Touring Europe

As the head of a tourist information center you and your colleagues have been asked to create an 

informative and entertaining travel brochure.  The brochure will be used to introduce prospective 

customers to sites that they might visit on a tour of Europe.  It is important that your brochure be visually appealing.  Also, your brochure must meet all the requirements listed below. 

TASK DEFINITION

  STEP 1: DEFINE THE INFORMATION PROBLEM -WHAT ARE YOU BEING ASKED TO DO?

REQUIREMENTS

1. A cover and table of contents.  The table of contents should be numbered to match the itinerary you demonstrated on your map of Europe.

2. You must have a map of Europe showing where each of your entries is located.  The map must also demonstrate the route you would travel from entry to entry and the type of transportation you would use. 

3. Entries are locations you plan to visit.  They should be cities or regions - not entire countries  (In other words, if a person were to visit the United States they might go the the coast of Maine or the city of Boston). 

4. You may work as an individual or as a group of 2 or 3 people.  Each individual is responsible for 5 entries. 

5. Remember to cite your sources - within the brochure or on a separate bibliography. 

                    Your brochure must have: 

• 1 person = 5 entries

• 2 person group = 10 entries

• 3 person group = 15 entries                           

5. Each entry must have the following information: 

• Language
• Relative Location
• Exchange rates and type of currency
• 3 to 5 points of interest (points of interest must show historical, social, political, and geographical data about the city or region you are describing)
• Seasonal weather
• A rating system comparing the entries you have described
• A short review of what makes this entry an entertaining place to visit in your opinion (Note: entries are limited to one page each.  The data should be concise and you should use visuals to make your brochure more appealing and informative)

Presentation

Each group or individual will be required to make a 3 to 5 minute presentation demonstrating the highlights of the places they have chosen to gather data about. 

Standard Assessment

Students will take a standards based essay exam.  On the exam they will have to demonstrate knowledge they have learned about the culture, history, and geographical environment of the cities and/or regions they gather data about. 

 INFORMATION SEEKING STRATEGIES

STEP 2: DETERMINE ALL POSSIBLE SOURCES AND THEN SELECT THE BEST SOURCES

LOCATION AND ACCESS

STEP 3: LOCATE SOURCES AND FIND INFORMATION WITHIN THOSE SOURCES

Sources

Library Databases:

Marvel (Maine's Virtual Library): Use Encyclopedia Britannica to find general information about your country including maps and pictures. 

CULTUREGRAMS - Experience the cultures of 182 countries and territories in reports that include maps, statistics, a glossary and in-depth information in 25 categories.  Access photographs, famous people and recipe collections from these countries. 

Click on the  book to see a list of the books available here in the CHS  library

Be sure to look for your country in a set of books published by Marshall Cavendish entitled Cultures of the World

REF 910.2 WOR - World Travel Guide - Quick information about your country

World Almanacs give specific country statistics and information

Internet Resources:

World Factbook - Quick, fast info!

World Flag Database - There are over 260 pages on countries and international organizations. Each
page contains basic information on the country, including its formal name, capital city, area, population, currency, languages, and religions. The flags include the national and state flags, ensigns, and sub-national flags. Where countries have changed their flags in the last few years the old flag is also shown. Flags are updated when confirmation of the new flag is received by the Flag Institute.

ViaMichelin - Driving directions, route planner, and maps for over forty European countries; hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions for twenty-five countries; and more from Michelin, publisher of maps and the Red and Green guides. Searches for hotels, restaurants, and attractions are by location and may be limited by the traditional criteria and symbols (stars, price, comfort, etc.) in the print guides.

Europe for Visitors -A collection of "more than 2,500 pages of illustrated travel articles, annotated links, photo galleries, and other resources for travelers" in Europe. Includes practical information (money, etiquette, pets), transportation, country, and city guides.

 

 Fodor's European Travel Guide - Search Fodor's destination guides to over 275 places around the globe to find the must-see sights and attractions, the perfect hotels, choice restaurants, entertainment ideas, and, of course, where to shop for the quintessential vacation keepsakes. Not sure when to go or how best to experience a place? Check out the Features section within each guide to find recommended itineraries and "not-to-be-missed" highlights.

US Library of Congress Country Study - excellent starting point for learning about the country; includes facts-at-a-glance and sections on ethnicity, religion, and culture; early to modern history; geography, government, and the economy.  

 

World Atlas - use this site to cut and paste a map into paint or word.  

 

 

Universal Currency Converter - performs foreign exchange rate calculations, using live, up-to-the-minute currency rates 

 

 

USE OF INFORMATION

STEP 4: ENGAGE WITH YOUR SOURCES - READ, LISTEN, VIEW, ETC. 

 

SYNTHESIS

STEP 5: SYNTHESIS (ORGANIZE)  INFORMATION FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES AND THEN PRESENT THE INFORMATION IN THE REQUIRED FORMAT

 

EVALUATION

STEP 6: JUDGE THE PRODUCTS EFFECTIVENESS - DID YOU MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.  JUDGE THE PROCESS -  DID YOU WORK EFFICIENTLY? WHAT WOULD/SHOULD YOU DO DIFFERENT NEXT TIME? 

 

Database Quicklinks, Description and Information

pages maintained by Barbara Finlay,  Library Media Specialist