CECsst.244


TITLE:  Summer Vacation Journal Activity

AUTHOR:  Mark Marsing,  Decker Lake Youth Center;
         Salt Lake City, UT

GRADE LEVEL:  Appropriate for 7 - 12 grades.

OVERVIEW:  This is a geography cooperative learning
experience that will show the students some practical use of
road maps while strengthening their interpersonal
communication, research and creative writing skills.

PURPOSE:  To give the students practical experience with a
road map and reinforce their map symbol skills.  A secondary
benefit comes from the cooperative process of planning,
writing and presenting a project together.

OBJECTIVE(s):  The student groups of 2 or 3 will create an
imaginary 7-day summer vacation journal.  They will be
required to meet certain criteria which demonstrates their
map skills (symbols, scale, location, geographical features,
etc.)  They must plan and complete the assignment in a
cooperative group setting and, at the conclusion, present
their vacation journal to the entire class.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
an official state road map for every student in the class

state tourist brochures (campgrounds, resorts, points of
interest, historical places, state and national parks,
recreation areas, etc.)

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
     Day One - present a brief review of map symbols and
point out particular symbols that are unique to this state
map (national park boundaries, camping areas, highway
designations, county seats, etc. )  Provide an overview of
the activity and go over the requirements they must meet
(see handout).  Separate them into groups of 2 or 3 and
emphasize the need to plan and delegate responsibility
within the group.

     Day Two (and three if necessary) - using the maps,
handouts and brochures have the students prepare a journal
describing in detail their 7-day vacation.  Encourage them
to have fun and be creative (while remaining appropriate).

     Final Day - have each group present their trip to the
class.  If they have done a good job the rest of the class
should be able to follow along on their maps and see all of
the places the they traveled to.  The teacher grades the
project at this time.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  My students enjoy the cooperative
learning model.  They can socialize while being creative.
It also develops more pride in their state and takes the
subject of geography from the text book into the real world.

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            SUMMER VACATION JOURNAL REQUIREMENTS

Your group is going to keep a journal of your summer
vacation.  On your trip you must stop at:

  *  two national parks
  *  two state parks
  *  one state or national recreation area
  *  one county seat
  *  one city with a population of at least 50,000
     (not your own home town)

Your journal needs to describe the day-to-day events,
including:

  *  the major cities you drive through
  *  the highways you traveled (indicate if it is a state,
     U.S. or Interstate highway)
  *  create a story for what you did at each place (hiked,
     water skied, got gas, etc.)
  *  log the approximate amount of miles you travel each day
  *  when you meet one of the requirements underline it

Example:

     Day One:  We started in Salt Lake City  and drove south
on Interstate 15 to Springville where we got fuel for the
car and bought some snacks.  Then we turned east on U.S. 6
at Spanish Fork and drove to Colton, where we took State 96
to Scofield Reservoir State Park.  We camped and fished at
Scofield.  There are two really cute girls/guys from Ogden
camped next to us.  We are going to go boating with them
tomorrow.  We traveled about 110 miles today.