My aim in this unit is to create a multi-cultural, interdisciplinary unit that allows students to be creative and have fun while they are going through it. I believe that art is a very important aspect of education that allows different students to tap into parts of themselves that they may have previously overlooked. In this unit students will be asked to create maps that can become real pieces of art. They will study film art to various degrees and lastly they will become creative writers as their journey logs will prompt them to be as creative as they wish.
I also want teachers to have a valuable resource in this unit. As I will say repeatedly throughout this unit, I believe that this project can be adapted for students from the 1st grade to a high school senior honor class. A teacher teaching at any grade level can modify the maps, the film, the reading and the writing, even the geography itself. This unit does not have to be a train ride across Asia. It could just as easily become a bicycle ride around New England, a car ride across America, a boat ride through the South Pacific or a stroll through old Farmer Jones’ garden in
Peter Rabbit
.
Teachers are wonderful at borrowing and adjusting. I encourage all teachers to do just that with this unit.
