|
Overview:
In this lesson young students will take a virtual trip on the Xpeditions Express through Europe to the cities of London, Paris, Innsbruck, Venice, Budapest, and Istanbul. Students will use clues relating to the descriptions that they have read to select the cities they would most like to visit.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, reading
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 10: "The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics"
Time:
Two hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
Objectives:
Students will
- explore characteristics of six cultures that are influenced by physical geography.
Geographic Skills:
Asking Geographic Questions
Acquiring Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
If students have not yet learned about continents, explain that there are seven continents, and that Europe is one that many people visit on vacation. This is due, in part, to how many cultures, or people with different traditions and lifestyles, you can experience on one trip. Often the way people live has a great deal to do with the geography of the region where they live whether they realize it or not!
Development:
Have the students, individually or as a class, depending on their reading level, visit the Xpeditions Express in Xpedition Hall. Ask students to click through the map, study the pictures, and read the text. Have them listen/look for clues about the physical landscape, such as mountains, rivers, and lakes.
Once the students have learned more about the cities, ask them which cities sounded like the most fun to visit. After students have offered a few responses, tell the class that sometimes people want to travel to a new place for a specific reason. They may want to play a sport, see a place that is special because of religious ties, or taste food that is better there than anywhere else in the world.
Closing:
With that in mind, read the following prompts to the students and ask them which city a tourist would want to visit in each case:
- Going out for goulash! The town that was once a bridge between two places is now a wonderful location for meals, museums, and theatre.
- How bazaar! Pick up some incense and spices in this ancient city.
- I think I'll go by gondola to this city by the sea.
- Hit the slopes during your visit to this Alpine town.
- This city of lights features many traditional Roman Catholic sites.
- To see or not to see! This city is home to Buckingham Palace and was the wedding site of the late Princess Diana.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Once students have offered their educated guesses, have them check their answers by going back to the Xpeditions Express. What clues in the questions match clues in the exhibit?
Extending the Lesson:
Ask the students to add a city to the route of the Xpeditions Express. The city must be in Europe, and students should find two to three facts about the city, including at least one that appeals to tourists. Students should draw an image for the window shade.
Related Links:
| 
Check out:
