Travelling the Province

Suggested Activities

In this challenge, which may serve as a culminating task for the inquiry, students consolidate their understanding of the diversity of Alberta's landscape by creating a detailed travelogue or itinerary for a family travelling through an assigned area of Alberta.

Activity 1
Introduce the challenge by reviewing what students have learned about Alberta's diverse natural features, such as landforms, natural resources and tourist attractions. Display a map of the province and ask students to refer to the map in their responses.

Point out that many people visit Alberta each year to discover, for themselves, the information the class has learned. These tourists use maps and brochures to locate natural features, towns and cities, tourist attractions, economic regions and roads. Ask students to work in groups of four to create a travelogue or itinerary that plans a five-day holiday for a family with a range of ages and interests.

Explain that the itinerary should contain accurate information about places the family will visit, sights it will see and things it can do. Not everything needs to appeal to all members of the family, but there should be a range of opportunities so that all members enjoy at least one special day. Suggest that incorporating the needs and interests of all family members in the trip itinerary is an important first step for arriving at consensus. Indicate that in some cases the pros and cons of the suggested options would need to be explored fully before the final decision about what to include in the itinerary is made.

Students may need to gather tourist brochures for information about festivals and other special events in the province, but their itinerary should be an original design. You may assign specific areas of the province to each group or ask groups to choose their own.

Before students begin, develop criteria, as a class, for the itinerary, such as:

• includes a map that shows the family's route and the travel distance from one destination to the next
• indicates location of features, using symbols
• offers accurate and detailed information about the province
• describes a range of features, sights and activities.

When students have completed the assignment, arrange a Tourist Fair Day and ask each group to set up a display of pictures and artifacts that promote its chosen area. Invite another class to visit the fair so that students can explain what they know about Alberta's natural features.