#1747. Discover Your World

Geography, level: Elementary
Posted Wed Nov 8 15:48:28 PST 2000 by Jessica Wenner (jesswenner@hotmail.com).
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
Materials Required: Internet, Books as reference, Newspapers
Activity Time: 30-60 minutes over a couple of weeks
Concepts Taught: Culture, Life Skills, Mathematics, Geography

Heading:
Jessica Wenner
Culture, Life Skills, Geography, Writing, Mathematics
Grade: 5
Number of students: 20
Time 30-60 minutes over a couple of weeks

Anticipatory Set:
Everyone wants to take a vacation to a far off place. Where is one place in the state, country or world that you would like to visit? If you had the opportunity to visit this place what would you do? How would you get there? What would you visit? In our cooperative groups, we are going to find a place where all members of the group would like to visit. As a group, lets brainstorm some ideas where groups can visit. (Ideas written on big paper, overhead, chalkboard) When the groups complete the project we will report the information we have found.

Objectives:
The student groups will:
1. Locate a place on a map where the group would like to visit.
2. Decide on main goals of vacation. Where you will stay? What will you do? How will you get there? How many people are going with you? (All questions will be on a separate questionnaire)
3. Write a complete report on the outcome of the findings
4. Illustrate skills in mathematics, geography, writing and public speaking.
5. Develop life skills relating to the activity of planning a trip.

Teacher Input:
The student groups will:
1. Develop vocabulary such as miles, payment, terms at vacation location, etc.
2. Demonstrate the connection between classroom activities and real life experiences.
3. Find a route to the location of choice. (Car, train, bus, or plane)
4. Identify methods which where used to find information. (Internet, phone calls, newspaper.)
5. Construct a plan for the trip.
6. Report the final plan for the vacation.

Modeling:
The teacher will:
 Explain the steps of the connected work sheet.
 Demonstrate the skills needed to develop information. Through internet, classroom aids, newspapers, etc.
 Aid students in the development of ideas and distribution of work.
 Show an example of prior reports.

Checking for Understanding:
What skills where used in order to find and develop the information?
Why did your group choose to visit the location?
How was the information you used in your presentation found?
What have you learned from the experience?
How can you use the information you have found in real life?

Guided Practice:
The teacher will
 Establish an understanding for the goal.
 Aid groups of students in the distribution of work and finding information
 Monitor the work of students

Independent Practice:
The student groups will
 Work to develop the information needed to complete assignment.
 Establish an understanding of classroom activities that relate to real world experiences.
The teacher will
 Monitor students work while in process.
 Evaluate based on completion of skills assigned.

Discover Your World

As a group your goal is to find a place in the world everyone in the group would like to visit. Once the decision is made, several questions must be answered. The questions, which are listed below, will aid the group in the development of a plan for your vacation. I want the groups to be creative and through. After all the information and planning is completed, the groups will report the findings to the class. We will have some class time to complete the project and other work may have to be completed outside of classroom. Remember to distribute the work throughout the members of the group. Have a reporter, recorder, finder and developer. No one person should complete the entire assignment. You many use the internet, newspapers and other reliable sources to find the information. Good Luck!

Questions which need to be answered?
 Where are you going to visit?
 How many people are going? Who are they?
 How long are you going to be there?
 How are you going to get there? (plane, train, car, bus) Make sure you have a round ticket.
 What is the price of the ticket on the plane, or train or car or bus? If you know the price of one ticket, what will be the total price? (Make sure you include all your guests)
 What are you going to do when you get there?
Can you estimate the cost of the activities you will be doing?
 How much spending money will you take with you?
Estimate in the spending money, food and things you would like buy such as souvenirs.
 How will this help you in the future?

In the final report make sure to have
 A map showing the distance from Pittsburgh to your vacation destination.
 The total estimated amount of money you will spend. Be sure to include tickets, activity costs, and spending money.
 List: 1) activities, which you are going to do. 2) how to get there. 3) a plan for the time you are there
 A brief paragraph discussing what you have learned from the experience.