Lone Star Road Trip

What's better than a family road trip? I know... a road trip planned by the kids!!

Given their newfound knowledge of Texas History, fourth grade students in Mrs. Kerry's class, at Peterson Elementary, dug deep into their Texas roots as they worked in groups to plan a road trip around the Lone Star State. With a set budget and the challenge of finding something to do within each of the four regions of Texas, students got straight to work. Students researched hotels, activities to do within their selected cities and places to eat. Groups also had to keep mileage in mind as they figured out how much gas they would need to take their trip.

Talk about real world application! Students were given a $2,500 budget that would fund

their gas, food, lodging, activities and more. Careful planning was necessary as the group made decisions on how to best spend their money. Emma said, "Some skills I think I gained for the future are that I'll be able to calculate the cost of taking a road trip. By calculating the cost I will be able to figure out what I'm going to eat and do and where I am able to stay".   

As students spent time reflecting on their work, Lindsay commented, "My favorite part of the project was the itinerary because you can plan all the times and exactly how long you want to stay at something." Choosing the destinations they would visit in each region took a lot of research and thought. They were tasked with finding information about that region's industries, climate, plant/animal life, and historical facts.  

Students wrapped up their project with a digital presentation and persuasive letter for their parents. Their letters included three reasons why their parents should agree to take them on this road trip, while their digital presentations highlighted details from each region of Texas they would be visiting.To pull the entire project together, students learned the art of "App Smashing", while utilizing Pic Collage, 30 Hands, and Weebly. By using Weebly to culminate their project, students were able to reach a larger, more global audience as they shared their learning with family and friends.

To view the road trip two groups of fourth graders organized, click the images within this post. Their Weebly sites are private, but can be accessed with a password (mrskerry).