Vacation Trip Handouts! Scroll Down for what you need.
Language Arts Vacation Research Project
Questionnaire & Backboard/Poster Checklist
**Keep this in your Vacation Folder that you will turn into me on Tuesday. A completed Questionnaire and checklist is worth 5 extra credit points on the final grade!
1. Where did you want to go on your vacation? __________________________
2. How long did you want to be gone for? _______________ (# of days of travel)
3. Were you able to stay within your $2000 budget? Y/N
4. If not, why not? How did you get back within your budget? ___________________________________________________________________________
5. Did you use the internet to help you research? __________________________________
6. Did you use the checklists to help you organize your time and assignments? _________
7. Have you received any mail yet from the state you wrote your business letter to? Y/N
9. Do you feel like you went the extra mile to really learn something from this project? Y/N
10. Did you use the time in class to help you plan your trip, budget, and other tasks? Y/N
11. How would you improve this project for next year’s seventh graders? ______________
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12. Did you enjoy this project? Explain your thoughts and comments. _________________
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Backboard/Poster Checklist
_____ Map & Key that identifies your route, destination cities
_____ Budget Form that breaks down your $2000 budget into Gas expense, Hotel expense, sightseeing expense, and food expenses
_____ 4 Flowers & 4 Plants with Pictures labeled with an accompanying summary of the habitat, scientific name, and adaptive information on each species.
_____ Itinerary from Day #1 to Final Day Home
_____ Journal Entries (Minimum of 5 entries each being 4-6 sentences in length)
_____ 5 Postcards (Picture on the front, Back of postcard has a message to someone on left and their address on the right, pretend stamp on the upper right corner).
_____ Business Letter to the state of destination requesting Information
_____ Friendly Letter to parents thanking them for the opportunity to plan the trip
_____ Extra credit: students can earn up to 10 points for including 10 interesting facts about their destination.
_____ Display board has all of the above information attached to it.
_____ Color of some kind has been added to it to help it stand out from the every day display board
_____ Overall project is neat and appealing.
_____ Bring your folder to class on Tuesday with all of your class work & handouts in it!
Planning an Itinerary
You are going to be working on finding places to visit as well as the route you will take to reach your destination. You will need to plan on making a minimum of 1 night stay per 500 miles. When you reach your destination, you will need to find:
o 1 museum
o 1 aquarium
o 1 national park or historic site
o 1 recreational activity (beach, lake, minigolf, etc.)
o 1 type of sports activity (professional baseball, basketball, volleyball, or water sport) you can either participate or watch a game etc.
o Places to Shop, eat
o Your Choice
On the lines below, write what you found at your destination that will keep you busy on vacation. You will be responsible for finding current ticket prices online. You can either google the name of the activity or call them and find the most current ticket prices available for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids under 14). You must find a minimum of 6 of the 10 items below!
1. Museum___________________________________________________________________________
2. Aquarium __________________________________________________________________________
3. National Park/Historic Site _____________________________________________________________
4. Recreational Activity __________________________________________________________________
5. Sports Activity_______________________________________________________________________
6. Places to Shop_______________________________________________________________________
7. Famous Restaurants __________________________________________________________________
8. Other your choice ____________________________________________________________________
9. Other your choice ____________________________________________________________________
10. Other your choice___________________________________________________________________
How to do the Written portion of your itinerary!
1. To plan out what you are doing each day, it is a good idea that you plan out where you will be each day. Using your Cracker Barrel map, find a good route that will take you where you want to go. If your city is not listed, you will need to enlist the help of an atlas or use Mapquest.com.
Day #1 Location _______________________________
Day # 2 Location ______________________________
Day #3 Location _______________________________
Day #4 Location _______________________________
Day #5 Location _______________________________
Day #6 Location _______________________________
2. Now that you have planned out where you will be on what days, you need to decide what you will be doing on those days. Depending on whether it is a driving day or a sightseeing day will depend on you! You are planning this trip, so make it realistic and fun! You will need to journal a minimum of 5 entries for each day of your trip. You may add more if you wish. Each entry should be 4-6 sentences in length.
o Describe what you will see there and how much it will cost. Be sure to include what you want to go there. Be specific!
o Or, you may also choose to write from the past tense point of view as if you have already been there. Include lots of details as you write!
Gas Expense Budget Sheet
Vacation Budget Planner: Gas Expense
In order to plan your budget effectively, it is important that you are realistic in your planning. With the economy and gas prices the way they are, it is a good idea to start your budget estimating the cost of gas to get you to your destination.
Scenario:
Option A: Your car will be a 4 door sedan that gets an average of 25 mpg on a full tank of gas..
Option B: Your car will be a 4 door SUV that gets an average of 20 mpg on average on a full tank of gas.
1. You will need to select a vehicle from Option A or Option B. _____________________________
2. Determine the total number of miles you will drive round trip. ___________________________
3. Now, you will need to figure out what the average cost of gas is in the region you will be visiting. For example, if I am travelling to Chicago and the cost in the central region of the country is $ 3.84 per gallon. It will be easier to calculate and give yourself some breathing room if you stick with one price.
Average cost of gas in _____________________ is _____________________.
(State of your destination) ($ price/gallon)
4. Divide the total number of miles you will drive by the average mpg that your car gets. The result will be the number of gallons your vehicle will require in order to drive the trip. __________________
5. Now, multiply the number of gallons by the price of gas in order to compute your overall gas expense. ______________ without any extra sightseeing trips!
5. It is a good idea to budget an extra tank of gas for sightseeing and other things.
Total cost of gas for one full tank ________________
Option A car holds approximately 18 gallons of gasoline in a full tank.
Option B car hold approximately 22 gallons of gasoline in a full tank.
6. Figure out how much your gas expense will be based on the average cost of gas multiplied by the number of tanks required. Don’t forget to add in one extra tank!
Total Gas Expense _______________________________________
Current U.S. Gas Prices (05/11/08)
State Price Trend
Wyoming 3.495
Arizona 3.529
South Carolina 3.549
Missouri 3.566
Louisiana 3.573
New Jersey 3.576
Montana 3.585
Mississippi 3.586
Tennessee 3.599
Arkansas 3.612
Texas 3.616
Iowa 3.618
Minnesota 3.618
New Hampshire 3.621
Colorado 3.628
Alabama 3.629
Idaho 3.629
North Dakota 3.636
Oklahoma 3.637
Utah 3.651
South Dakota 3.656
Kansas 3.658
Virginia 3.659
Nebraska 3.662
Georgia 3.664
Delaware 3.672
Massachusetts 3.672
New Mexico 3.680
Vermont 3.685
North Carolina 3.690
Pennsylvania 3.694
Kentucky 3.706
Maryland 3.713
Florida 3.717
Maine 3.732
Oregon 3.738
Rhode Island 3.746
Ohio 3.748
Wisconsin 3.749
Nevada 3.752
Washington DC 3.769
Washington 3.787
Indiana 3.802
Illinois 3.844
West Virginia 3.849
Michigan 3.859
New York 3.887
California 3.967
Connecticut 3.968
Hawaii 4.169
Alaska 4.340
Source: http://www.gasbuddy.com/GB_Price_List.aspx
Hotel & Lodging Expenses
Now that you have figured out how much of your $2000 budget you will spend on gas, you will need to determine how many nights you will need for a hotel room. You need to decide what type of chain of hotel to stay in order to plan how many nights you can afford.
Option A: Two Star Inn/Motel (Select either Days Inn/Econolodge) =$ 45/night plus $10 in taxes and fees. Total Option “A” Motel =$55.00/night
Option B: Three ½ star Motel/Hotel (Comfort Inn/Best Western) =$65/night plus $15 in taxes and fees. Total Option “B” Motel= $80/night.
Option C: Five Star Hotel (Hilton/Holiday Inn)= $80/night plus $20 in taxes and fees. Total Option “C” Hotel =$100.
You will need to plan out how much of your budget you are willing to spend on your lodging expenses. In order to do so, You will need to plan to stop after 500 miles of travel each day. If the distance between the sites you are visiting is more than 800 miles, you must stop and stay at a hotel there too. So, using your mileage numbers that you wrote down on the gas expense worksheet, see how many extra hotel stays you will need. Multiply that number times the cost of the room from either Option A, B, or C and add it to your total for hotel stays.
For example, I am travelling to Chicago which is 2,146 Roundtrip. That means 4 extra nights of travel. I am okay with staying in cheaper hotels so I will select Option A and B depending on the final location of the room itself.
# of nights in 2-Star Motel ___________ x $55.00 / night ¬ = ____________
# of nights in 3.5-Star Motel _________ x $80.00 / night_ = ____________
# of nights in 5-Star Motel _________ x $100.00 / night_ = ____________
Add up the # of nights and you will have your total hotel expense.
Total Hotel Expense _______________________________
Link for State Addresses!!! Click on link to the left!!
Sample Personal/Business Letter
2851 Sandridge Road
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
May 12, 2008
Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau
2301 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60616
Dear Sir or Madam:
I will be visiting Chicago this summer with my family on a vacation. I am interested in activities for young children as well as adults. I would like to request information on theaters, outdoor recreational opportunities, places to stay as well as places to visit or sightseeing opportunities.
I look forward to hearing from you in regards to your “Windy” city.
Sincerely,
Katie Guzman
Sample Friendly Letter
May 12, 2008
Dear Mom and Dad,
Thank you for letting me choose where we are going on vacation this summer. I think we should visit Chicago! I have done my research about the place I have chosen. I thought it might also be interesting to learn more about the indigenous plants and animals, so I found information about that as well.
I think I have planned an itinerary that will meet the needs of our family. I have found something for everyone to do. I also wrote a letter to the Tourism Bureau of Chicago and should start receiving sightseeing ideas in the mail soon.
In order to plan out the best trip possible, I planned a budget based on the amount you have given me to play with that will break down the expenses for each portion of the trip. I can almost smell the hotdogs at Wrigley Field. It’s a once in a life time experience and I’m sure you won’t regret going! I am very excited about taking you on my planned vacation!
Sincerely,
Your Favorite Daughter
Vacation Journal/Sightseeing Entries
You must record a minimum of 5 Journal Entries that describe various things from your trip. Each entry should be 4-6 sentences in length.
Journal Entry #1:_________________________________________________________
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Journal Entry #2: _______________________________________________________
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Journal Entry #3_________________________________________________________
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Journal Entry #4_________________________________________________________
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Journal Entry #5_________________________________________________________
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Biographical Life Map
Part I: Written Research
1st Paragraph: Information
This paragraph should include the following:
1. Birth Information: Date, place, full name, any interesting facts) 2-3 Sentences
2. Family Info. (What type of parents did they have? brother/sisters, financial status: rich/poor?). 2-3 Sentences.
2nd Paragraph: Early Childhood
This paragraph should include the following: (What was life like? What kind of games did they play? Hobbies, etc.) 3-5 Sentences
3rd Paragraph: Education
This paragraph should describe all education that they had such as, (where, how, when, private/public, college, any degrees.)2-3 Sentences
4th Paragraph: Adult Life
Paragraph should include the following information about any marriage(s), kids, hobbies, jobs)
5th Paragraph: Major Accomplishments
In one paragraph explain how they changed the world of technology in some way.
PART II: Life Map Assignment:
This is a visual presentation done on poster board or large paper. It is basically a time line of important events that is presented using pictures (photos, clipart, drawings) to symbolize each event. You will need to include 6-8 Life events. Each event will include 2-3 sentences that tell what the picture is about or why that event is important (from the written research). It needs to have the person's name on the front of the poster. Remember to include the bibliography (directions below).
Bibliography Instructions for a book:
Author's last name, first name. Book title underlined. City where
published, State: publisher's company name, year published.
Poetry Portfolios (SCROLL DOWN FOR STANDARD PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS)
Advanced Portfolio Requirements:
In Advanced Language Arts students are expected to compile 10 new poems that they have written in the last 2 weeks. The portfolio must include:
All poems must be typed or written very neatly (with the exception of the concrete poem).
Portfolios must include a table of contents that specifies the order of the poems in the portfolio.
Portfolios must have a cover page that identifes who created the poems.
Portfolios must be submitted stapled together or placed into a folder of sorts with prongs or a slide that securely fastens the papers together.
Optional: poems may be decorated with decorative papers, illustrations and/or pictures. This will not count towards extra credit, but will help the portfolio stand out from the rest.
The more effort put into the portfolio, will result in a maximum impact on each student.
Standard Language Arts Poetry Portfolio Requirements
In Standard Language Arts students are expected to compile 8 NEW poems that they have written in the last 2 weeks.
The portfolio must include:
• 1 form of haiku
• 1 concrete poem
• 2 Cinquains/Diamontes
• 1 Acrostic
• 1 headline poem
• 2 free verse poems
All poems must be typed or written very neatly (with the exception of the concrete poem).
Portfolios must include a table of contents that specifies the order of the poems in the portfolio.
Portfolios must have a cover page that identifies who created the poems.
Portfolios must be submitted stapled together or placed into a folder of sorts with prongs or a slide that securely fastens the papers together.
Optional: poems may be decorated with decorative papers, illustrations and/or pictures. This will not count towards extra credit, but will help the portfolio stand out from the rest.
The more effort put into the portfolio, will result in a maximum impact on each student.
Haiku= 3 lines, Line 1= 5 syllables, Line 2= 7 syllables, Line 3=5 syllables
Concrete Poem=Words/letters used to make an image or picture
Cinquain Poem= instructions (center alignment):
Line 1: a person, place,or thing (noun)
Line 2: two words that tell about the noun
Line 3: three -ing words that show action about the noun (example Running)
Line 4: one four-word phrase or sentence about the noun
Line 5: the noun again (or a word that means the same thing)
triangles
pointy edges
revolving, rotating, angling
Triangles are all different.
180o
Acrostics: use a letter in a name to begin each line in the poem. For example:
Try
Really hard
You can do it!
Free Verse: Pick a topic and simply write about it in stanza format.
Headline Poetry: Go through magazines, select a letter and use alliteration to make a headline!
Diamante Poetry: Example below
Line 1: one word (subject/noun that is contrasting to line 7)
Line 2: two words(adjectives) that describe line 1
Line 3: three words (action verbs) that relate to line 1
Line 4: four words (nouns)first 2 words relate to line 1, last 2 words relate to line 7
Line 5: three words (action verbs) that relate to line 7
Line 6: two words (adjectives) that describe line 7
Line 7: one word ( subject/noun that is contrasting to line 1)
Example of a Diamante:
Square
symmetrical, conventional
shaping, measuring, balancing
boxes, rooms, clocks, halos
encircling, circumnavigating, enclosing
round, continuous
Circle