Unit Plan
Travel Pals: A Journey For Learning
Grades
1–2
Duration
40 WEEKS
View SlideshowQuick links to unit plan resources:
Objectives
Students will:
- Contribute to a class made scrapbook about themselves, their school and community
- Operate and download photos from a digital camera and use iPhoto so they can help to crop and choose pictures for the class scrapbook
- Learn how to access and respond to email
- Use the internet to research and report on cities, famous sites and places
- Learn how to navigate Google Earth and Google Maps to observe the places that the Travel Pal visits
- Illustrate books, brochures, posters, poems, stories and more
- Use map skills to keep track of places their Travel Pal has been,
- Recall the location of states and cities on the U.S. map
- Write narratives, letters and informational posters during activities related to the adventures of their Travel Pal
During Instruction
Culminating Activity
I let the Travel Pals spend a night with each of my students upon their arrival back to Austin. That way each student has an opportunity to share all of their adventures and what they had been learning with their family.Supporting Books
Any of these books listed would be excellent references to extend the activities completed throughout this project.- The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller
- The Scrambled States of America Talent Show by Laurie Keller
- This Land is Your Land by Kathy Jakobsen, Woody Guthrie, illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen
- My America by Jan Spivey Gilchrist
- Tour America by Johnson Siebert, Diane Siebert, illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson
- United States of America by Jeff E. Reynolds
- Discover the United States of America by Lara Rice Bergen
- Scholastic Atlas of the United States by David Rubel
- United States of America: A State by State Guide by Millie Miller and Cyndi Nelson
- Series Rookie Read About Geography by various authors
Introducing the Travel Pals & The Travel Pal Interactive Notebook
Travel Pals: A Journey of Learning is a 9-month long project, which teaches students about U.S. geography and historical landmarks. Students make real-world connections to places and people around the U.S. by tracking the adventures of a class stuffed animal, or Travel Pal. The Internet, educational programming and digital cameras are used throughout this entire project.
GRADES
1–2, 3–5
DURATION
40 WEEKS
Grades
PreK-5
Reading level
R
Paperback Book
$9.71
From the Teachers Store
Grades
PreK-2
Activity Book
$11.24
From the Teachers Store
