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Course Description
Globe Trekker is unlike any course you will take in your high school career. You will be traveling around the world, experiencing culture like never before, and producing a narrative about your “trip”. Through your world travel, you will be educating your classmates about the common misconceptions of each region, relaying your experiences about cultural norms, and providing historical enrichment to give a contextual background. The opportunity to travel the world is an enlightening experience. The
hope is that you leave this course with a better understanding of the world around you, and how you can move within it.
Course Learning Targets
- I can distinguish the history of the region to develop an appreciation of local culture.
- I can identify the government and economic structures of the region.
- I can identify geographical locations.
- I can recognize different customs and traditions.
- I can evaluate source material and analyze current events that impact regions locally and globally.
- I can use technology to create a narrative based upon research, analysis, and reflection.
The Rundown
Overview
Your group will be giving us the RUNDOWN on your assigned region. Your collective presentation will last AT LEAST 20 minutes and AT MOST 40 minutes. The topic areas that you must cover are:
- Brief History
- Culture, Customs, Traditions
- Religion
- Social norms
- Language
- Aesthetics (art, literature, architecture, music)
- Currency and Economic System
- GDP per capita
- Wages and Employment
- Inflation
- Trade Surplus/Deficit
- Exchange Rate
- Government Form and Political Atmosphere
- Summary of the area’s government forms
- Political freedom
- Voting
- Corruption
- Top Tourist Destinations (very brief description, 1 sentence each)
- Current Events
- Find 3-5 events that are currently shaping your region. Review the “Suggested Topics” for direction and help.
- Source Page
- List of websites AND the links to those sites.
Your presentation should be visually appealing. Photographs and short video clips that help to describe your topics will be helpful.
You should have an introduction slide, concluding slide, and resource slide in addition to your topic areas.
The Rundown – Steps
- Groups are assigned.
- Identify roles and responsibilities.
- Create a google presentation and share with all group members
- Share presentation with teacher
- Research your topics and proof each other’s work.
- Create assessment for the students
Suggested Topics (Per Region)
Latin America
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Middle East
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Africa
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Europe
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Oceania
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North America
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Asia
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The Rundown- Grading Rubric
| CATEGORY |
Exceeds (3) |
Meets (2) |
Developing (1) |
Beginning (0) |
| Topic Area: Brief History | Coverage of the assigned topic area is comprehensive and covers the main topics in-depth while including additional information | Coverage of the assigned topic area is present and covers the main topics, however a few important topics are omitted or not descriptive enough. | Coverage of the assigned topic area is lacking and/or omits key topic areas or explanations and descriptions are not well developed. | Coverage of the assigned topic is missing from presentation. |
| Topic Area: Culture, Customs, Traditions | Coverage of the assigned topic area is comprehensive and covers the main topics in-depth while including additional information | Coverage of the assigned topic area is present and covers the main topics, however a few important topics are omitted or not descriptive enough. | Coverage of the assigned topic area is lacking and/or omits key topic areas or explanations and descriptions are not well developed. | Coverage of the assigned topic is missing from presentation. |
| Topic Area: Currency and Economic System | Coverage of the assigned topic area is comprehensive and covers the main topics in-depth while including additional information | Coverage of the assigned topic area is present and covers the main topics, however a few important topics are omitted or not descriptive enough. | Coverage of the assigned topic area is lacking and/or omits key topic areas or explanations and descriptions are not well developed. | Coverage of the assigned topic is missing from presentation. |
| Topic Area: Government and Political Atmosphere | Coverage of the assigned topic area is comprehensive and covers the main topics in-depth while including additional information | Coverage of the assigned topic area is present and covers the main topics, however a few important topics are omitted or not descriptive enough. | Coverage of the assigned topic area is lacking and/or omits key topic areas or explanations and descriptions are not well developed. | Coverage of the assigned topic is missing from presentation. |
| Topic Area: Destinations | Coverage of the assigned topic area is comprehensive and covers the main topics in-depth while including additional information | Coverage of the assigned topic area is present and covers the main topics, however a few important topics are omitted or not descriptive enough. | Coverage of the assigned topic area is lacking and/or omits key topic areas or explanations and descriptions are not well developed. | Coverage of the assigned topic is missing from presentation. |
| Topic Area: Current Events | Coverage of the assigned topic area is comprehensive, includes 3-5 events, and covers the main topics in-depth while including additional information | Coverage of the assigned topic area is present, includes 3 events, and covers the main topics, however a few important topics are omitted or not descriptive enough. | Coverage of the assigned topic area is lacking and/or omits key topic areas or explanations and descriptions are not well developed. Less than 3 topics may not be current. | Current events are missing from presentation. |
| Presentation | The presentation is visually appealing, well organized, prepared and shows a great understanding of the issue at hand and meets time requirements. | The presentation is mostly visually appealing, organized and group is prepared, but some information has been left out and/or doesn’t meet time requirements. | The presentation is not visually appealing, organized or prepared, many details have been left out and/or doesn’t meet time requirements. | The presentation lacks visual appeal and specified requirements. Little to no effort has been shown or doesn’t meet time requirements. |
| Assessment | The assessment is thorough, covers all aspects of the presentation, and is well organized. | The assessment covers the main topics, however not thoroughly | The assessment was present, but missing major themes or topics from the presentation. | Group did not provide assessment at the end of the presentation. |
| Sources | Sources are scholarly, credible. and of high quality. Three or more sources are used. | Sources are of credible nature and background. Three sources are used. | Less than 3 sources are used. They are not of the highest academic credibility. | The sources are questionable and seem outdated or not credible. No sources are used.). |
iTrek Blog
Overview
- Individually, you will be creating a travel blog of your trip around the world. This travel blog will take you through multiple locations in all of the regions we cover in this course.
- Your goal: to provide a personal narrative of what it is like to travel through this country or region.
- You will go to popular tourist locations, interact with local citizens, and take part in local culture.
- Your blog will have pictures of the locations you visit, basic information about the area, and your experience in that location.
- Your blog will be well organized, visually appealing, and your narratives will be thought out, thorough, and descriptive.
- Your blog should include some historical elements into the writing. Assume that the person reading this blog has not traveled to this location and they need a small amount of background knowledge to fully appreciate your travels.
- Your blog will be assessed after every region.
- This means you can’t get behind!
- You will be completing a series of free response reflection questions at the end of the trimester to summarize your project.
Steps
- As a class, we will learn the technology of blogs using a platform called “Blogger”.
- You will create a theme, layout, and title for your blog.
- You will share your iTrek blog url with both me and your classmates.
- Week-by-week we will learn about the different regions of the world. From your classmates, you will learn the basic history, cultural norms, government structure, economic situation, and the current issues of that region.
- You will be responsible for retaining that knowledge to guide your writing later on in the unit.
- The more you remember from your classmates, the less groundwork you have to do yourself.
- After your briefing on the country and participating in a class activity about a region, you will have work time in class to write entries into your travel blog.
- You will be required to post three different blog entries within every region (21 entries total).
- You must visit 3 DIFFERENT countries within the region (one post for each country).
- The time you are given in class should be used for research, writing, and posting on your blog.
- After you have posted on your iTrek blog, you will be assessing a peer’s blog, and a peer will be assessing your blog against the rubric provided.
Examples:
Requirements for each iTrek Region
Minimum of three total posts per region (one post for each country)
To receive credit for you iTrek post, you must include the following. Please label each paragraph accordingly (i.e, Art, the music here is amazing! When in Rome eat as the Romans do…): Required
- Map: Where is this place located?
- Currency: How will you buy stuff? Exchange rate?
- Language: How will you communicate? What do you hear? Body language? Hand gestures?
Additional (At least 4 additional topics from the list below):
- Destinations: What are you visiting? Is there any historical significance? Why is this place important? Describe your experience.
- Cultural Norms: Clothing? Behaviors? Gender roles?
- Cuisine: What did you eat? Anything different than the US? Food taboos? Markets?
- Sports: Which sports are popular here? Did you see any games? Sports teams?
- Recreation/ leisure: What do people do here for fun?
- Art/ Music: Folk vs. popular music? Famous artists or composers?
- Transportation: How did you travel here? How did you travel around the area? (bus, train, car, bike, etc.)
- Historical Landmarks: What historical significance does this place have?
- Acculturation: What steps did you take to fit in? How were you treated? How does this help you become a citizen of the world?
iTrek Blog- Grading Rubric
| CATEGORY |
Exceeds (3) |
Meets (2) |
Developing (1) |
Beginning (0) |
| Aesthetics/Organization | The presentation is visually appealing, well organized, and shows a great understanding of the what the region has to offer. There are three separate blog posts per region | The presentation is mostly visually appealing, organized and group is prepared, but some information has been left out . | The presentation is not visually appealing, organized or prepared, many details have been left out. | The blog posts lacks visual appeal and organization. Little to no effort has been shown. Blog posts may not be current. |
| Writing/Narrative | The blog post is creative and the narrative is believable. The story is enhanced with personal details to make the reader believe that they were personally there. | The blog post meets requirements for personal travel narrative. Basic creativity is shown to make the reader believe that the author was there. | The blog post lacks creativity and some parts of the post gives personal details. Parts of the narrative makes the reader believe that the author was there. | The blog post lacked creativity and no personal details were described in the narrative. The blog post was lacking believability that the author was there. |
| Required Postings | Each blog post has the 3 required items from Section A.. The information is detailed and accurate. | Each blog posts has 2 of the required items. The information is somewhat detailed and accurate. | Each blog post has 1 of the required items and lacks detail and accuracy. | Coverage of the required items is not current. |
| Additional Postings | The blog posts have 4 additional items from section B. The information is detailed and accurate. | The blog posts have 3 of the additional items. The information is somewhat detailed and accurate. | The blog posts have 1-2 of the additional items and lacks detail and accuracy. | Coverage of the additional items is not current. |
Questions to consider when traveling
Use the questions below to guide your research for your iTrek blog. These are broad questions, so use them as a guide and not a checklist.
Where is this place located?
- What are the surrounding areas?
- How will the location of this area affect your travel?
- Is the area landlocked? Does it have direct access to water?
What is the exchange rate of currency in this area?
- How will you go about exchanging money?
- How will you buy something in this area?
How will you communicate with locals?
- What languages are spoken here?
- What tools will you use to help you translate the languages in this area?
What destinations are you visiting and is there any historical significance?
- Why is this destination important to your understanding of the area?
- How has this destination or location played a part in the shaping of this area?
What cultural norms do you need to be aware of when visiting this area?
- What types of clothing should you bring to this area?
- What sorts of behaviors (physical and emotional) should you be aware of?
- What hand gestures should you be aware of in this area?
- Are there any specific gender roles in this area that would affect your behavior?
What are the common foods and cuisine in this area?
- Are there food taboos among the cultures in these areas?
What types of recreation do the people of this area participate in?
- Which sports are popular here?
- What hobbies are common among locals of this area?
What types of music are popular in this area?
- Are there any famous composers or artists that specifically popular?
Which types of transportation did you use to get here?
- Once here, how did you travel around the area? (bus, train, car, bike, etc.)
What steps did you take to fit in?
- How were you treated?
How has traveling to this location helped you become a better citizen of the world?
Writing Resources
Part of your assignment is to write your narratives in first hand accounts, meaning that you are trying to make the readers believe you are actually there. In this section, you will find resources to help you create and write your iTrek blog.
How to create a blog using Blogger
Description: This video offers directions on how to create, customize, and maintain your blog.
How to write a narrative story
http://www.roanestate.edu/owl/describe.html
Description: This site will help you guide your writing so that it feels authentic to the audience. Be sure to read about writing “vivid descriptions” and using concrete details for your narrative.
Examples of high quality blogs
Hey Nadine: Live. Laugh. Explore http://www.heynadine.com/
Wandering Earl: The Life of a Permanent Nomad http://wanderingearl.com/
A Backpackers Tale: Travel the World http://www.abackpackerstale.com/
Travel Resources
In this section you will find additional resources to help you gain knowledge and tips on how to be an effective traveler.
Travel Talks and Lectures with Rick Steves
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks
Description: World traveler Rick Steves offers advice and tips on how to travel in these short video clips.
Travel Channel
http://www.travelchannel.com/interests/travel-tips
Description: On this resource you will find tricks and tips on how to be a safe traveler. Topics include packing, lodging and transportation.
Currency Converter
http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/
Description: This resource offers a tool to convert currency from around the world. Others tools include trip budget calculator, currency tracker and market analysis.
Booking Your Travel
Description: Trip generator to help you find pricing on flights, lodging and local attractions.
Vagabrothers: Travel Tips: Packing Hacks, and Essentials
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFYhNKuyw2g
Description: This resource helps prepare travelers to pack for all types of situations while giving them tips on how to travel.
Vagabrothers
https://www.youtube.com/user/vagabrothers
Description: two brothers travel around the world on a budget and create video blogs to explore the world and its people.