Traveling with Flat Stanley

Adam Gelbard

March 2, 2002

PURPOSE:

Students will collect geographical data about a state, use and explain vocabulary, and present the information with a PowerPoint presentation.

FOCUS QUESTIONS:

1. What is the square mileage of your state?

2. What is the population of your state?

3. What special geographic features are present in your state? For example, are there mountains, rivers, lakes, or deserts? Does an ocean surround your state? What is the average daily temperature? What is the climate? Are there seasons?

4. What attractions/sites are available for tourists to visit? Are the attractions/sites open year-round?

5. Have you previously visited this state?

6. Would you like to visit? Why or why not?

Lesson can be used with: Reading, writing, and math.

Hawaii Content, Benchmarks, and Performance Standards:

WORLD IN SPATIAL TERMS:

Geography Content Standard 1: Students use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present information on people, places, and environments.

4-5 Cluster Benchmark: Collect, organize, and analyze data to interpret and construct geographic representations.

Performance Standards:

The student will:

1. Show organization of collected data.

2. Construct a map, globe, graph, chart, model, etc., that includes collected geographic data.

3. Explain the meanings, patterns, and relationships found in geographic data.

PLACES AND REGIONS:

Geography Content Standard 2: Students understand how distinct physical and human characteristics shape places and regions.

4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark: Use physical and human characteristics to compare and contrast places and regions in Hawaii, the United States, and other countries.

Performance Standards:

The student will:

1. Show similarities and differences of the physical characteristics of places and regions.

2. Show similarities and differences of the human characteristics of places and regions.

3. Apply this knowledge to draw conclusions and/or make connections.

PHYSICAL SYSTEMS:

Geography Content Standard 3: Students understand how physical processes shape Earth’s surface and create, sustain, and modify the ecosystems.

4-5 Grade Cluster Benchmark: Explain how physical processes affect formation and distribution of climates, natural resources, and ecosystems.

Performance Standards:

The students will:

1. Explain the earth’s physical processes; e.g., erosion, earthquakes, flooding, lava flows.

2. Explain the presence of climates, natural resources, and ecosystems.

3. Explain casual relationships between the physical processes and climate, natural resources, and/or ecosystems.

SKILLS:

§ Collect geographic data.

§ Interpret geographic data.

§ Create a PowerPoint presentation using geographic data.

§ Present PowerPoint presentation to the class.

ASSESSMENT:

§ Using a rubric, student’s PowerPoint presentation will be assessed of:

o Collection of data

o Organization of data

o Creativity of PowerPoint presentation

o Oral presentation skills

VOCABULARY:

§ Climate

§ Ecosystem

§ Environment

§ Globe

§ Legend

§ Man-made

§ Natural resources

§ Physical characteristics

§ Population

§ Region

§ Scale

MATERIALS:

§ Colored pencils

§ Computer with internet access

§ Construction paper

§ Envelope

§ Flat Stanley book/cassette by Jeff Brown

§ Handout of focus questions

§ Handout of PowerPoint steps

§ Map of Hawaii

§ Map of United States

§ Paper

§ PowerPoint computer program

§ Scissors

§ Stamp

PROCEDURE:

1. Read or listen to Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown.

2. Explain that students will choose a state and prepare a PowerPoint presentation.

3. Show a map of the United States.

4. Ask students, “Which states have you visited?”

5. Ask students, “What are some of the tourist destinations of that state?”

6. Show the map legend and review its purpose.

7. Show a map of Hawaii.

8. Explain the unique geographic qualities of Hawaii, such as an active volcano, dormant volcanoes, mountains, rainforests, etc.

9. Show the map legend and review its purpose.

10. Provide construction paper, scissors, and colored pencils.

11. Explain that Flat Stanley will travel to chosen states and collect information about the state.

12. Ask students to draw and color Flat Stanley.

13. Give students handout of focus questions.

14. Explain that students will contact the State Visitor Guide Center to collect geographic data using the Internet and by sending a letter by snail mail.

15. Ask students to choose a state and have it approved by the teacher.

16. Review the steps of conducting a search on the Internet.

17. Ask students to find address of State Visitor Guide Center by using the Internet.

18. Hand out paper.

19. Ask students to write a letter to State Visitor Guide Center and ask for geographic information and maps using focus questions and their own questions.

20. Hand out stamped envelopes.

21. Mail the letters.

22. Ask students to conduct a search using the Internet to collect data about state.

23. For homework, ask students to contact a travel agent to find out the cost of a one-week trip to a favorite destination in the state. Ask students to get their parents’ permission to find out the cost of the same trip using the Internet.

24. Give students hand out of PowerPoint presentation.

25. Review the steps of preparing a PowerPoint presentation.

a. Find PowerPoint icon.

b. Click on icon.

c. Click on design template.

d. Choose and click on background.

e. Choose and click on auto layout format.

f. Type information.

g. To add a graphic, click on slide show on task bar.

§ Scroll down to preset animation.

§ Choose and Click on preset animation.

h. To insert more slides, click on insert on task bar.

§ Scroll down to new slide.

§ Choose and click auto layout format.

§ Type information.

§ Add graphic.

i. To save presentation, go to file on task bar and scroll down to save as.

26. Ask students to prepare a presentation using data collected.

27. Ask students to make presentation with Flat Stanley.