Atlas (you’ll need one for each group of students)

Chalkboard, white board, interactive white board, or overhead projector

Globe

Index cards

Internet access

• Varying academic levels: uses heterogeneous grouping to allow students of differing abilities to support learning, uses small- and whole-group discussions to ensure all students participate
• Visual learners: reinforces map skills and geography terms by using an Atlas and visual aids to determine absolute location

• Begin your class discussion using a globe as a visual aid. Ask students “If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?” Write their responses on the white board. Narrow the destinations down, providing you will have enough for each group of four to research a different location.
• Next, ask students “How would you get there?” Explain that every place has an absolute location and that the first step in a journey would be figuring out the best way to get to this “absolute location.”
• Tell the class that although every place has an absolute location, there is more than one way to get there! Students can choose to travel by boat, rail, plane, or car. They will be using their map skills and Internet research to create a travel itinerary.

• Divide the class into groups of four, pairing stronger students with more challenged students.
• Allow each set of four students to choose their destination.
• Pass out index cards to each group.

• Instruct students to list only their destination’s absolute location—including latitude and longitude—on one side of the card. They should put their names on the other side of the card.
• Provide each group of students with approximately 30 minutes of Internet time to research their location and plan a travel itinerary. Students must also determine the following: absolute location (latitude and longitude). You could assign this research for homework if time restraints do not permit in-class research.
• Groups should create a travel itinerary. They can use travel sites such as Yahoo!, Expedia, or others to complete this task. Their itinerary must include the mode of transportation, the trip’s duration, other stops, and total cost.

• Ask the groups to switch cards. Give each group an Atlas, allowing the students 5 minutes to determine the place listed on the card using only the absolute location and the Atlas. Congratulate the groups if they guess the correct destination. Once the groups are finished, ask each group to identify the “destination.” Display the correct destination on the whiteboard. Once you’ve identified all the destinations, have the groups present their travel itineraries.

• Ask students to evaluate the itineraries. What would they have done differently? Why?
• Discuss: Why is it helpful to have map skills? What are the benefits of using the Internet to make travel plans?