)
Distribute copies of the East Texas Hot Links x The Twilight Zone Handout. Direct students to work in pairs to complete the Venn Diagram in Part 1: Compare and Contrast, using the guiding questions to help get them started. (~10 minutes)
Direct students to “Square Up” with another pair to make groups of four. Give each group an opportunity to compare their ideas and make additions or adjustments to their diagrams. (~7 minutes)
Bring the whole group together to explain Part 2: Creative Writing. Call students’ attention to the Quote Bank, but remind them that they may wish to focus on any line from the episode of The Twilight Zone that particularly stands out to them. Review with students each quote and who says it. (~5 minutes)
Prompt students to turn and talk: How does the line you chose echo, reflect, or contradict our society today? (~5 minutes)
Distribute or prompt students to access writing materials. Have them engage in 10 (or more) minutes of creative writing, incorporating the quote from The Twilight Zone. Students could go in any direction using this quote as inspiration. If needed, provide a more limited selection of options to support student decision-making.
- A scene between characters in East Texas Hot Links
- A sequel scene to I Am the Night—Color Me Black
- A mashup between characters from East Texas Hot Links and I Am the Night—Color Me Black
- A brand new story
- A personal response to the quote
Prompt students to begin writing. (~10 minutes)
- If possible, invite students to share or display their writing. Consider also whether a round of revisions might benefit any specific skill focus of the class, and if so, guide students through that process in a subsequent lesson.

This activity aligns with the following standards:
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards
  - Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
  - Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
- Common Core State Standards
  - CCSS.ELA.W10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
  - CCSS.ELA.RL.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
  - CCSS.ELA.RL.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Posted on September 5, 2024 in Learning Guides, Productions