Coushatta Travel Brochure
by Virginia LaFleur, vlafleur@allen.k12.la.us

Content Area(s)
English/Language Arts
Social Studies

Grade Level(s)
4, 5, 6, 7, Special Ed

Overview
Each year I take my students on a field trip to the Coushatta Day Camp. It is a half-day camp with fun-filled activities and games students engage in to experience the culture of the tribe. It is lots of fun and a great learning experience. The camp includes activites such as looking for arrowheads, making Indian necklaces, and eating authentic fried bread. Upon returning to school, I have my students recap the day by designing a travel brochure complete with mini reports and illustrations about what they learned at camp. This year I plan to incorporate the use of handhelds for taking notes and pictures during the excursion.

Software
Notepad and digital camera
Sketchy

Technology
paper, pencil, colors, or markers

Objectives
Students will design a travel brochure based on the life of the Coushatta Indians after visiting Coushatta Camp.
Students will write mini reports to include on the brochure.
Students wil illustrate their brochure with drawings related to their reports.

Procedures
The class, divided into groups of six students with a chaperone, will attend Coushatta Camp, and visit all stations and the museum.
As the group explores a station, one member will assume the role of recorder. Using the handheld, the recorder will write notes using Notepad, and take pictures using the digital camera on the handheld. The role of the recorder will change with the rotation of the stations.
Upon return to the classroom, student will regroup, discuss the activities, then beam the notes from "Notepad" to each member of the group. Each child will then outline five of his favorite stations using the recorder's notes. Using the outline, student will a write mini report on each panel of a five-panel travel brochure, reflecting accurate information and an illustration. The front panel of the brochure will simply include the title and a sentence persuading the reader to visit the camp. Completed brochures will be checked, shared, and displayed for others to enjoy. The photographs taken during the field trip will be printed and exhibited separately from the brochures as a poster collage. Other Indian artifacts will be included in the collage. (arrowheads, necklaces, bear claws, etc.)

Other Supporting Material

Submitted on: 8/2/2004 3:50:01 PM