Brief Description Objectives Materials and Resources Activity Description Internet Resources

• Grade Level: Upper Elementary

• Subject Area: Math, Social Studies

Brief Description

    Students use atlases, maps, and Web resources to select a destination and a place to stop along the way for a day trip. Students think about the reasons they want to visit this particular place.
Objectives

    Students will:

• Gain practice reading maps.
• Learn about a place they would like to visit.

Materials and Resources

    In developing our lessons and activities, we made some assumptions about the hardware and software that would be available in the classroom for teachers who visit the LETSNet Website. We assume that teachers using our Internet-based lessons or activities have a computer with the necessary hardware components (mouse, keyboard, and monitor) as well as a World Wide Web browser. In the section below, we specify any "special" hardware or software requirements for a lesson or activity (in addition to those described above) and the level of Internet access required to do the activity.

1. Special hardware requirements: None.
2. Special software requirements: None.
3. Classroom materials: Current United States road maps and atlases; paper and colored pencils, markers or crayons.
4. Internet access: A medium-speed or higher connection.

Activity Description

• Discuss with students times when they have taken long car trips with their families. Talk about why they went (vacation, to visit relatives, to see a different city, etc.) and have them think about the kinds of things people need to consider when they are planning long trips (distance, time to reach the destination, money, food, and lodging).

• Have the students use atlases, maps, and Web sites to choose a place in the contiguous United States that they would like to visit (see Internet Resources below)
  .

• After students have used the resources, have them write an explanation of why they want to visit the place they chose.

Internet Resources

• City.Net
  [http://www.city.net/]
  Provides a variety of information, such as sights, accommodations, dining, and entertainment, about a variety of cities.

• World Travel Net
  [http://www.world-travel-net.co.uk/cities]
  Provides travel information, maps, city information, and other resources on a variety of cities worldwide.

• Yahoo! Regional: U.S. States
  [http://www.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S_States/]
  Provides historical, entertainment, lodging, and travel information about selected U.S. cities.

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