TEACHER NOTES:
¨ In this session, group members will search the Internet for airline fares, lodging fees, ground/travel costs, and food expenses. While airline and lodging fees are exact, they will estimate food expenses and ground/land fares. Initially, individual students will organize their research in Excel worksheets for the assigned category - airlines, lodgings, food, and ground/land - and present their findings to the group. When the group reconvenes, group members will discuss the findings, compare prices of airlines, compare prices and location of lodgings, and present an overview of anticipated food expenses. Then the group will make informed selections, which suit their needs, and will create a Travel Budget Worksheet in Excel.
¨
OBJECTIVES:
Ø
Students
will develop the real-life skill of planning a trip.
Ø
Students
will research and communicate information about travel to a foreign country.
Ø
Students
will utilize graphic organizers to aid critical thinking skills and to organize
information.
Ø
Students
will collect and display data and information appropriately.
Ø
Students
will determine the needs of the trip, e.g. cost, scheduling…
Ø
Students
will develop and apply skills needed to make informed decisions in daily life.
Ø Students will participate in group meetings and discussions to achieve the group’s goals.
Ø Students will develop positive cooperative learning behaviors and skills.
Ø Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
Ø Students will further develop technology skills, such as using the internet, a graphic organizer software, and MS Excel.
¨ DURATION: 2 Class Sessions
¨ TECHNOLOGY: Internet Access
¨ SOFTWARE/PROGRAMS: MS Excel, Inspiration Software
¨ DIRECT INSTRUCTION: Review strategies for conducting a search on the internet, such as keywords, advanced search, …
¨ TEACHER’S ROLE:
Ø While the students are engaged in this activity, circulate around the groups. You will probably have to demonstrate and remind students of how to act and behave in cooperative learning groups. During group conferences, not only you can learn about how they truly feel about the project but also how they feel about mathematics when they ask questions or respond to questions.
Ø Circulate around the room and observe groups and individuals. But do not expect to observe all groups or all students in one session. Be realistic; plan to observe about four groups or five individual students. Before each observation, decide which students or groups or which skills or behaviors that you will observe. Since these will provide a record of student mathematical thinking, insights, reflections, and behaviors, write down your observations. Review the section on Teacher Observations and the Sample Checklist in the Unit Overview.
¨ MATH JOURNALS: Remind students that they are to write in their math journals at least three times a week.
¨ HOMEWORK: Students will continue to work on the project at home or at the public library.