Tourism WebQuest

Developing a Thesis

Preknowledge

Introduction to webquest Your city has a lot to offer visitors living abroad. Search for key tourist attractions that you feel are appropriate using language and knowledge used in prior classes (i.e., giving directions, vocabulary related to tourism, prior experiences, etc.). You want to persuade a family to take a vacation trip you have prepared and one that is most suitable for them based on their background, interests, budget, etc. Your plan will be published online and should be of some actual benefit to those interested in traveling to your city.

Assignment

Task Your task is to find three different people or families from outside of the country where you reside and develop one, 10-day, vacation plan for each. Present (published online) all three plans to each person or family to see which plan they choose. Did they choose the vacation you had planned for them? Why or why not?

Activity

Process Step 1) Determine as a whole group the different tourist attractions that you feel best represent your city. Step 2) Divide up in pairs and prepare three vacation plans by investigating different tourist attractions in your city (each pair having a different attraction). Step 3) Visit travel agencies to get current prices, find ways to present your vacation plans to tourists, and determine the best way to "sell" your information (i.e., brochures, posters, online platforms, etc.). For example, online platforms might include wikis, blogs, or a dedicated website. Step 4) Find ways to get to know your respective tourists (e.g., online interview, questionnaire, etc.). What are their interests, backgrounds, vacation budget, etc.? Step 5) Present your plans by conducting a role-play where you must defend your choice in vacation plans to your classmates, explaining the attributes of your respective tourists. In turn, your classmates will also provide their opinions to see whether they match your group (i.e., groups of two) decision. Your role-play or presentation will be videotaped and published online as well. Step 6) Write a one-to-two page reflection about your experience. What did you find most interesting about this activity? What were some challenges? etc.

Assessment

Evaluation You will be evaluated on your performance, level of understanding, and reflective skills using this rubric.

Outcomes

Conclusion English language learners (ELLs) will understand that rest, relaxation, and having fun while on vacation in a foreign location stem from understanding the personal attributes of the tourists. ELLs will learn about why certain tourist attractions in their home city are popular and will gain perspective in one's personality can influence one's experiences. ELLs will reflect on their personal experiences, gain empathy regarding how others feel when visiting the city, and create artifacts that will be useful to anyone interested in visiting their city from abroad.

References

Web Aguascalientes Pictures of Aguascalientes Travel Aguascalientes Blogs in plain English Wikis in plain English Dedicated website. Adapted 6 + 1 Traits of analytical writing assessment scoring guide (rubric) from Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, OR Books Arter, J. & McTighe, J. (2001). Scoring rubrics in the classroom: Using performance criteria for assessing and improving student performance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Teacher Page: Click here to access teacher page.