Walt Disney World Trip Project Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 7
th
Grade
Teachers Name: Mr. Fabian
Estimated Total Time: 5-7 Days
Daily Time Length: 42 Minutes Classes

Objectives:
Library Media Skills Objectives:
The student will learn independent research skills: identifying resources, locating information, taking notes, and
completing a project by using technology resources.
Curriculum (Subject Area) Objectives:
The student will study utilize the content they are acquiring in both their social studies class as well as their math
class to plan a trip to Walt Disney World. The information they will be using is that of geographic locations, world
geography, number sense, measurement, problem solving, etc.

Standards:
Ohio Library Standards:
Grade 7; A-1: Library Awareness Discuss search strategies and information retrieval methods with the library
media specialist or library staff as needed.
Grade 7; B-1: Library Awareness Evaluate library materials and select formats based on information needed.
Grade 7; B-2: Circulation Demonstrate appropriate procedures when borrowing library material.
Grade 7; B-3: Library Organization Locate fiction and non-fiction books by call letters/numbers.
Grade 7; B-4: Library Organization Use the library reference collection to find answers.
Grade 7; B-5: Library Organization - Locate resources using a title, subject or author, keyword and advanced
searches in the library catalog.
Grade 7; D-1: Evaluating Resources Distinguish when current copyright dates of sources are important in
answering any information need.
Grade 7; D-2: Evaluating Resources Assess the objectivity of a source when using information.
Grade 7; D-3: Evaluating Resources Compare multiple sources to check accuracy of information.
Grade 7; D-4: Evaluating Resources Determine if a given source has all the information needed for a question or
project.
Grade 7; D-5: Evaluating Resources Chart information gathered from multiple sources to determine facts to be
used in a project.
Grade 7; E-2: Find Select and evaluate relevant information about a specific topic in several sources.
Grade 7; E-4: Use Compile information learned about a topic from a variety of sources.
Grade 7; E-5: Use Create informational products to share information using different formats.
Grade 7; E-7: Use Take notes, organize information into logical sequence and create a draft product.
Grade 7; E-8: Use Critically evaluate the quality of the information resource.
Grade 7; E-9: Use Evaluate how information was found and assess the quality of the information product.

Ohio Social Studies Content Standards:
Grade 6: Geography - Location 1: Place countries, cities, deserts, mountain ranges and bodies of water on the
continents on which they are located.
Grade 6: Geography - Location 2: Use coordinates of latitude and longitude to locate points on a world map.
Grade 6: Social Studies Skills and Methods - Obtaining Information 1: Use multiple sources to define essential
vocabulary and obtain information for a research project.
Grade 6: Social Studies Skills and Methods - Thinking and Organizing 3: Organize information using outlines and
graphic organizers.
Grade 6: Social Studies Skills and Methods - Problem Solving 7: Work effectively to achieve group goals.
Grade 7: Social Studies Skills and Methods 3 Establish guidelines, rules and timelines for group work.
Grade 7: Social Studies Skills and Methods 3 Reflect on the performance of a classroom group in which one has
participated including the contribution of each member in reaching group goals.

Ohio Mathematics Content Standards:
Number and Number Sense Operations
Grade 6-13: Estimate reasonableness solutions to problem situations involving fractions and decimals.
Grade 6-14: Use proportional reasoning, ratios and percents to represent problem situations and
determine the reasonableness of solutions.
Measurement
Grade 7-4: Solve problems involving proportional relationships and scale factor (i.e. scale models that
require unit conversions within the same measurement system).
Grade 7-5: Analyze problem situations involving measurement concepts, select appropriate strategies, and
use an organized approach to solve narrative and increasingly complex problems.
Mathematical/Scientific Processes
Grade 6 Problem Solving: Apply and justify the use of a variety of problem-solving strategies (i.e. make an
organized list, guess and check, etc.).
Grade 6 Reasoning: Check for reasonableness before you leave each step of your problem.
Grade 6 Connections: Connect this project to real-life application for family planning.

Materials:

Computers
Printers
Projector
Activity Guide Sheets
Flight Calculations
Driving Calculations
Train Calculations
Bus Calculations
Attraction Calculations
Hotel Calculations
Food Calculations
Total Trip Calculations
Poster Board
Microsoft PowerPoint

Books To Be Utilized:

Beyond Disney: The Unofficial Guide to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld & the Best of Central Florida / by: Bob
Sehlinger
Day Trips from Orlando, 3
rd
. Edition / by: John Kumiski
Days Out Around Orlando / by: Gillian Birch
Fodors Walt Disney World 2011: With Universal, SeaWorld, and the Best of Central Florida / by: Rona Gindin
Fodors Walt Disney World with Kids 2012: With Universal Orlando, SeaWorld & Aquatica / by: Kim Wiley
Frommers Walt Disney World and Orlando 2011 / by: Laura Miller
Frommers Walt Disney World and Orlando with Kids / by: Laura Miller
Orlando Chow: Restaurants for the Rest of Us / by: Bob Mervine
Secrets of Saving in Orlando: A Locals Guide to Saving Time & Money in Orlando / by: Joy Belding
The Everything Guide to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Greater Orlando: Hotels, Restaurants,
Major Attractions, and More (Everything Series) / by: Jason R. Rich
The Other Orlando: What To Do When Youve Done Disney and Universal / by: Kelly Monaghan
Top 10 Orlando (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide) / by: DK Publishing
Walt Disney World and Orlando for Dummies / by: Laura Miller
Walt Disney World Resort & Orlando (Eyewitness Travel Guide) / by: DK Publishing

Websites To Be Utilized:

General Tourism Sites:
AAA
Expedia
Info 2 Orlando
Kayak
Orbitz
Orlando Tourist Information Bureau
Priceline
Travelocity
Trip Advisor
Undercover Tourist
Visit Florida
Visit Orlando
Wikitravel

Flight Websites:
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta
Southwest Airlines
United Airlines
US Airways
USA 3000

Driving Websites:
AAA
AAA Gas Calculations
Bing Maps
Google Maps
MapQuest
Yahoo Maps

Train Websites:
Amtrak

Bus Websites:
Greyhound

Attraction Websites:
Best of Orlando
Bush Gardens
Gatorland
Kennedy Space Center
Legoland
Orlando Attractions
Orlando Science Center
Ripleys Believe It or Not!
Sea World
Universal Studios
Visit Orlando
Walt Disney World
Wet N Wild
Wonderworks

Food Websites:
Orlando Tourist Information Bureau
Universal Studios Dining
Visit Kissimmee
Walt Disney World Dining

Lesson Plan:
Pre-Assessment:
No Pre-assessment is needed for this project as it is an assessment in itself.

Procedure:
Students will be placed into groups of 3
1 student will be the Transportation Specialist
1 student will be the Concierge
1 student will be the Travel Guide
The students will need to work together with their given roles in order to complete this assignment. The
Transportation Specialist will be responsible for selecting and calculating the cost of the mode of transportation
which will be used for the trip. The Concierge will be responsible for selecting and calculating the cost of the
accommodations and food for the trip. The Travel Guide will be responsible for selecting and calculating the cost
of the attractions we will attend while on the trip.
All calculations will be done on the provided handouts for that particular role.
Students will have the recommended books available to them during this project to reference for information as
well as the given website links.
Students must shop around as their task is to find the best deal for their money. Students are required to
research multiple versions of each task in order to choose the best option (i.e. chose multiple flights with varying
times or days to see which would be the least costly).
Once students are confident in their selections and their calculations they then begin the final part of the project
which is where their roles turn to that of a travel agent.
They will gather all their final decisions together and design a presentation utilizing visual aids (i.e.
PowerPoint, Poster Boards, etc.).
They will present to their class their planned trip (including selected mode of transportation, attractions
to be visited, hotel to be stayed at, restaurants where they will eat, when they will go, etc.)
As an added perk the groups will vote on who they feel designed the best trip. The winning group will
earn a small prize (To Be Determined).

Grading Of Project:
Grading of project will be in 2 parts. The first grade will be for the research of the information; the second grade
will be on the presentation. Both parts have a rubric that the students will be given in their packet.

Post-Assessment:
There will be no Post-Assessment as this project is an assessment in itself.

Interdisciplinary Connections:
Social Studies
Geography
Technology
Family and Life Planning

Differentiated Instruction Strategies:
Intervention
Students may need assistance in checking airline prices and finding the best sites for mapping their trip.
For this accommodation students are provided both a list of sites to use and a calculator for mathematic
computation. If students do not have internet access at home, students will be given both time in class as
well as time during their free periods/study halls to work in the media center on this project.
Enrichment
Students will answer why questions such as Why use air travel as opposed to ground transportation?
or Why did you pick the attractions to see that you did? All of these answers will be presented in the
presentation portion of the project.

Extensions:
Students will apply the math, social studies and library concepts to a real world context to plan this trip.
Ask students to write a descriptive paragraph on why they chose the attractions they did to tie in their language
arts topics of essay/paragraph/sentence structure as well as grammar.
Students could design a WebQuest to post on the schools website for others to complete based on their planned
trip.
Students could share some of their travel experiences with the class.

Research Connections:

Sutton, J., & Krueger, A. (2002). EDThoughts: What We Know About Mathematics Teaching and Learning. Aurora,
CO: McREL.

McREL (Mid-Continent Research For Education and Learning)

NCREL (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory)