Bethany Jacobson

Road Trip Across America

Standards Assessed:

The MinnesotaState standard this lesson plan focuses on is number three, people places and environments.

Performance Expectations:

Strand D: Calculate distance, scale, area, and density, and distinguish spatial distribution patterns

Strand E: Describe, differentiate, and explain the relationships among various regional and global patterns of geographic phenomena such as landforms, soils, climate, vegetation, natural resources, and population.

Results/ Expected Learning Outcome:

Students will:

  • List the criteria needed to plan a road trip across America
  • Participate in a jeopardy style trivia game which will familiarize them with various regional characteristics of the country
  • Plan a road trip based on one of the three regions west, mid-U.S., and Eastern U.S.
  • Plan their highway route, including four major cities
  • Research the demographics of the chosen cities
  • Present their road trip in groups of three or four to the class

Evaluation

  • Students will be evaluated based a daily rubric
  • See attached rubric

Curriculum:

  • This lesson should be used in a high school U.S. Geography course.
  • This lesson will help strengthen the students skills in investigating, researching, and comprehension of U.S. geography
  • This lesson should be used in the middle or towards the end of the year after the students have a previous knowledge base of regional Geography

Instruction

  • This is a five day lesson plan. Each day will have specific requirements for the students to meet.
  • See attached daily outlines

Day One

  • Students will be numbered off and divided into groups of three or four. (2 minutes)
  • Within their groups they will brainstorm and create a list of information needed to go on a road trip (5 minutes)
  • The class will discuss each groups list of ideas ( 3 minutes)
  • Give the students an overview of the lesson plan for the next five days (5 minutes)
  • Regional Geography Trivia Game (20 minutes)
  • Within their groups the students will decide which region they want to plan their road trip in ( 5 minutes)
  • Question and answer period:Discussion question-see attached
  • (5 minutes)

Day Two

  • Question and answer period (5 minutes)
  • Students will go to the computer lab where they will work on the following criteria for their road trip (see rubric) (40 minutes)
  • Discussion question-see attached

Day Three

  • Question and answer period (5 minutes)
  • Work day - computer lab (40 minutes)
  • Discussion question-see attached

Day Four

  • Question and answer period (5 minutes)
  • Work day - computer lab (40 minutes)
  • Discussion question-see attached

Day Five

  • Question and answer period (5 minutes)
  • Work day - computer lab finish research (40 minutes)
  • Prepare for class presentation
  • Discussion question-see attached

Day Six

  • Meet in groups and make last minute preparations for presentation (5 minutes)
  • Group presentation (40 minutes)

*Homework assignment

Reflect in one to three pages what you learned about the differences in demographics, economy, climate, and points of interest between the cities you researched. What did you learn from these differences?

EvaluationCriteria

  • Decide Region for trip
  • Choose four major cities to travel through – the fourth city will be your destination city
  • Choose one landmark or point of interest in each city to be visited
  • Map out highway route from hometown to destination including stops at your major cities along the way
  • Determine the approximate cost of your trip to include:
  • Calculate gas mileage (gallons per mile and cost per gallon decided at time of lesson)
  • Find one hotel in each city you stop in and calculate the cost to stay one night
  • Estimate the cost of meals for your trip
  • Estimate the amount of spending money needed
  • Four each major city determine the population, economic contributions, climate, and ethnic make-up
  • Provide a word processed list of the above information on day five.
  • Present your planned road trip to the class. This should be a short presentation (5-10 minutes) which includes the route you plan to take, the major cities you plan to stop in, the landmarks or points of interest you plan to visit, approximate cost of your trip and the population, economic contributions, climate, and ethnic make-up of your destination city.
  • Complete reflection paper (homework assignment)

Evaluation Rubric

Region / 5 points
Four Major Cities / 5 points
Landmarks/Points of Interest / 5 points
Map out highway route / 10 points
Calculate gas mileage / 5 points
Find hotels and calculate cost / 5 points
Estimate cost of meals / 5 points
Estimate spending money needed / 5 points
Determine total cost of trip / 10 points
Four Major cities:
Population / 10 points (2.5 points per city)
Economic Contributions / 10 points (2.5 points per city)
Climate / 10 points (2.5 points per city)
Ethnic make-up / 10 points (2.5 points per city)
List of information / 20 points
Class presentation / 35 points
Reflection paper / 50 points

200 points total

A= 200-180 B= 179-160 C= 159-140 D= 139-120 F=119-below

Discussion Questions

Day One:

What are some of the similarities and differences between the regions you’ve discovered after completing the trivia game?

Day Two:

What are problems you’ve experienced on a road trip and how can they be avoided while planning this one?

Day Three:

What are some of the key aspects you’ve discovered about the cities you’ve chosen?

Day Four:

What are some differences between the cities you’ve chosen and your hometown?

Day Five:

What are the key aspects to keep in mind while presenting your information tomorrow?