Finding Your Way Around Utah

Summary

Tourists from Utah communities and all over the world visit scenic and historic destinations in our state. This lesson teaches map skills and allows students to use what they have learned to plan an imaginary trip and promote Utah communities.

Materials

• Personal photos of a Utah vacation
• Quiz: "Utah Cities and Towns Map Quiz"
• Teacher answer sheet: "Utah Cities and Towns Map Quiz"
• Utah maps (to be furnished by the school or teacher)
• Rulers
• Drawing paper, poster board, glue, colored paper, photos, crayons and markers.

Background for Teachers

Enduring Understanding

Students will feel comfortable and competent using a map to locate destinations. Students will appreciate the variety of travel destinations around the state.

Essential Questions

How do you compute mileage using the scale on a map?

What states surround Utah?

How might map skills benefit you and your family?

What resources are available for those planning a trip?

Objectives

Students will use a Utah map to learn map skills and then show what they have learned by planning a vacation to a Utah National Park or other tourist destination.

Students will use what they have learned to create a travel poster or brochure to promote a Utah city or town.

Instructional Procedures

Setting the Stage

• Explain that you experienced a fun trip and want to share some of your photographs.
• If the photos offer clues to the Utah location, encourage students to guess where you went on vacation and then give them the answer.
• Ask students: "Where have you traveled in Utah?" Record their responses. Discuss favorite vacation spots.

Activity: Utah Cities and Town Map Quiz

• Divide students into groups of three or four.
• Distribute "Utah Cities and Towns Map Quiz (pdf), Utah maps, and rulers.
• Have students locate the map key or legend. Locate and discuss compass points, freeway and road designations, methods of computing mileage using the map scale, your own community, etc.
• Practice using the ruler to measure the mileage between several communities.
• Assign student groups to answer the questions on the map quiz. Help students as needed.
• Discuss the map quiz experience.

Activity: Planning a Trip to a National Park or Tourist Destination

NOTE TO TEACHERS: There are many Internet sites available for student research. Most cities have home pages that describe places and information of interest to visitors.

• Ask students to use the Utah map and select a place that they would like to visit.
• Explain that students will plan a trip to a favorite destination.
• Assign students to research their vacation site to discover interesting facts about their destination. What do tourists do and see there?
• Instruct students to use the map to plan a trip to their destination.

Activity: Tourist Poster or Brochure (Visit a Scenic or Historic Utah Site

• Instruct students to create a poster or brochure to promote their Utah tourist destination site.
• Ask students to include the following in the poster or brochure:
  • Drawings or photos (if available) of the destination
  • Map instructions
  • Information that will encourage people to visit the site (marketing)
• Invite students' groups to present their poster or brochure to encourage others to visit the Utah site.

Alternative Activity: Tourist Poster or Brochure (Encourage Tourism in Your Community)

• Instruct students to create a poster or brochure to promote your city or town.
• Ask students to include the following in the poster or brochure:
  • Drawings or photos (if available) of the community
  • Map instructions
  • Information that will encourage people to visit the site (marketing)
• Invite students' groups to present their poster or brochure to encourage others to visit your city or town.

Bibliography

This lesson plan is part of the Utah League of Cities and Towns This Must be Utah! A Teacher's Guide to Utah Cities and Towns

• Author: Sheri Sohm
• Editor: Sydney Fonnesbeck , Director of Training
  Utah League of Cities and Towns