Developed in the fall of 1997 for use in our new Windows 95 lab at Greenville High School, this long term project “came alive” when a student asked me, “Can we take the trip together?” To which I replied after thinking a moment, “Sure...you have twice the budget if two go.” The class was pretty excited, and we had a great time. The project is still viable.
Students first choose a destination and a travel companion if they prefer not to travel alone. Their total budget is doubled if they travel together.
The amount of “money” is arbitrary, but this depends on the length of time they are gone. Students are expected to leave the day after school closes and not return until the day before school begins in the fall. I also require travelers to go outside the United States to a foreign country.
For the purposes of booking flights, students are “of age.” Of course, no actual reservations are made.
A spreadsheet is required. This details the amounts total for food, travel, lodging and activities. The cells must calculate down to a grand total. Using this method, students can see how much their bottom line is depending on their activities.
A digital report is required. As students “visit” their countries and “go on a tour” there, they collect photos gleaned from Internet searching. These photos are assembled into a slide show using PowerPoint, iMovie, iPhoto, or any suitable presentation technology.
The final days of the class is when the students present their “trip.”