webquest lesson

South America Travel Brochure
A WebQuest for 7th Grade (Art Education)


Introduction
Congratulations!!! You and your classmates will be taking a trip to beautiful South America. You will be desinging a travel brochure for the countries located in South America.
South America is located in the Americas and is entirely in the western hemisphere and some in the southern hemisphere. To the west is the Pacific Ocean and to the north is the Atlantic Ocean. North America and the Caribbean Sea are in the northwest. Countries that lie inside South America are Paraguay, Brazil, and Chile. The Andes is a large mountain range that goes through the center of the western portion of the continent. Inside the Andes is a tropical rainforest and the Amazon River Basin. South America is home to many plant and animal species, some of which haven't been discovered!

The Task
The goal of this webquest is to have students understand the continent of South America. The students will be placed into groups and each group will be given a country in South America. In order to ensure that visitors will want to use your travel guide, you and your group will need to utilize the web to find all the information.

Within this brochure you will be including general information about the selected destination, areas of historical and recreational interest, and a choice of travel packages. In addition, you must include pictures and images to appeal to the eyes of your consumers. Remember, first impressions are always the most lasting impressions, so you'll want to create an out of this world brochure example.

The Process
The first thing that you and your team members need to do is decide on the destination for which you will create your travel brochure. Brainstorming ideas is key in this project. Once you have a list of worthy destinations, hold a group vote to decide upon the destination on which you will base your travel brochure. Check with the teacher to make sure that country is available in case another group has already chosen that destination. Remember, we want to showcase South America, so no repeats!

There are various roles available for this project. Below are a list of roles that need to be picked.

Destination Advisor:
This person is responsible for providing a complete profile of the country. The following should be addressed in the brochure:

-a detailed colored map of the destination
-geographic, demographic, and environmental descriptions
-population and weather reports based on seasons
-language(s) spoken
-religions and holidays celebrated
-government and cultures practiced
-the currency used

Tour Guide
This person is responsible for providing a brief history of the country, in addition to finding areas of historical or trivial interest within the desired destination. The tour guide should research and include the following:

-specific historical locations
-a map and brief description of the significance of each historical location
-a list of available tours that offer tourists an opportunity to site see
-a price list and schedule of tours

Activity Director
Everyone loves a fun activity on vacation. He or she needs to find the hot spots or events at the desired country and make them available to the tourists. Remember, not everyone is alike. Some people like water sports; some like indoor activities. Some people are early risers, while others party all night long and sleep late. The activity director needs to research and identify the following:

-activities varying from indoor to outdoor, land to water, dawn to dusk
-names and locations of areas of interest (recreation, dining, etc.)
-maps, schedules, and prices for activities if available
-any other specific instructions or restrictions to accompany activities

Booking Agent
The booking agent too has a very important job. For without this help, people would not be able to get to their destination. In addition, the booking agent needs to offer a variety of packages for the various wallet sizes. The booking agent must keep in mind that people of all incomes and interests travel. Some like to travel with class; some just like to get to their desired destination, even if it means driving long hours in a bus. Also, the booking agent must remember that not all people are crazy about the same types of transportation, hotel chains, and restaurants. The key to success with this job is offering a variety of packages that include a variety of choices. The booking agent needs to shop around and find the best prices for the following:

-transportation to destination
-transportation within destination (car rental, subway, bus, etc.)
-lodging accommodations
-dining accommodations

Once all roles have been distributed, each group member should visit the given web sites and begin to compile all of the information and images for which he or she is responsible.

Once all information has been collected, as individuals you must sort through your collection, selecting only the important materials and discarding the rest. You will then need to begin the writing process. Remember to use persuasive language that includes lots of detailed descriptions, action verbs, and imaginative phrases.

After all the information has been collected you need to begin to create your brochure. Take advantage of all the technology and software. If you find pictures from the library, you can scan them into the computers. Utilize the software to cut and paste the images and create your page layouts.

The following links will be extremely helpful to you when your group researches its chosen destination.

lonelyplanet
yahoo
apple vacations
AAA MidAtlantic


Evaluation

Group memembers will be graded individually based on the following:
-fulfillment of his/her job
-quality of material included in the brochure
-content, organization, and mechanics of the persuasive writing
-creativity
-neatness exhibited in the final piece

Each group will also receive a grade as a whole and it will be based on the following:
-overall appearance of the final product
-the collaborative effort exhibited to complete the brochure
-met the requirements for the project criteria

Conclusion

The Internet can be a valuable resource to all people, particularly when they need to get information quickly and successfully. Traveling on the Internet can be just as enjoyable for cyber surfers as it is for tourists. Not all people have the resources to travel, so the Internet offers an opportunity that they may not otherwise be given.

By completing this webquest, you have cooperated with your peers to gain knowledge about your selected destination and technological skills to create electronic products, and to improve your writing skills.

e-lecture

e-lecture: carnivale!

The Carnivale we will be studying is from Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is a tiny island south of the Atlantic Ocean and north of the Caribbean Sea. It's very close to Florida. Every February Puerto Rico has a festival called Carnivale, and it lasts the entire month! The tradition started back in the Middle Ages. There are 3 places in Puerto Rico that still celebrate the tradition. Ponce, is in the southern end, Loiza is in the northeastern part, and Hatillo is in the western section. The people in Ponce have been celebrating the Carnivale for over 250 years! It consists of parades, music, and special events. It is special because it is celebrated before the Christian season of Lent, the 6 weeks before Easter. During Carnivale people make elaborate masks,, dress up in costumes, dance, and play music.



Carnivale de Ponce is celebrated each year and conicides with Mardi Gras and Carnevale of Venice and Rio de Janiero. It is hosted in the beautiful city of Ponce and has been around for about 145 years in this section. The tradition is that men and teenage boys dress up in clown like costumes wearing scary masks. The masks are constructed out of papier-mache. They have colorful horns and fangs and look like devilish or fantasy animals.

The person who wears the mask is called vejigante. This word orginates from the Spanish word vejiga which means bladder. The people that take on the roll of the vejigantes will take a dried up bladder from a cow or goat and inflate it. They paint it to resemble a balloon and put dried beans inside to make noise. These men dress in costumes that are made up of different colored fabrics. They also wear a cape which gives the illusion of wings. The vejigantes roam around in their neighborhoods or barrios in groups singing and chasing women and children.

Goal:
Students will be more aware of mulitcultural festivals and their meanings.

Objectives:
1. Students will learn about Puerto Rico.
2. Students will compare the history of the masquerader to other places.
3. Students will design their own mask.

Activity:
Students will create their own mask using paper, markers, crayons, and other found objects. All masks do not have to be scary because some children are sensitive.

Extension:
Students can scan their mask onto the computer and use Photoshop to make changes.

Vocabulary:
Puerto Rico
Ponce
Loiza
Hatillo
Papier-mache
Vejigante
Vejiga
Barrio

Critique:
Each student will stand in the front of the room and present their mask to the class. Each student will write a few sentences about their mask and what it is used for during the parade (decoration, scare people, religious purpose).

10/13

for the assignment this week i'm going to attempt to publish my pb link. i've never publised a link before so i'm hoping this works. here is my pbwiki address.