Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Language Arts Activity - Road Trip Time

Language Arts Activity - Road Trip Time
No matter the time of year, road trips often fill the daydreams of students-and teachers. This language arts lesson for Middle and High School students, Road Trip Time, allows students to live vicariously through the character that they select. These characters may be from:
1. The teacher's pre-made list using stories they have studied in class
2. The student's choice from stories they have studied in class, or
3. Students' choices from their independent reading.

The teacher chooses when this activity will enhance lesson content and will develop reading comprehension as well as writing and higher level thinking skills.

By the time that they have completed this activity, students will have exhibited their range of thinking skills from knowledge through evaluation. These handouts allow them to show their understanding of all aspects of the elements of literature as well as their analytic and critical-thinking skills in their writing and talking.

Here are a few of the requirements from the Directions that students must address:
Language Arts Activity - Road Trip Time
• Where this character goes depends on his/her age, personality, likes, dislikes, and physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
• What is the purpose of this trip- a vacation, a work/vacation combination, a quest, some other reason?
• If the story takes place in this world, the place(s) the character visits on this Road Trip should actually exist.
• If the story takes place in a made up world, create places that could exist and that are true to the story.
• Research and analyze the real or make-believe world Road Trip places to make sure that they fit the real or imagined setting, and all aspects of the character you chose as well as his/her purpose for the trip. 

Students are to complete all three of the Teacher Required Components - 
Language Arts Activity - Road Trip Time

1. Travel Agent Survey - See handout
2. Road Trip Itinerary- See handout
3. Character’s Road Trip Journal- See requirements
as well as one Student Component Choices- See explanations
1. Facebook Road Trip Fan Page
2. Road Trip Tweets
3. Road Trip Scrapbook
4. Road Trip Slide Show
5. Student’s Idea
Note: helpful links for free templates, etc. are given for both the Character's Road Trip Journal and for the Student Component Choices.


Language Arts Activity - Road Trip Time


Whether teachers use this as to end the school year, to begin the new term in the fall, or during the year, at some point, everyone needs Road Trip Time's "Ahh I needed that" interlude. 

This language arts activity is based on specific standards (see the Teacher Notes), assesses Middle and High School students' comprehension, thinking and writing skills and engages students on all of the Bloom's Taxonomy levels.



Happy Teaching,