Algonquin College

Algonquin College

1385 Woodroffe Ave

Ottawa, Ontario

K2G-1V8

(613)727-4723 ext.5138

The Amazing Race Africa

Provided by The York Region District School Board

Last updated: July 18, 2007

All pictures, maps and graphics associated with lesson plans are the property of Algonquin College, unless otherwise noted or linked. Statistical data and background information has been collected from the CIA World Factbook, public domain reference materials, and (where identified) external resources.

Curriculum and Lesson Plans have been created by partner School Boards [as identified]. These lesson plans and associated resources (photo, video, audio, etc.) are free for use to all teachers within the partner Boards in the delivery of the Ontario K-12 Curriculum. While every effort has been made to maintain the accuracy of the information provided, Algonquin College is not responsible for unintentional data entry errors or omissions.

If you would like to report any errors or corrections for lesson plans, or use copyrighted materials for purposes other than the Ontario Curriculum please contact:

Expedition Africa at (613)727-4723 ext. 5138 or email

Table of Contents

Summary of Lesson Plan 2

Lesson Objectives 3

Appendix A- Planning A-Race` 6

Appendix B- Destination Rationale 8

Appendix C- Race Summary Sheet 9

Appendix D– Race Sheet 10

Appendix E- Rubric 11

Appendix F– Map of Africa 12

Feedback Page 13

Summary of Lesson Plan

Grade 11

Students will use the popular television show as a guide to plan their own amazing race down the east coast of Africa. This activity can be used as a summative activity for a unit based on Africa in a destination-based course or it can be used as a course culminating activity in an issue- based course. Students are asked to plan a competition and a series of activities in four countries that reflect both the culture and environment of each destination.

This lesson plan may identify specific resources to support certain activities. While the expedition team will attempt to gather all the required resources, we cannot guarantee that all photo, audio, video will be captured as listed.

Small World Big Picture, Expedition Africa 2006

Travel and Tourism

Division: Grade 11 Travel and Tourism

Topic: The Amazing Race – Africa Unit (or Course) Summative Activity

Resources: Small World Big Picture Africa website – for information about the route; students can the team journals to know about the obstacles faced;

www.algonquincollege.com/africa

CHUM news reports – available on www.citytv.com

Any Amazing Race DVD to serve as a sample format for the race

Library and/or Internet access

Description:

Students will use the popular television show as a guide to plan their own amazing race down the east coast of Africa. This activity can be used as a summative activity for a unit based on Africa in a destination-based course or it can be used as a course culminating activity in an issue- based course. Students are asked to plan a competition and a series of activities in four countries that reflect both the culture and environment of each destination.

Learning Expectations:

Subject: CGG30 (Travel and Tourism) / Strand: Geographic Foundations: Space and Systems
Overall Expectations
·  evaluate the influence of human systems on patterns of travel and tourism and, conversely, the influence of travel and tourism on human systems;
·  explain the characteristics of the travel and tourism industry from a geographic perspective.
Specific Expectations
·  identify selected factors that influence travelers’ destination choices (e.g., location accessibility, cost, safety, amenities, personal preferences);
·  determine the reasons (e.g., business, recreation, education, religion) for patterns of tourist travel within selected regions;
·  classify different types of travel and tourism (e.g., business travel, adventure tourism, ecotourism);
·  identify natural and human features that attract tourists to their local region.
Subject: CGG30 (Travel and Tourism) / Strand: Human-Environment Interactions
Overall Expectation
·  explain how environmental factors affect patterns of travel and tourism.
Specific Expectations
·  identify the natural resources on which tourism is based and justify the need for sustainable development.
Subject: CGG30 (Travel and Tourism) / Strand: Global Connections
Overall Expectations
·  explain the social, environmental, cultural, economic, and political effects of travel and tourism on various destination regions;
·  compare the characteristics of selected tourist regions of the world.
Specific Expectations
·  explain why it is important for tourists to respect the cultural and religious traditions of others;
·  evaluate the natural and human attributes that contribute to the success of selected globally significant tourist attractions (e.g., Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro).
Subject: CGG30 (Travel and Tourism) / Strand: Methods of Geographic Inquiry and Communication
Overall Expectations
·  use the methods and tools of geographic inquiry to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize information;
·  communicate the results of geographic inquiries, using appropriate terms and concepts and a variety of forms and techniques.
Specific Expectations
·  gather geographic information from primary sources (e.g., field research, surveys, interviews) and secondary sources (e.g., books and journals, mainstream and alternative media, CD-ROMs, the Internet) to research a topic or issue related to travel, tourism, or regional geography;
·  produce a variety of maps, graphs, diagrams, and charts, following accepted conventions, to illustrate patterns and relationships related to travel, tourism, and regional geography;
·  provide appropriate and sufficient evidence and well-reasoned arguments to support opinions and conclusions;
·  communicate the results of geographic inquiries, for different audiences and purposes, using a variety of forms (e.g., oral and written reports, multimedia presentations, essays) and including geographic visual supports, both conventional (e.g., photographs, charts, graphs, models, organizers, diagrams, maps) and geo-technological (e.g., computer-generated maps and graphs, aerial photographs, satellite images);
·  use an accepted form of academic documentation (e.g., footnotes, endnotes, or author-date citations; bibliographies or reference lists) to acknowledge all information sources, including electronic sources.

Assessment Opportunities/Suggestions for Assessing Expectations

1.  Students can complete sample race summaries for episodes watched in class to be formatively assessed by the teacher to ensure that there is enough detail about the episode recorded.

2.  Final product can be evaluated using the attached rubric BLM 5.

Teaching/Learning Strategies:

Prior to the Assignment

1. Students will need the opportunity to watch 2-3 episodes (or more if time permits) of the “real” Amazing Race to gain an understanding of how the format of the show works and to learn terminology such as “Roadblock” and “Detour”.

2. For each episode have students complete a summary sheet BLM 2 or 3 that asks them to log a series of details about the destination and activities the participants are asked to complete. This can be collected and assessed by the teacher to ensure that all students are gaining the background knowledge of the race so that they will be able to plan their own.

3. Similarly students can log the destinations covered by the SWBP Expedition Africa team travelers on their journey by watching tri-weekly news reports on CHUM television (through the citytv website) or tracking movements on the web page provided by Algonquin College identifying both environmental and cultural aspects of each leg of the journey. This can be done using appropriately designed worksheets, on an outline map of Africa or by having students write anecdotally in diary form, as if they too were on the journey. Students can view the Expedition Africa website and watch/listen to the collected video/audio blogs to collect information about the journey.

Introducing the Assignment

1. In groups of two, expanding to four, have students Think Pair Share all the different destinations, activities, people, events the SWBPA travelers encountered on their journey. After students have had the opportunity to share their ideas randomly ask a member from each group to share what their group had decided upon. Record the responses on an overhead or on the board.

2. Have each group identify items on the board as cultural, environmental, or other. This will help later when students have to create their own environmental and cultural activities for each destination of their race.

3. Distribute copies of “The Small World Big Picture Africa Amazing Race” BLM 1. Have students read over the instructions silently, jotting down any questions they may have in the margins of the assignment sheet. Have students then discuss the details of the assignment with a partner then randomly ask a number of them to explain to the class what is required from this assignment. Go over the requirements of the race and answer any remaining questions the students may have.

4. Focus on the format of the sample Race Summary chart BLM 4. This should be partially completed by the teacher using the episodes of the race watched in class. A blank Africa outline map is also provided, BLM 6.

Note to Teachers:

1. Using Think Pair Share and “random” questioning in tandem, is very effective in eliciting a response from all members of the class. Allowing time to share responses with classmates takes away some of the anxiety associated with speaking out in class. The random approach to selecting students to share their information helps keep them aware and accountable because they never know when, or if, they will be called upon to share with the class.

2. Having a soft copy of the summary chart and episode explanation sheets available saves students time and helps ensure a uniform format for organizing and explaining race details.

3. An oral communication component can be added where students have a fixed amount of time (3 minutes) to sell their route and activities to the class who then vote and choose the best race plan.

4. Four is a suggested number of destinations. This number can be changed to suit the academic ability of your class or of particular students.

Appendix A

Planning a Small World Big Picture Africa Amazing Race

The next Amazing Race is going into pre-production very soon but producers are having a tough time coming up with original ideas. Your task is to help them by planning your own Africa-based version of the wildly popular television show.

You will plan a mini-version of ‘The Race’, using four countries found on the east coast of Africa. You may start and end the race at the same significant location i.e. Robben Island Museum. Only three of your four destination countries need to have been visited by the Small World Big Picture Africa (SWBPA) travelers.

YOUR TASK

1. Look back on all the different destinations covered by the SWBPA travelers. Use the experiences you saw online and in television news reports (on the citytv website) to choose unique and interesting filming locations for the next Amazing Race.

2. Complete the attached race summary sheet that outlines the main locations and activities for each stage of your race. This is a general outline; you will need to provide more explanation and insight in step three.

3. For each leg of the race you must complete an explanation for your choices. You will need to explain why the Roadblocks and Detours you chose are unique to each destination. You should have a culture and environment based activity for each leg of the race.

a. Why did you choose your locations, generally and specifically?

b. Explain your Detour activity choices in some detail. Are they connected to environmental or cultural tourism? Explain.

c. Explain your Roadblock activity in some detail. Is it connected to environmental or cultural tourism? Explain.

4. How much will it cost two people to travel the entire route you have chosen?

a. Find the cost of transportation (air, rail, bus, boat) from major cities near each of your destinations. Note the mode of transport, the total cost for two people for each trip, and the overall cost of the race.

b. Show your race route on a world map. Label major countries visited, specific destinations visited, and show flight routes from one destination to another. Don’t forget the proper mapping conventions.

5. Include properly referenced works cited using MLA format. You can use internet, travel

magazines, encyclopedias and books to help plan your race.

Glossary

Detour
A choice between two different ways to accomplish a goal or reach a destination. On the surface, one may seem easy but involves some sort of twist; the other may seem difficult but in the end may be the quicker choice.

Roadblock

A task in which only one member of the two-person Team may participate; in most cases, the non-participant must wait for the participant to accomplish the goal.

Pit Stop

The final destination for each leg of a race, at which point a Team must "clock in." The last Team to arrive at most PIT STOPs is eliminated from the race.

Amazing Race 9 Website

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race9/

Appendix B

Amazing Race Destination Rationale

Appendix

Start / Destination 1 / Destination 2 / Finish
Starting Point
Specific Detour Location
Detour Activity Choices
Roadblock Location
Roadblock Task
Pit Stop Location

Appendix C – Race Summary Sheet

Start / Destination 1 / Destination 2 / Finish
Starting Point / Red Rocks Amphitheatre Denver, Colorado / Sao Paolo, Brazil / Big Swan ferry. Lake Yamanaka, Japan
Specific Detour Location / Sao Paolo, Brazil in the middle of the city / Camping Bela Vista an old sugar can plantation in Brotas, Brazil / Mirror Lake, Anchorage Alaska
Detour Activity Choices / 1. Motor Head. Teams have to put together a motor bike.
2. Rotor Head. Teams have to locate buildings flying in a helicopter. / 1. Press It. Teams had to distil fermented juice to create 500 millilitres of ethanol, an alternative fuel source.
2. Climb It. Teams needed to travel to Usina Jacare and hike to a nearby waterfall where they would have to perform a 90-foot rope climb up the waterfall. / 1. Drill It: Teams needed to use an auger to drill ten holes in Mirror Lake and then push a shack across the lake in order to set up an ice fishing camp.
2. Deliver It: Teams had to load a bush plane with medical supplies and, using a map to navigate, direct their pilot to an airfield to deliver the supplies to a first aid station.
Roadblock Location / NONE / Fire escapes of Edificio Copan / Red Rocks Amphitheatre Denver
Roadblock Task / NONE / One Team member had to climb up one of three fire escapes of Edificio Copan. Once at the top, they would put on a harness and rappel down nearly 400 feet to the bottom. / One Team member has to run into a field of 285 flags, find one flag for each of the nine foreign countries they visited on the Race and place them in the order in which they visited them.
Pit Stop Location / Estadio de Pacaembu, a World Cup soccer stadium. Sao Paolo, Brazil / Fazenda Primavera da Serra, a 19th century coffee plantation / NONE

Appendix D – Race Summary Sheet Sample