The Class Trip A Problem Solving Webquest for Middle Years Students

School is always the same... Z Z Z Z

Or is it??? Does school automatically mean 9:00 to 3:30, desks, pens, books, and chalkboards? What about other places to learn and other experiences besides notes and tests? You and your classmates have decided that school should be an experience, not a building, and as a class you want to take school on the road.

Let’s Go! You know there are lots of places in our province that you should know more about. You also know that you could learn a great deal from planning and carrying out a class trip. Most of all, you know it will be the most fun you'll ever have at school !

Hold It... Unfortunately, families, teachers and the school officials aren't so convinced that this is a good idea. They have reasons - it will cost too much, there won't be any learning going on, students won't put in the effort needed to make the trip a success.

It’s All Up To You As far as you are concerned, it's not whether you go, just where you go that is up for discussion. In teams of three, it is your job to show the families, teachers and school officials that your idea is a good one that you can plan, pay for and carry out.

What’s Your Role? Click on a Role to View it

You are the event planner for the trip. You must identify the outings and activities that will fill the days. You will be responsible for researching possible options, explaining the educational value of each trip or activity, and identifying the time required in each case. A good travel agent will come up with a balanced plan that includes educational activities, physical activity, mental activity and fun activities as well as some free time for everyone. There must be enough time available for the necessities of life such as sleeping, eating, and personal hygiene as well as time to finish one activity and move to the next without rushing. The committee will be looking for a reasonable plan with good use of time, educational value, and something that interests all students.

 Decide where in Southwest Saskatchewan you are going to travel.  Decide how long the trip will be (maximum 4 days and 3 nights, including travel time)  Brainstorm possible activities for your trip including educational tours, outdoor activities, and recreational activities  Research possible activities from your brainstorm list  Research transportation and accommodation costs for the area you have chosen to visit  Share cost information with the Financial Planner in your group  Decide how long you will have for meals and where they will be made and eaten  Share times and activities with the nutritionist for your group  Create your map, itinerary and your written explanations of the activities.

History and Culture St. Victor Petroglyph Park Willow Bunch Museum Claybank Brick Plant DinoCountry Fort Walsh Nature and Hiking Great Sand Hills Leader Bird Watching Trail Grasslands National Park Chaplin Shorebird Reserve

General Travel Information Saskatchewan Tourism Problem Solving Strategies that may be useful Working Backwards Making A Diagram In addition to the sources provided, you may choose to use other web information or print information such as local tourism guides, information from libraries, etc. in fulfilling your role as travel agent.

The nutritionist is responsible for planning healthy and affordable meals and snacks that everyone is willing to eat. You will use information about what makes a balanced eating plan along with what your classmates prefer as food choices to guide your decision- making. As well, you will have to consider how food needs to be prepared and what that means in terms of the Travel Agent’s plans and timeline. You will generate a grocery list and set of recipes that will feed the class with minimum waste of leftover food. The committee will be looking for healthy meals at a reasonable cost that are easily prepared.

 Brainstorm food ideas that are healthy, easy to store and prepare while camping.  Develop a survey that will help decide on meal choices based on class preferences and needs  Collect and analyze data from the survey  Research ingredients, quantities and prices for food choices  Research nutritional value of food choices  Develop a menu for all meals and snacks on the trip  Develop a grocery list with costs for the food  Summarize your menu in writing, showing how the meals and snacks you have chosen fit the criteria of being healthy, easy to store and prepare, and reasonably priced.

Information about what makes a balanced eating plan Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating Healthy Eating Tips Recipes and food preparation information Campground Cooking Camping Food Grocery price information Canada Safeway Weekly Specials Various Grocery Store Flyers

Problem Solving Strategies that may be useful Make a Chart or Table In addition to the sources provided, you may choose to use other web information or print information such as local food store flyers, recipe collections from home, etc. in fulfilling your role as nutritionist.

As the money person for the trip you are responsible for determining how much the trip will cost overall, and how much it will cost per person. You will have to consider travel and accommodation costs as well as the individual costs of activities planned by the travel agent and meals planned by the nutritionist. The financial advisor should also consider where the money is going to come from and ways to get the most for the money being spent. The committee will be looking for a financial plan that does not put too much strain on the resources of the school, the individual families, or the fund-raising power of the group.

 Brainstorm ideas for raising money for the trip  Develop a survey that will determine preferred fund-raising options for the class and how much each student expects to be able to raise.  Identify the fund raising activities that the class will do and how much money the class can raise with each  Work with the Travel Agent to determine costs of activities, travel, and accommodation.  Work with the Nutritionist to determine the cost of food for the trip.  Calculate the total cost of the trip and how much it will cost per student.  Make a written report detailing the costs, the fund raising, and how much each student will be responsible for.

Information about bus and mileage rates Contact your local school division about school bus rental Contact your local school division about rates for car usage Buses for Hire Buses for Hire – you may have to call for information Camping and Accommodation information Tourism Saskatchewan Fundraising information Check with your local school division and community about fundraising opportunities and rules TTreasure Trash

Problem Solving Strategies that may be useful Make a Chart or Table In addition to the sources provided, you are encouraged to use other web information or print information and contact local services for help in creating a budget in your role as financial advisor.

The Final Product (what you have to DO) A map of your trip – drawn to scale, showing all points of interest and matching your trip itinerary. An itinerary – showing what you will be doing and when for the entire duration of the trip with a write up of why each activity is valuable. A menu – showing what you will cook and eat for each meal along with the grocery list with appropriate quantities for your class. A budget – including all costs such as transportation, food, activity costs, etc. with a cost per person worked out and ideas for how to pay for it. A presentation – of all of the above that will “sell” your trip plan to the families and school officials

The Final Product BE CREATIVE! Use your imagination – your presentation can be visual, dramatic, written, technology-based – whatever you think will get your ideas across in the best way Explain your reasoning - communicating WHY you are doing something is as important as communicating WHAT you are doing. Your audience needs to see that you not only understand the problems you are facing but that you have also used critical thinking to work out the best possible solutions. Be ready for questions - review all of your work before presenting it. You can expect the committee to ask you questions to make sure you really know what you are talking about!