TITLE:  Geo-Trip

AUTHOR:  McKay Willis; Utah

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:  5th grade
This activity can be adapted to any grade level from the 5th
up.

OVERVIEW:
    This activity is a multi-curriculum experience.  Math,
language arts, geography and social studies skills are
exercised in this assignment.
    The students create a travel brochure for a geographic
location.  The areas to be considered by the students will
depend a lot on the age and the extent the prerequisites
(listed below ) are mastered by the students.
    This activity was developed by chance after our 5th
grade finished a math unit on time and time zones. From a
simple math exercise came the following activity.

PURPOSE:  Purpose is to give students an opportunity to be
creative;
develop a brochure that can include travel scheduling,
geographical features, illustrations, and sharpen language
arts skills.

OBJECTIVE(s):  Objective is to increase student awareness of
geography, become familiar with geographic features and
historical sites.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
          * Atlas/maps
          * encyclopedias
          * art materials
          * paper
          * time

PREREQUISITES:
*    Students need to be able to add and subtract time, and
     be familiar with time zones.  The extent depends on
     ability of the students.
*    Understand map scales and be able to determine
     distances of a map.
*    Be familiar with the Prime Meridian and the
     International Date Line.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
    Students select a geographic location and create a
travel brochure, with pictures, narrative, travel schedules
etc, for that specific area.
    Students will do the following:
    *  Create a travel schedule from their home town to
       their specific location.  Students should figure
       travel time based on an average speed.  If they
       use air transportation , the question should be
       asked how far can an airplane fly without
       refueling? .
    *  Develop a narrative describing historical and
       interesting sites within their travel area, that a
       traveler should visit.
    *  Illustrate to the degree possible some "things
       that might entice one to visit their reporting
       location.
    *  After the above has been completed assemble their
       brochure and then each student will orally invite
       the class to travel to his/her location, and then
       display their work in the classroom.