1. Bienvenidos! Cultural Study of Latin American Countries
Mexico … Belize…Guatemala…El Salvador …
Honduras … Nicaragua … Costa Rica
Panama … Cuba … Dominican Republic …
Colombia … Ecuador Peru Chile
Argentina … Brazil … Venezuela
Designed by: E. Korver and K. Chaffee
Bookcliff Middle School
7th Grade Social Studies Webquest
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

2. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Introduction
¡Bienvenidos!
You and your partner have just been hired by a new travel company, “TrekAmericas!”
Your assignment is to educate tourists about Latin America and entice them to travel there. This is an opportunity to work with a partner to develop an exciting magazine.
You will have to use your imagination and creativity to sell your country as a world class vacation spot.
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

3. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Task
Your group has been assigned a country in Latin America
by the “Bureau of Tourism,” and now you and your partner
must become an expert on this country.
Find as much information as you can about the country you are researching.  Your group is expected to develop a unique, four-page magazine using only internet websites.
Your magazine will include general information about the geographical and cultural aspects of your country. Pictures and graphics will be used to illustrate these features.
Finally, you will have the opportunity to use your magazine to sell your travel destination to the class.
!Buena Suerte!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

4. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Process
You will be working in groups of two.
Each person will be responsible for a two-page layout for the
magazine.
Your and your partner must decide on who should be the
TRAVEL AGENT and who will be the AMBASSADOR.
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

5. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
TRAVEL AGENT
The travel agent will be the person to provide a complete profile of
the physical geography and climate of the destination. The travel
agent will provide the following information:
Name your country’s hemispheres and continent. Describe the relative location of your country. Name the national capital and its absolute location.
Describe the physical characteristics of the place such as size, land and water features.
Name any special natural features that tourists would want to see (for example The Colorado National Monument).
Explore the recreational activities available due to your country’s physical features (for example we can ski in Grand Junction because we have snow and mountains).
Describe the climate and recommend the best time of year to travel there.
Evaluate the threat of any natural disasters.
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

6. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
AMBASSADOR
The ambassador will be the person to provide a complete
cultural profile of the destination. The ambassador will provide
the following information:
Describe the cultural characteristics of the people including food, clothing, language, population density and homes.
Name any special cultural places or historical places that tourists would want to see (for example Main Street with Art on the Corner).
Name their currency (money) and any products that most tourists buy from this area.
Describe cultural events, athletic competitions, and museums that might be of interest to tourists (for example The Museum of Western Colorado).
Explore the costs and types of transportation both to the destination and within the destination.
Provide travel tips and travel advisories.
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

7. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Steps to follow
Be sure to keep a daily journal of your work and the websites that you're using in your research (Add to Favorites Folder).
Once you've picked your role (Travel Agent or Ambassador), each person should use the websites located at the end of the Steps to follow section.
Start gathering all the information and images that you're responsible for. You should copy and paste only the information you need into WORD for editing later. Save the images to your H:/ drive.
Gather more information and pictures than you need, so that you will have plenty of items to choose from for your magazine layout!
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

8. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
After you've collected all your information you must decide what information you really want to use. Print out your WORD document. Now you're ready to start writing in your own words. Remember you need to be persuasive.
Once all your information and images have been collected and your rough draft is written it's time to put your magazine layout together. Make your magazine layout eye catching as well as informative.
5. Fill in your information using the PUBLISHER template. Only use pages 2 and 3. Save your magazine layout in your H:/ drive. Print only pages 2 and 3.
6. Present your magazines layout to the class. Your presentation should be 5 minutes long.
Remember you are trying to sell your vacation spot, so it is important that you convince others that your country is the best!
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

9. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Resources
To complete you project you will need to use the following internet links:
Lonely Planet: The World's Best Travel Guides
Fodors' Online Travel Guides
Frommers Travel Guides
Culturegrams
Cultural Profiles Project
World Book Online Encyclopedia
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

10. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Conclusion
This webquest should be a fun and rewarding experience. As a result of this webquest will be an expert in you country and be able to present your travel destination with excitement. Through this experience you will have gained an appreciation for the countries of Latin America.
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

11. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Evaluation
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

12. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

13. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Click your mouse to see next slide!
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

14. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Teachers
Social Studies Standards –
Standard #2 – Students know the physical and human characteristics of places and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.
Standard #3 – Students understand how physical processes shape earth’s surface patterns and systems.
Standard #4 – Students understand how economic, political, and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependences, cooperation, and conflict.
Information Literacy Standards –
Educational Technology Standards –
Lessons Plans – Introduce webquest after they have selected a partner and their country. Do the evaluation after they have done 2 days of research as a check to see if they are on the right track.
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick

15. Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick
Credits
This webquest was adapted from a WebQuest (“Pasos Webquest” by Jean Adams). It was designed to supplement Unit 3 – Latin America - 7th Grade Geography - The World and Its People textbook.
This template was adapted from The WebQuest Page.
MCVSD 51
Shannon Morlan and Heather Flick