ND Curriculum Initiative

Subject & Standards

Understandings & Goals

Enduring Understanding: The knowledge of how to travel to other counties (ex. Europe). In addition, they should know that travelers should know the basics of passport usage, packing a suitcase, creating budget and travel itineraries, and how to journal their experiences. Finally, to appreciate the various cultures in the world when traveling abroad.
Goal(s): 1. Students will learn how to plan, prepare, and “travel” to Europe by researching countries. 2. Students will learn how to plan and prepare a budget to travel to Europe. 3. Students will learn how to plan and prepare an itinerary of their Europe trip. 4. Students will learn how to create a Powerpoint of their “trip” to Europe to present to class.

Questions Answered

Essential questions; 1. How many European countries are there?  2. Why is Europe a place where many people like to travel?  3. Why would you travel to Europe?  4. How would you travel to Europe?  5. What would like to do and see in Europe?
Objectives: 1. Students will be able to research various European sites to tour with partner. 2. Students will be able budget money while traveling to Europe. 3. Students will be able to journal their travels and cultural experiences in Europe. 4. Students will be able to create a Powerpoint of “trip” and present to entire class.

Assessment

What quiz and test items (e.g. simple content-focused questions that require a single, best answer) will provide evidence of understanding? 1. Students will be assessed by turning in itinerary research sheets. 2. They will utilize the computer to find maps, currency, main language, visa requirements, inoculation requirements, and define three sights they want to visit. 3. In addition, students will “pack” a suitcase, fill out passport application, create a 10 day travel budget, research European sights they will be touring, and journal their experiences on the computer. 4. Finally, the students will use Powerpoint with actual pictures and clipart of the sights they “traveled” to and present to the entire class.
What academic prompts (e.g. open-ended questions or problems that require students to think critically and then to prepare a response / product / performance) will provide evidence of understanding?  1. How and why are you traveling to Europe?  2. How can Powerpoint project and your travel journals demonstrate your understanding of Europe? 
What performance tasks and projects (e.g. complex challenges that are authentic, mirror the real world and require a performance or product) will you include that will provide evidence of student understanding? 1. Students will submit their itineraries, budgets, journals, and Powerpoint to show understanding of traveling in Europe. 2. The students will also write a reflection on their work and their partner’s participation during the project.
What other evidence (e.g. observations, work samples, dialogues, student self-assessment) of understanding will you collect? 1. The students will complete the Europe Powerpoint and submit itinerary journals to teacher.  2. They will reflect on the project and grade themselves as well as their travel partner.

Instructional Strategies

Project-based learning strategies will be used to involve students in learning how to travel. This project is a “real world” lesson on the steps to travel to other countries and how to plan, prepare, reflect, and display a person’s trip. This project-based learning will also be helpful for students to understand other cultures and to appreciate them. Finally by creating a journal and Powerpoint, students may use these tools for actual travels in their lives.