| Title: Making
a Travel Brochure of a Louisiana Parish |
| Subject: Social
Studies |
| Grade Level: 9
- 12 |
| Overview:
|
| In this lesson each student will choose a parish in Louisiana and
use internet and library resources to create an informative travel
brochure. The published brochure will be assessed according to the
criteria included in the rubric. |
| Approximate
Duration: Three 50-minute class sessions. |
Content Standards:
- Geography: Physical and Cultural Systems
Students develop a spatial understanding of Earth's surface and
the processes that shape it, the connections between people and
places, and the relationship between man and his environment.
|
Benchmarks:
- G-1B-H1
determining how location and social, cultural, and economic
processes affect the features and significance of places;
(1,2,3,4)
- G-1B-H2
analyzing the ways in which physical and human characteristics
of places and regions have affected historic events; (1,2,3,4)
- G-1B-H3
analyzing the various ways in which physical and human regions
are structured and interconnected; (1,2,3,4)
- G-1D-H3
analyzing the relationship between natural resources and the
exploration, colonization, settlement, and uses of land in different
regions of the world; (1,2,3,4,5)
|
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- English/Language Arts : Standard 3
Students communicate using standard English grammar, usage,
sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and
handwriting.
- English/Language Arts : Standard 5
Students locate, select, and synthesize information from a
variety of texts, media, references, and technological sources to
acquire and communicate knowledge.
|
Educational Technology Standards:
- Demonstrate knowledge and skills of Internet use and other
resources consistent with acceptable use policies including the
legal consequences of plagiarism and the need for authenticity in
student work through an understanding of copyright issues.
- Refine knowledge and enhance skills in keyboarding, word
processing, desktop publishing, spreadsheets, databases, multimedia,
and telecommunications in preparing and presenting classroom
projects.
|
Objectives:
1. The learner will search the internet and the library for
information on a Louisiana parish.
2. The learner will locate the parish on a Louisiana map.
3. The learner will use a variety of resources to construct a travel
brochure on a Louisiana parish. |
Lesson
Materials and Resources:
Brochure Guidelines
Assessment Rubric
Library Materials (books, reference sources, etc.)
List of Helpful Internet Sites |
Technology
Tools and Materials:
Hardware:
Computer with Internet Access
Color Printer
Software:
Internet Browser
Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word/Works
Websites:
Geography
http://www.geography.about.com/
Information on All 50 States
http://www.50states.com/
Census
http://www.census.gov/
National Geographic Society
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
Student Resource Center
www.state.la.us/ed-students.html
States Information
http://www.netstate.com/
Louisiana Information
www.lapage.com/page/
Challenge Site on Louisiana
http://www.challenge.state.la.us/
|
Background
Information:
Each student should be familiar with the process of researching on the
internet. Also, each student should know how to find and use library
references and books. Basic computer skills and word processing skills
are required. |
Lesson
Procedures:
1. Prior to the first day of this lesson, the teacher should tell
students that they will meet in the computer lab the following day. If
a wireless lab is being used, it is still a good idea to let students
know ahead of time what to expect.
2. (Two days may be used in the researching and construction of the
brochure.) As an introduction to the lesson, the teacher will explain
what the purpose of the lesson will be and what is to be expected from
each student. The teacher should introduce the lesson by using the
travel brochure guidelines. Each student should be provided with a
copy of the guidelines, the list of helpful web sites, and a brochure
rubric. Once all guidelines and handouts have been discussed, the work
can begin.
3. The teacher will instruct the students to double-click on the
Internet browser icon. Once the internet is up, the student will type
www.50states.com and press ENTER. Icons for all 50 states will appear.
Each student will double-click on Louisiana. Then each student will
locate a parish on which to create an informative travel brochure.
4. The student will locate at least three sources of information,
including internet and library resources and include the required
information listed in the brochure guidelines.
5. Once all information has been located, each student will begin
constructing his/her travel brochure. A software program such as
Microsoft Publisher or Works may be used to create the brochure.
6. Finally, each student will proofread, edit, and publish the
brochure. One class period may be used to put the final touches on the
brochure.
|
Assessment
Procedures:
Informal assessment by teacher observation of student progress
Formal assessment using brochure rubric |
Accommodations/Modifications:
Students with artistic ability may wish to sketch their own designs,
illustrations, and lettering.
Students who lack motivation should be encouraged to visit web sites
featuring games, puzzles, and quizzes on geography.
----- written by Carolyn Brass
|
Reproducible
Materials:
|
Explorations
and Extensions:
Students may use the above-listed web sites in order to further their
learning about Louisiana parishes. Also, there are fun learning
activities such as quizzes and games at various geography web sites.
Students may wish to read books, magazines, and articles on selected
parishes. |
Reflections:
This lesson gave students who normally appear bored with an
interactive, hands-on activity. Most of the students seemed to enjoy
the activity and learned a great deal about many parishes in
Louisiana. |
Contact
Information:
Carolyn Brass
brass482@yahoo.com
Wossman High School |
