Going on a Field Trip

Grade Levels: 3 - 5

Objectives

• Students will follow directions.
• Students will research travel costs.
• Students will solve problems involving multiplication.

Materials

• Planning a Trip worksheet
• Southwest Airlines Fares Request website
  (http://www.southwest.com/)
• Amtrak Train Schedules website
  (http://tickets.amtrak.com)
• Greyhound Lines, Inc. website
  (http://www.greyhound.com/)

Procedures

1. In advance, visit the Southwest Airlines, Amtrak, and Greyhound websites and choose the closest departure city that is serviced by all three of these transportation companies. In addition, choose five or six destinations that are serviced by these companies.
2. Using the Planning a Trip worksheet as a guide, students will plan a trip for a group of travelers. Divide students into small groups. Tell them the name of the departure city and assign a different destination to each group.
3. Have students record this information on the worksheet. Tell them they can find all the information they need at the Southwest Airlines, Amtrak, and Greyhound websites.
4. Set aside time for students to share their findings.

Assessment

• Use a rubric to assess students' ability to find data and solve multiplication problems.

Extension Activities

• Choose from a large collection of cross-curricular activities for all grade levels.
• Invite students to go on A Money Scents Scavenger Hunt (http://library.thinkquest.org/J003358F/fun.html) where they will learn fun and interesting information about the history of money.
  
• Challenge students to a game of Math Baseball (http://funbrain.com/math/index.html). They can review all operations, or just multiplication, in this game.

Standards Correlations

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
http://www.nctm.org/standards/

Students:

• develop fluency in multiplying whole numbers.
  
• understand the effects of multiplying whole numbers.

National Educational Technology Standards
http://cnets.iste.org/index2.html

Students:

• use technology resources for solving problems.
  
• use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.