| TO: J. Krauss, Chair,
Travel Agency Services, Inc. RE: Request for USA Regional Itineraries |
 |
| Dear Ms. Krauss,
My family and I request your services with planning our first trip to the USA. We look forward to a proposal from each of your regional travel agencies that meets our needs as outlined below. We wish to visit each region of your country with regular stops at the home of our cousin Georg who lives near Kansas City, MO. We plan to spend two to four weeks in each region, depending on your proposals. We have a budget which allows for a few luxuries and adventures. Our main requirement is that you propose an itinerary that accounts for each of our interests. We all enjoy variety and adventure in our travel. Of course, we look forward to visiting many famous American sights. My wife, Gunter, thrives on modern city life and its cultural offerings. Daughter Greta is hoping to see some of your National Parks, while her little sister Geiesle loves wild roller coaster rides in theme parks. I look forward to hearing your proposals as soon as they are ready. Very Truly Yours, |
|
Introducing
This letter from Mr. Schmauzzel sets the context for Jane Krauss' Travel USA Project, a fifteen-week thematic geography unit for her fourth- and fifth-graders. It involves a traditional state report, a Travel Agency proposal, several supplementary activities, and a culminating celebration. During the project students alternate between individual work on the state report and group work on the travel proposal for the fictitious Schmauzzels, a traveling German family.
Content: The content is general USA geography. Children learn about the history, population, natural features, economy, native plants and animals, and climate for their state. As travel agents, they learn similar things about several states in the region their agency represents. They also learn the economics of travel and how to plan an itinerary.
Skills: The skill areas addressed by this project include:
Research: acquiring resources, critical reading, note taking, citing
resources, and synthesis.
Study: planning, evaluating work and progress toward a goal, and
being a self-directed student.
Group process: cooperative decision-making and problem resolution.
Report writing: drafting a report, writing a table of contents,
and completing an accurate bibliography.
Oral speaking: drafting a speech and speaking from limited notes.
Getting Started
Laura's Title Page.
I. The State Report
Students work on a comprehensive written report and create an artistic poster on one of the fifty states. This part of the Travel USA project is completed individually, and includes sequenced steps to ensure students learn important skills. Jane provides an overview to the students of what is expected in their report.
Taking Notes
Students begin by learning how to read and collect notes from reference materials. Students use both traditional and electronic sources for information. They practice writing by learning how to write a paragraph from notes. Jane provides support materials to help students create an organized report.
Using References
Next students conduct research and learn to write a bibliography. Jane also provides a comprehensive bibliography scoring guide. They get organized through these learning activities.
Preparing Reports
After Jane reviews process writing steps to plan, draft, edit, revise, and publish their reports, students identify key points from their notes and write essays on each main topic. They prepare a table of contents and compile the parts of the report.
II. The Travel Agency Simulation
"I set this thing up as a simulation on purpose, for a variety of reasons. It added an element of fantasy and play that I think kids respond to, and it helps move them along." --Jane Krauss
The Travel Agency component of Travel USA allows students to make decisions on their own. They work in groups of three to four to form simulated Travel Agencies. They plan an extensive itinerary to one of six regions of the U.S. for the Schmauzzels.
"A balance must be struck between giving enough structure to the project and at the same time allowing freedom so students can initiate and complete creative efforts." --Jane Krauss
Researching
Most of the information for planning and budgeting the travel itinerary
is gathered from Internet research. Jane created a Travel USA Web
page to structure students' online research and get them started at useful
and pertinent Web sites. The Web site organizes their research in relevant
areas: transportation, interest, weather, money and regions.
- Travel USA Web site
Presenting
Mr. Schmauzzel "just in from Germany"
to hear the students' presentations.
Each travel agency makes a team presentation that is both informative and persuasive, dividing the responsibilities equally. Students learn to prepare index cards and practice using them as reference notes while speaking. Each team uses their supporting visual (maps, itineraries, etc.). Students use a scoring guide to plan both the oral and visual presentation.
Celebrating
III. The Culminating Event
In an evening for families and friends, students share what they learned
and celebrate their accomplishments. Parents and friends are invited to
attend an evening of events that include:
Menju, practicing her English, makes her presentation.
The Hot Seat - Visitors try to guess the state each student studied by asking challenging questions. Visitors sign "guest books" here with comments for the student.
The Students' Presentations - A video showing the final travel proposals made by each travel agency to Mr. Schmauzzel.
A USA Tour - Student reports and posters are displayed in the corresponding regions. Regions are defined with a banner and appropriate decorations. Students tour their guests through this exhibit. This is where guests receive their souvenirs.
Souvenirs
Student make souvenirs that represent their state and give them to
the visiting guests. These include buttons with the state seal as seen
to the right, clay figures of the state animal, pressed leaves from the
state
flower or tree, and so forth.
Extending Learning
"The postcards from all over the USA
made a nice complimentary display for the project." --Jane
IV. Supplementary Activities
Additional ongoing activities supplement the Travel USA project.
Postcard Geography 
Postcard Geography is an online project where participating
classrooms all over the US write and illustrate postcards educating other
classrooms about their local area and state. The project is set up in
an activity center that kids can use whenever they have a moment. The
center includes all needed supplies. This project is moderated from www.internet-catalyst.org/projects/PCG/postcard.html.
Schools subscribe to the project, and receive, via e-mail, a list of addresses
of participating schools around the country.
"When I ran this project earlier, we mailed over one hundred postcards, and we received over a hundred postcards in return. As the project wound down, we set a goal of receiving a postcard from each state. Whenever a postcard arrived a student would read it aloud to the class, leaving out the name of the state, then kids would guess what state it was from. The postcards were hung above the postcard center, making an attractive display. This project is a lot of fun and complements the Travel USA project."
This is a self-determined individual project. Students get to explore a "burning question" of interest about the U.S. For example, a ski buff might want to find out where to go in the U.S. to find the most ski resorts within a 50-mile radius. The product resulting from this might be a map and accompanying chart that gives mileage and a description of each resort. The project and product are pre-approved by the teacher.
