Zombie Workshop

With the (almost) completion of my nonfiction zombie book, I've been brainstorming ways to share my new-found knowledge/obsession with others.  I thought there was no better way than to combine what I've learned with the books I wrote for the YA crowd, so with the help of my mom (who happens to be an amazingly kick-ass teacher), we came up with a summer workshop for teens.

Here's the description:

The scenario:  Zombies have overrun the world. The vast majority of people are either dead or transformed into the walking undead. You and your friends are still alive. How will you rank your supplies in order of importance to ensure your survival?

Surviving Zombies is geared toward a teen audience, but anyone who wants to participate is more than welcome. Participants will be given a list of 20 items. They will get 5-10 minutes to rank them in order of importance. This can be done either individually or in a group, depending on how many people there are. When they are finished, they will be asked to defend and explain their list. 

After the lists have been made, I will show the participants clips from various films and TV shows about decisions the characters in a zombie apocalypse make about survival and discuss the pros and cons of each. We will also look at the correct order for the items on the list and discuss why that order is important. 

While the possibility of a zombie apocalypse occurring is slim to none, other disasters are possible, including natural disasters (hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes) and acts of aggression (bombings, war). To survive these ordeals, it is important to have a plan to obtain the necessary elements of survival. This workshop will help the participants think critically about what needs to be done in a fun and entertaining fashion. The lists they draft to survive zombies could also help them in other situations.

Should be a good time!  I can't wait to present to an audience.