Culminating Lesson Activities

Title: Planning Your Trip Through Florida Newsletter
          (Or state of your choice)

Activities:

• Research the state of Florida (or state of your choice) on the Internet.
• The Nasa Web site, Pennecamp State Park,  State of Florida
• Keep an electronic journal entry describing each day's activities. Record your state's the natural resources, products, and industries, geography, attractions, land formations, cities, foods, cultures, customs, holidays and places to stay.
• Using the above information, plan a class newsletter representing you state.
• Brainstorm the name of the newsletter and the jobs of the students: editor, reporter, layout, graphics, typist, proof reader.
• Break students into small groups, each student have a specific job.
• Create a masthead and logo for newsletter
• Use Newsletter Planning Sheet to organize information
• Have students create a draft of their newsletter before printing
• After saving all data to a disk, proof read, and publish

Evaluation: Publication of state newsletter

Extension Activities: Class Calendar  

• Have students record class events in an online journal
• Use calendar application of software program to insert data, graphics
• Publish class monthly calendar
• Post calendar on class Web site

Field Trip: Visit a local newspaper to observe how a newspaper is created

Guest Speaker: Invite a reporter to class to interview

Homework: Have students obtain a copy of a local newspaper and  identify the masthead, headlines, feature articles, bylines, photos, cartoons, and editorials. 

Have a great trip!