Introduction

Task

Process

Resources

Evaluation

Conclusion

 

You have been chosen to be a part of an elite group of investigative reporters.  Northeast Travel Experts is in danger of going out of business.  They have hired you to become an expert on the states in Northeast region of the United States. You must go on a fact finding mission which will help you to design and present a travel guide to Northeast Travel Experts so that they can help promote tourism in each state.  If tourism improves in the states, then their business will be saved!

Your team will be responsible for creating a travel guide for the state that you are researching. Your tour guide should make someone want to visit the state that you are researching and must contain factual information that you find from the resources listed below. Each person will be individually responsible for presenting the information that they find in a 2-3 minute oral presentation. You will also be responsible for taking a ten question quiz about your state.

In order to accomplish the group task, each of you will become an expert in one area.  Please carefully read the job descriptions below.  You must each choose one task so that they are all covered.  Once you have decided on what each person is going to do, you will need to click on the name of the job description that you have chosen. When you click on the name, you will be given instructions about how to access any worksheets that need to be printed out to help you organize the information that you find.
 

Historian

   This job will be for the person that is interested in finding out how it all  began.  You will be responsible for finding the following information:

1. When you became a state
2. How your state got its name
3. The names of the states that border your state
4. The names of three famous people that came from your state (You need to know why they are famous and where in the state they lived.  This person can be either alive or dead.)

Agriculturist

   This job is for the person that wants to know more about the land and resources found in the state. You will be responsible for finding the following information:
 

1. Three agricultural products found in your state and where they are found
2. Three natural resources and where they can be found
3. The major landforms found in your state.  Please limit it to the most popular TWO.

Tour Guide

    This job is very important to promoting tourism.  If you choose to be the tour guide, it will be your responsibility to find the following information:
 

1. The climate of your state (average temperature and precipitation in the winter and summer)
2. At least six different activities that a tourist in your state would like to do.  These activities must be during different times of the year and you must remember to have a variety of activies.  You also need to find out the city that the activities can be done in.

Fact Finder

    This person finds interesting information about a state.  You will be responsible for bringing the following information about your state back to your group members:
 

1. Capital
2. Population
3. Nickname
4. State Bird
5. State Flower
6. Picture of the state flag
7. At least TWO other interesting facts about your state

Once each group member has gathered their information, your group task will be to create a travel guide for your state.  This travel guide can be in the form of a brochure or a book.  It is up to you to decide as a group.  Whichever form you decide upon, the guide must contain the following:

• pictures of the state flag, flower, and bird
• a map of your state which includes the capital correctly located
• a map with a key that shows the agricultural products and natural resources found in your state
• an eye catching cover (people won't want to read any further if you don't draw them in with a clever cover)
• written paragraph describing the climate and land forms
• written paragraph describing your state (tell me about the nickname, when it became a state, and other facts that you found
• Did you know? section (this well tell interesting facts that may make someone more interested in the state
• activities map - this map will show where popular activities are located.  You should also have a description of each activity somewhere around the map.  (A suggestion would be to number the descriptions and then place numbers on your map that show where an activity is located.

Each person will also be responsible for presenting a 2-3 minute oral presentation for the class sharing the information that you found in your investigative role.  You can have note cards if you would like.  A good presentation will have the following:

• eye contact with the class
• standing straight and tall in front of the class without a lot of fidgeting
• speaking clearly and loud enough for everyone to hear
• not talking too fast
• You should show that you have become an expert in your area by the facts that you present.  You should also be able to answer questions asked by your classmates and teacher.

  TOP

Resources

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You have many resources available to you, both on the internet and in books.

In school and at home resources:
    States and Regions Social Studies text
    Atlases
    State Tour Guides

Internet Resources
 

50 States - a great site for finding facts about your state.  You can find a lot of information here about each state.  This is also a good place to find interesting facts that most people would not know. Be careful that you do not use this site only!

Fact Monster - This site is divided into both individual states and by regions.  Click on the region or state that you want and you can find out information about the climate, land forms, and history.

Climate - This site lists the climate for 100 popular US cities.  Check to see if a city in your state is listed.

Weather Almanac - This site lets you enter any city and find out the weather and climate.  Once you enter a city name, you then have to choose from a list to find the state that you are researching.

Climate Data - USA Today lets you choose the city and find out the climate data for that city.

Stately Knowledge - Gives you information on each state's capital, flower, and bird.

Land forms - A great, colorful, easy to read map showing the land forms of the United States.

Individual State Home pages: ME NH  VT MA  RI CT  NY  PA  MD  DE -Look here for activity information.  some of them will also have a kids section for you to check out.

State Facts - This will give you some great information on general facts and history of your state.

 

You will receive two grades for this project. One will be an individual grade and the other will be a group grade. The individual grade will be based on your ability to find the information required for your specific job, your ability to work within your group and your oral presentation. Part of your individual grade comes from a ten question quiz that you will take about your state. The group grade is based primarily on your finished travel brochure. Please click below to view the rubrics for both the group and individual grades.
 
 

You are now an expert on one of the states in the northeast Region.  Thanks to your travel guide, Northeast Travel Experts will remain in business.  You have helped your classmates to become more knowledgeable as well.  You have discovered the natural resources and agricultural products that are found in each state as well as the major land forms that make up the area.  You have also been exposed to interesting facts about your state.  Finally, you have developed more skills to help you effectively work within a group.