1. Sites, Sounds and the City
A travel agency designed for students touring Washington D. C.

2. Table of Contents Scenario Essential Questions The Problem Tasks
Resources
Evaluation
Conclusion

3. Scenario
You are a tour company planning a tour of Washington, D. C. for a group of 100 eighth grade students and their chaperones. As you plan the tour, keep in mind the interests and experiences of your audience.

4. Essential Question
When visiting Washington D. C., what sites are critical to experiencing the history and Americana of our nation’s capital?

5. The Problem
You need to develop an itinerary (an agenda for the trip—places you will visit on a daily basis, in what order, and approximate times of arrival and departure). Your itinerary needs to meet the following requirements:
The trip is for 3 days and 2 nights you must visit at least 3 sites a day (no more than 5) and the sites must be within 60 miles of D. C.
Please allow times for meals but you do not need to specify where you will eat.
You may be generic with the hotel and restaurant accommodations
***every group MUST have an itinerary***

6. Tasks Washington DC Blog MAP BROCHURE CLIMATE CONTROL MEMORIAL REPORT
Complete these two required tasks in addition to your itinerary:
Choose 2 of the 5 following tasks that interest you the most. The extra two completed tasks will earn extra credit in the class of your choice.
MAP
BROCHURE
CLIMATE
CONTROL
MEMORIAL
REPORT
TRAVEL
LOG
PERSUASIVE
PRESENTATION
BUDGET
REPORT

7. Resources
Other websites to visit:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Library of Congress
House of Representative
Senate
Supreme Court
Weather Information
General DC Information
Hotel Information
Smithsonian Institute
More Washington Info
Gettysburg
Arlington Cemetery
DC Blog
Newseum
*Please refer to the following website as a jumping off point for your work:
National Park Service

8. Evaluation *Grading Rubric for completed tasks.
A. The project is highly organized and exceeds the requirements for the assignment. The information and research are accurate and an exceptional amount of learning is demonstrated in all subject areas. Creativity and originality are evident.
B. The project is highly organized and meets all requirements of the project. There is accurate research and information and the project demonstrates learning in all areas. The work is creative.
C. The project is organized and creative. It meets most of the requirements. Information and research are accurate and learning is demonstrated in most subject areas.
D. The project is not well organized and only some requirements have been met. There is inadequate or inaccurate information and research. Little creativity is displayed and learning is demonstrated in only a few subject areas.
E. The project lacks organization, creativity, and learning in subject areas. Few of the product requirements have been met.

9. Conclusion
Congratulations! Now you are accomplished travel agents. Take a moment to reflect on your experiences with the “Sites, Sounds, and the City” travel agency. What parts of the travel and tourism industry did you enjoy working with? What didn’t you like? Would you do this over again? We hope you have enjoyed your work. We will be in touch for future tour planning!

10. MAP
Construct a map of D.C. including the sites you plan to visit. Include on your map the routes of your daily trips, indicating the stops you will make. You may choose to draw each route in a different color to differentiate between days. Make sure your map pays attention to scale, is colorful and appealing (draw or download pictures to help), and is accurate. This map must be your own creation. NOT a computer printed map or copy from a book or brochure. Be creative and colorful.
Additional web resources:
Travel Map One
Travel Map Two

11. Brochure
You are part of a tour company. Give your company a name and create a brochure to advertise your D.C. trip for middle schools. Include who, what, where, when, and why to give all the information necessary to sell your trip. Make sure your brochure is colorful, neat, and inviting, and has all of the necessary information a person would need (without being overwhelming or giving too much information to read). Where will you visit? What time of the year would be best to visit D.C. ? Who should go? Etc…
Please use Microsoft Publisher to create your brochure. See the links on the resources page for websites that provide additional information.

12. Memorial Report
There are many memorials built in DC all with a purpose. Pick one that is meaningful to you. Justify the development of this memorial. What does it represent and how does it make you feel? Who built it? When and why was it constructed? Where is it located & is that significant? Type a one to two page essay addressing these ideas.
See “Resources” page of web quest for help with this assignment.

13. Climate Control
The climate in Washington D.C. varies from season to season. When would be the best time to visit D.C. according to the average daily temperature? What if you want to go when rain is least expected? What if you want to go when the cherry trees are blooming? Have your company produce an average climate profile for each month letting your clients know what they can expect to find in D. C. weather-wise, each month of the year. Be sure to include temperature, precipitation, and the possibility of dangerous weather. This must be your own original work.
Additional resources:
DC Monthly Weather
Cherry Blossom Festival

14. Travel Log
Create a daily written journal of what a member of your tour group will experience in D.C. What sites will they see? Be descriptive. What sights, sounds, emotions, might they experience? Include descriptions for each activity or site visited for all three days.
See “Resources” page of this web quest for help with this assignment.

15. Persuasive Presentation
As a tour company you may be required to present your tour to a group of potential clients. Present a power point presentation about the highlights of your tour to get them excited about your trip. You may choose to include your daily itinerary, pictures of sites, etc. Include anything that will convince a potential client to book a tour with you company.
Additional resources.
See Microsoft Power point under “programs” on your computer.

16. Budget Report
How much will all of this cost? Take a look at your itinerary. What sites have admission costs and how much? How about meals? How much would you expect to pay for meals, snacks, and drinks? How much for hotel accommodations and traveling expenses by tour bus?
Estimate a daily budget report itemizing expenses per person based on your itinerary. Try to think of everything that might cost money. Propose a cost per person for a company interested in your tour. Categorize the expenses according to the following types: lodging, food, admissions, souvenirs, travel costs, etc… Create a circle graph displaying the results.
See “Resources” section of this web quest for help with this assignment.

17. DC Blog “Anticipating DC”
Using bisblogger website, please choose 3 different questions to answer each day and post a response.
When posting an answer, please re-type the question in your entry.
Make sure to research your answer thoroughly.
“Daily Trip Blog”
Each day, a question will be posted on the blog for you to respond to thoughtfully and thoroughly.