Planning a Road Trip? Let our 4th Graders Inspire You!

By: Amanda VanderWall, Fourth Grade Teacher

What makes you want to visit a particular state? Maybe it’s the people you know there, the landmarks it boasts, its historical significance, world-renowned cuisine, or entertainment options. This year, WSCS fourth graders tackled the question “Why should people visit your state?” They began this quarter-long project by learning about the different regions of the United States and the similarities and differences among the regions. Then, students picked a state to study in depth. Students put on their tour guides caps to learn about their state and persuade people to visit. Using the wildly successful Pure Michigan campaign as an example, students developed their own commercial for their assigned state.

Aside from learning tons of interesting facts and features about their state, students also gained valuable research experience. Throughout the project, students learned to:

• generate specific questions for research.
• locate print and online sources for reliable research.
• summarize information in their own words.
• format and design appealing slides.
• write and record an audio commercial.
• insert and format an audio commercial.

We invite you to take a listen to some of their advertisements. Who knows, maybe one of the ads will inspire you to take a summer road trip!