Let's make learning Geography a little more fun with a project! Imagine you have an unlimited amount of money to travel around the world. Where would you go and why do you want to visit that particular country? Children will have a blast watching the movie Around the World in 80 Days, tracking the travels of the characters, and then planning their own journey. I created this project when I was teaching middle school Geography and my students really enjoyed it.

Start with a little background review including the name of the main character, Phileas Fogg, the trip timeline, and how they will travel (trains, steam ships, hot air balloons, no airplanes).
There are a few different versions of the movie out there. I used the original version. While watching the movie, have children plot the travels of Phileas Fogg and his friends on a map. *See FREE download below* In the original the stops included London, France, Spain, Saudi Arabia / Middle East, India, Hong Kong, Japan, San Francisco, Omaha, and New York.
Now it's time to plan your own adventure! Children choose ten stops around the world. For each stop they must select two locations of interest and one land form they would like to visit and explain why they would like to stop there.
Checkout this student sample below!
A great extension activity is to have children create a poster of their travels.
Download a copy of the project paperwork here --->
Teachers ... here are the Sunshine State Standards and student objectives for classroom use.
Benchmark SS.A.2.3.1: The student understands how language, ideas, and institutions of one culture can influence other (e.g., through trade, exploration, and immigration).
Benchmark SS.A.3.3.1: The student understands ways in which cultural characteristics have been transmitted from one society to another (e.g., through art, architecture, language, other artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and behaviors).
Benchmark SS.B.1.3.1: The student uses various map forms (including thematic maps) and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report geographic information including patterns of land use, connections between places, and patterns and processes of migration and diffusion.
Benchmark SS.B.1.3.4: The student understands ways factors such as culture and technology influence the perception of places and regions.
Benchmark SS.B.1.3.7: The student understands the spatial aspects of communication and transportation systems.
1. The student will be able to use cultural clues from the movie, Around the World in 80 Days, to determine the travel location on a physical map.
2. The student will conduct research identifying ten countries to visit on an around the world trip and points of interest for countries of their choosing.
3. The student will be able to explain why they would like to visit the destination they chose for each country on their around the world tour.
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