LESSON PLAN # 5 – Welcome to Windsor and Essex County!

TOPIC: Create a Tourist Information Brochure related to War of 1812 historical sights. Students will use their research and technological skills to develop a tourist brochure reflecting local history.

CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS:

Students will –

  • use appropriate vocabulary;
  • describe the major causes and personalities of the War of 1812;
  • trace the historical development of their own community;
  • communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences, using media works, oral presentations, written notes and reports, drawings, tables, charts and graphs.

OBJECTIVES (desired student outcomes):

The students will –

a) Attitudes:

  • value their artistic and creative abilities;
  • appreciate the important events of their community’s past.

b) Skills:

  • develop skills in computer graphics;
  • improve their presentation skills;
  • practice their ability to summarize key points.

c) Knowledge:

  • improve their knowledge of local historical sites and the significance of these sites;
  • learn the benefits of a strong tourist industry.

RESOURCES:

  • Microsoft Publisher (or a similar program)
  • Computer graphics
  • War of 1812 in the Western District website
  • Examples of brochures and tourist information pamphlets

INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY:

If time permits, teachers may arrange a trip to Fort Malden or Windsor’s Community Museum. This would be a great visual display for the students to see how history, entertainment and tourism are all connected.

Before the trip, explain the assignment to the students and have them consider the following questions:

  1. What are the most important features you would write about in your brochure?
  2. What features would you include as pictures in your brochure?
  3. How can tourism positively affect the local economy?
  4. Aside from tourism, why is it is important to share local history with members of the community and visitors to the community?

Upon returning from the trip, the students should complete a journal of their experiences throughout the day. The teacher may ask the students to write their answers to the questions above during this exercise.

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES:

This project should take a week to complete. Students will work in partners or teams of no more than three. They are advertising executives and it is their job to develop a tourism campaign that will entice visitors to the Windsor and Essex County area. Their topic is the War of 1812.

The events of the war in the Western District are not well known to many Canadians or Americans. They must bring this part of our history alive for locals and visitors alike.

It is the job of the students to determine significant local sites and important historical information. The final product must include pictures, important points, and one information paragraph. It should also be colourful, creative and professional looking.

CONCLUDING ACTIVITY:

The students will present their advertising ideas to each other. Perhaps the principal can join the class during the students’ brochure sales pitches.

METHODS OF EVALUATION:

See the attached rubric and checklist.

FOLLOW-UP IDEAS:

The brochures may be displayed for the school community to view.

WELCOME TO WINDSOR AND ESSEX COUNTY!

WAR OF 1812 WESTERN DISTRICT

BROCHURE ASSIGNMENT

1.You and your partner(s) are executives at a local advertising agency. The Windsor-Essex Tourist Information Centre may hire your company to design a new advertising campaign promoting local War of 1812 historical sights. It is up to you to develop a fantastic campaign so that your company will get the contract.

2.Your task is to develop a brochure about the campaign topic:

  • You should have at least one short informative paragraph.
  • You may also make use of point form to highlight special facts.
  • The brochure will be colourful, creative and professional looking.
  • Finally, you and your partner will make a presentation to ‘pitch’ or sell your brochure idea.
  1. You must do some research on the topic before you can develop your brochure. Then you must figure out what important sights and facts should appear on your brochure. Plan out everything carefully. Remember that this is to be a professionally published piece!
  1. For some good ideas on how to format your brochure, look at some examples of brochures that you may find at a grocery store, in a library, at the mall, in your school, or anywhere else.
  1. You may produce your brochure on a desktop publishing program. This will allow you to type your work, add your pictures and format your brochure all in one place on the computer. Otherwise, you may complete the brochure using colourful art materials and other creative ideas.

BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN!

GROUP MEMBER NAMES:

CHECK LIST

Check List / Yourself and Your Partner / Final Product (Teacher)
Is your brochure creative?
Is it professional?
Is it well organized?
Is it free from spelling errors?
Did you include your rough work?
Is the written content in your own words?
Did you use your class time wisely?
Did you plan your presentation well?
Do all of your group members have a part in the presentation?
Will your presentation engage the audience?
Do you know your presentation information well?
Is the whole project complete?
Is your information useful?
Did you hand in your assignment on time?

Hand this checklist in with your brochure.

Marking Breakdown:

Brochure: /30 marks

Presentation: /20 marks

TOTAL: /50

Brochure Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria / Level 1
15-18 / Level 2
18-21 / Level 3
21-24 / Level 4
24-30
Professionalism/Quality of the work (Communication) / -poor overall visual presentation
-little evidence of creative ideas / -fair effort at visual presentation
-some creativity displayed / -visual presentation well done
-good creative ideas / -excellent and very professional presentation
-excellent and unique creative ideas
Research
(Thinking/ Inquiry) / -few research questions developed and/or poorly developed
-little location of relevant information
-poor interpretation of information / -fair research questions developed
-fair location of relevant information
-fair interpretation / -strong research questions developed
-located relevant information
-interpreted relevant information well / -unique and very strong research questions developed
-extremely effective location of relevant information
-excellent interpretation
Written Work
(Application) / -work not clearly in own words
-spelling and grammar poor
-rough work not present
-written expectations not met / -some work in own words
-some spelling and grammar errors
-most written expectations met / -work in own words
-sentences are well written with few spelling and grammar errors
-written expectations met / -work in own words, excellent
-sentences well structured, complex phrases, no spelling or grammar errors
-work beyond expectations
Overall Effectiveness or Usefulness of the assignment
(Knowledge/ Understanding) / -little required information is present
-little work was completed
-product shows little usefulness / -not all required information included
-not all work completed
- somewhat useful / -included all required information
-all work completed
-product shows usefulness / -included all required work and extra work
-work is beyond expectations
-very useful product
Effort/Use of Class Time
Ability to meet deadlines / -poor use of class time
-worked with little or no independence
-did not meet deadline / -fair use of class time
-worked with a fair amount of effort and independence / -productive use of class time
-worked mostly independently and with good effort / -productive and efficient use of class time worked independently
-worked beyond expectations
-successfully met deadline

/30

PRESENTATION EVALUATION

Criteria

/

Level 1

10-12 /

Level 2

12-14 /

Level 3

14-16 /

Level 4

16-20

Content/ Knowledge of the Topic (Knowledge/ Understanding)

/

-information accurate with noticeable errors

-understanding of topic is weak /

-information accurate with one or two errors

-understanding of topic has some gaps /

-information accurate with minor errors

-understanding may have minor gaps /

-information accurate with no errors

-understanding of topic strong, no gaps

Organization/ Planning (Thinking/ Inquiry)

/

-information presented in sequence that shows little planning

-information not clear to audience
- not all group members presented /

-information presented in sequence that shows some planning

-most information is clear to audience
-most members presented /

-information presented in sequence that shows planning

- information is clear to audience
-all group members presented /

-information presented in sequence that shows detailed planning

-information is very clear to audience
-all presented very well

Communication/Connection to the Audience (Communication)

/

-information engages audience in a limited way

-all information is read from notes /

-information sometimes engages audience

- read some information from notes /

-information almost consistently engages and involves audience

-refers to notes frequently but does not read /

-information highly engages and involves audience

-refers to notes only when required

/20