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Planning A Virtual Trip (adapted from
Integrating Technology into the Social Studies Curriculum, published by Teacher Created Materials, Inc.) Objective:
Students will use research and map skills to plan a trip to another country. They will also use math skills to estimate the cost of the trip and convert the country's currency into US dollars.
Procedure: Before the computer:
- Divide the class into teams.
- As a team, the students will decide where they want to travel and by what methods they will get there (i.e. plane, boat, car etc.).
On the computer
- Students will research how to get to their destination and estimate the cost.
- The students will then find or create maps to show their route and print them.
- Students will also research accommodations at their destination and plan accordingly.
- The teams will also plan a presentation to the class presenting their information. This presentation should also include information about what they intend to do and see once they reach their destination.
Extension Activities:
- Students will research the culture of the area they are planning to visit using encyclopedias and other software, as well as the Internet. They will then create a postcard or travel brochure about that country,
including what they learned about the culture.
- Students could also sign up for Pen Pals from the country they are studying. E-mail accounts can be set up for free at
www.Gaggle.net. There are also
places that you can sign up for e-pals, such as http://www.iecc.org
and http://www.epals.org.
After estimating how much money they will need for the trip, students can use one of the online currency exchanges to convert their money into
that country's currency. They can then decide if what they have estimated will be enough.
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