North American Dream Vacation Guidelines

Dream Vacation Imagined Scenario 

You have been given the chance of a lifetime by an organization called, "Making Dreams Come True".  You’ve been assured a monetary gift of $7,000 for you to take a vacation of your choice, with any other family member(s) or friends you choose to bring along. Your dream vacation must be in North America (Mexico, U.S. or Canada) or in the Caribbean Islands. This vacation is for a seven day (six-night stay) vacation. From this amount you get to plan the vacation of your dreams. Unfortunately, because things are financially tight for you presently, you cannot go over the amount of the cash gift you have received. 

Final Product to Present to a Public Audience 

You will create a Photo Journal Dream Vacation Presentation. You will present your "Dream Vacation"  from the perspective of having already done the trip. You will share what you did, saw and learned along the way, including what made this trip memorable - a “Dream Vacation”. You will also share the expenses for your trip in a way that the audience can understand.

Driving Question: What are all the factors that affect the planning and cost of a Dream Vacation?

Limitation: 

• You must travel outside of your home city and have a few night stays somewhere else
• Whatever you do not spend on the trip must be returned to the organization, "Making Dreams Come True". 

Your job is to choose your destination, and come up with the most accurate overall costs of the entire trip, including:

• Travel Costs - costs of flight, car rental and gas (based on miles covered) 
• Food Costs - food for all meals during your trip - are any meals provided for free with your accommodations? How about taxes and tip? 
• Lodging Costs - Are you staying in a hotel, motel, or some other special arrangement? 
• Entertainment Costs - This includes entrance/admission fees. - What types of entertainment, tours, etc. will you partake of in this trip? 
• Other Costs - Take into account other costs that will come as part of your trip. 

Why this Project? 

Students will research, gather information and explore the different costs associated with planning a vacation. The students will be required to use any resources available to them to plan a vacation to anywhere in the world. Through this project students will be required to plan every little detail of their trip. Students will have to stay within a budget of $7,000. Through this project the students will explore the different costs associated with travel as well as plan a trip with a budgeted amount of money. Using their 21st century multi-media skills the students will make a creative presentation to showcase their dream vacation.

Part 1 - Choose your Vacation Destination  (& other Travel Resources Online)

Best Places to Visit in the USA according to...

Best Places to Visit in Mexico according to...

Part 2 - Book your Vacation (Hotel/Motel, Flight, Car Rental and/or Cruise)

• travelocity.com - can book flight, hotel & car rentals in one package
• expedia.com - can book flight, hotel & car rentals in one package
• hotels.com 
• priceline.com - can book flight, hotel & car rentals in one package
• cheaptickets.com
• cruise.com
• Expedia.com for Car Rentals

Also, you can do a google search by typing: cool things to do in.... (city)

Make a list of your choices

Part 4 - Decide on Your Itinerary for Your Vacation (What you will do each day)

Part 5 - Showcase Your Dream Vacation

Students will display/present their chosen destination in the perspective of having already done the trip. They will share what they did, saw and learned along the way, including what made this trip memorable - a “Dream Vacation”.

The Dream Vacation Presentation will be a Photo Travel Journal and must Include: 

• Images/Pictures - key attractions you will visit, hotels or other places you will stay, restaurants you will eat at, and of anything that shows the traditional or cultural practices and sights of your destination
• Captions/Descriptions - describe in more detail what is in the image and you did in each place
• Journal Entries - write creatively as if you are keeping a journal of what you did each day
• Maps (Map Your Trip) - show the locations you will visit and their relation to the other places you have been at or will soon visit  (see Google Maps - My Maps)
• Costs Associated with your Vacation - Include a run down of travel costs, food costs, lodging costs,  entertainment costs, and other costs
• (optional) Video - if you can find an appropriate video highlighting your destination and the fun things to do there, you can include it. 
• (optional) Background Music - feature traditional music of your destination capturing some of the culture there.

In your presentation you can have pages for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc., sharing what you did each day.