Brief Description

Students plan a trip to a destination in Arizona.  They will use a variety of technologies students will research where they want to go, what they will discover, how they will get there, how much time they will need, and how much the trip will cost.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

6T-E1.  Determine when technology is useful, and select to use appropriate tools and technology resources to solve problems.

REACH fifth-grade curriculum objectives at fifth grade: students will act at the highest level of independent learning by identifying a problem, identify and implement the method for solving the problem, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution according to student-generated criteria.

Academic

• Students will design a one-day or two-day itinerary/plan to extend their research of Arizona using primary resources.

• Using a variety of technology, students will research where they want to go,

what they will discover, how they will get there, how much time they will need for each aspect of their fieldwork itinerary, and  how much the trip will cost.

• Ability to use a telephone appropriately to get information.
• Ability to use the Internet to access information.
• Ability to use email to communicate with businesses.

• A computer with Internet access and an email account.
• A printer.
• A telephone.

Pair technologically proficient and experienced students with those who have special needs or with those who are less able.

Procedures

• When students have completed a variety of assignments using primary resources to research historically-important local sites (e.g., gathering data from 1.) an historically important cemetery, 2.) a reference-only library, and 3.) touring an historically important neighborhood); as well as being exposed to information about other historically important sites in Arizona; facilitate a discussion to decide where the class would most like to go to extend their knowledge as researchers for a final project of the school year.
• Decide on the date(s) for the fieldwork.
• Facilitate students' brainstorming of tasks to be accomplished in order to do the fieldwork research (i.e., 1.) create an itinerary/schedule, 2.) create a budget,  3.) create a trip route, 4.) research places to go to gather data, 5.) research places to eat, 6.) research places to sleep if the itinerary requires an overnight stay).  Record responses on a piece of butcher paper or on a whiteboard/chalkboard in the form of a mindmap or web.  If the information is recorded on a white/chalkboard, ask for a volunteer to make a hard copy of the information.
• Tell students they are to form committees to accomplish these tasks and ask them to tell you on which committee they want to serve.  Add their responses to the mindmap/web.
• Instruct students to use whatever technology they believe will be most effective and most efficient to get the information they need to accomplish the task their committee is to complete (i.e., Internet, telephone, telephone book, or email).
• At the beginning of each class period, ask for a progress report from each committee until all tasks are accomplished.

Successful completion of itinerary (see link to one of this year's examples).

Teacher Name: Diane Harland
Site: Holaway
Date Submitted: March 27, 2002