Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. To understand the concept of U.S tourism, its significance, and the role it plays in the country's economy.
2. To identify and analyze the major tourist destinations in the U.S, including their geographical location, unique features, and the reasons that make them popular.
3. To encourage students to assess the impact of tourism on these destinations, considering both positive and negative effects, and to propose ways to ensure sustainable tourism in the future.
4. Secondary Objective: To enhance students' geographical knowledge and map interpretation skills.

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• Define U.S tourism and explain its importance to the country's economy.
• Identify and describe at least five major tourist destinations in the U.S.
• Analyze the impacts of tourism on these destinations and suggest measures for sustainable tourism.
• Demonstrate their understanding of the geographical location of these destinations on a U.S map.
• Engage in a group discussion, sharing their thoughts and ideas on the topic.

Introduction (10 - 12 minutes)

1. The teacher starts the lesson by reminding students of previous lessons on the U.S geography, specifically the location of states and major cities. This is important because understanding the geographical location of tourist destinations will be a key component of the lesson. The teacher can use a map or a globe to refresh this knowledge.

2. The teacher then presents two problem situations to the students:

   • "Imagine you are a tourism board member and you want to promote a certain U.S state as a tourist destination. What unique features of that state would you highlight in your promotional material?"
   • "Now, think about the impact that a sudden influx of tourists might have on a small town. What benefits might it bring? What problems might it create?"

3. The teacher contextualizes the importance of the subject by discussing real-world applications.

   • "Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, and it plays a significant role in the U.S economy. Understanding U.S tourism can help us appreciate the various cultures and landscapes our country has to offer, and it can also help us make informed decisions about how to ensure the sustainability of these destinations for future generations."

   • "Knowing about U.S tourism can also be useful if you are thinking about a career in travel and tourism, hospitality, or even in the environmental sector."

4. The teacher then grabs the students' attention by sharing two intriguing facts or stories related to U.S tourism:

   • "Did you know that the U.S is one of the most visited countries in the world, with over 75 million tourists in 2019? That's more than the population of many countries!"

   • "Have you heard of the Grand Canyon in Arizona? It's one of the most popular tourist destinations in the U.S, and it's so big that if you laid it flat, it would cover the entire state of Delaware!"

   • "Another interesting fact is that the U.S National Park Service, which oversees many of our country's most famous parks, was the first of its kind in the world. It was created in 1916, and now there are over 400 national parks in the U.S that attract millions of visitors each year."

This introduction sets the stage for the lesson, connecting the topic to the students' prior knowledge, real-world applications, and intriguing facts that will capture their interest.

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Activity 1: US Tourism Destination Brochures (10 minutes)

   • The teacher divides the students into groups of four and assigns each group a U.S state known for its tourism. The states could be, for example, New York, California, Florida, Hawaii, and Alaska.

   • The teacher provides each group with a large piece of construction paper, markers, and colored pencils. The teacher should also prepare a collection of pictures and information about the assigned states in advance.

   • The students' task is to create a tourist brochure for their assigned state. The brochure should include the state's unique features, major attractions, local culture, geographical facts, and tips for travelers. The students should also draw a simple map locating the state within the U.S.

   • Students should be encouraged to be creative and use their artistic and writing skills to make their brochures attractive and informative.

   • Once the brochures are complete, each group will present their state and its tourism highlights to the class. The teacher should guide the discussion, ensuring that all groups cover the necessary information and engage in the presentations.

2. Activity 2: Impacts of Tourism Board Game (10 minutes)

   • The teacher introduces a board game designed to explore the impacts of tourism on a local economy and environment. The game should have a U.S map as the board, with various tourist destinations marked on it. Each destination should have a number indicating the number of tourists it attracts annually.

   • The students remain in their groups from the previous activity and take turns rolling a dice and moving their game pieces on the board.

   • The aim of the game is to visit as many tourist destinations as possible. However, some spaces on the board represent 'problems' that might occur due to excessive tourism, such as pollution, overcrowding, or loss of local culture. If a player lands on one of these spaces, they have to pick up a 'problem card' and discuss with their group how they would address the issue in real life.

   • The game continues until every group has visited all the destinations on the board. After the game, the teacher leads a group discussion about the problems of over-tourism and how they can be mitigated.

3. Activity 3: Tourism Debate (5 minutes)

   • Finally, to conclude the development stage, the teacher facilitates a brief debate among the groups. The topic of the debate is "Should we promote or limit tourism to protect our natural and cultural heritage?"

   • The teacher divides the class into two teams, one assigned to argue for promoting tourism and the other for limiting it.

   • The students are given a few minutes to prepare their arguments, considering the positive and negative impacts of tourism they have learned about during the lesson. They should also think about the role of sustainable tourism in this context.

   • Each team takes turns presenting their arguments, and the teacher sums up the debate, emphasizing the importance of responsible tourism for the preservation of our natural and cultural heritage.

These activities allow students to engage with the topic of U.S tourism in a hands-on, fun, and thought-provoking way. The group work encourages collaboration and communication, and the activities promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Feedback (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussions (4 - 5 minutes)

   • The teacher facilitates a group discussion where each group is given up to 3 minutes to share their solutions or conclusions from the activities. Each group should address the following points:

     1. The major attractions and unique features of their assigned state (from Activity 1).
     2. The problems they encountered during the board game and their proposed solutions (from Activity 2).
     3. A brief summary of their arguments for or against promoting tourism (from Activity 3).

   • The teacher should ensure that all groups have the opportunity to share and that the discussion is respectful and inclusive. The teacher can use a timer to keep the discussion on track and to allow enough time for all groups to present.

2. Reflection Time (3 - 4 minutes)

   • After the group discussions, the teacher asks the students to take a moment to reflect on the day's lesson. The teacher can guide this reflection by posing the following questions:

     1. What was the most important concept you learned today about U.S tourism?
     2. Which questions do you still have about U.S tourism?
     3. How can you apply what you learned today about the impacts of tourism on a local economy and environment to the real world?

   • The students can jot down their thoughts in their notebooks or share their reflections with the class. The teacher should respond to the students' questions and comments, clarifying any remaining doubts and reinforcing the key concepts of the lesson.

3. Exit Ticket (1 - 2 minutes)

   • To wrap up the lesson, the teacher asks the students to complete an "Exit Ticket" - a brief formative assessment that serves as a quick snapshot of what the students have learned. The Exit Ticket can include questions such as:

     1. Name two major tourist destinations in the U.S and their unique features.
     2. Describe one positive and one negative impact of tourism on a destination.
     3. What is one way you can contribute to sustainable tourism?

   • The teacher can use the responses from the Exit Ticket to gauge the students' understanding and to plan for any necessary follow-up in the next lesson.

This feedback stage allows the teacher to assess the students' understanding of the lesson, to address any remaining questions or misconceptions, and to reinforce the key concepts. It also gives the students the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned and to make connections between the lesson and the real world.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Summary and Recap (2 - 3 minutes)

   • The teacher begins the conclusion by summarizing the key points of the lesson. This includes the definition and significance of U.S tourism, the identification and description of major tourist destinations in the U.S, and the exploration of the impacts of tourism on these destinations. The teacher should also recap the students' proposals for ensuring sustainable tourism.

   • The teacher should remind the students of the two problem situations presented at the beginning of the lesson: promoting a U.S state as a tourist destination and considering the impacts of tourism on a small town. The teacher should highlight how the activities and discussions during the lesson helped the students to address these problems.

   • The teacher should also recap the intriguing facts and stories shared during the lesson, reinforcing the students' interest in the topic.

2. Connection to Real-life Applications (1 - 2 minutes)

   • The teacher then explains how the lesson's content connects to real-world situations and applications. The teacher can discuss how the knowledge of U.S tourism can help the students in their future travels within the country, in their careers in the tourism and hospitality industry, or even in their role as responsible citizens.

   • The teacher can also highlight the importance of understanding the impacts of tourism for making informed decisions about sustainable travel and for contributing to the preservation of our natural and cultural heritage. The teacher can refer back to the debate on promoting or limiting tourism as an example of how these decisions can be complex and require careful consideration of multiple factors.

3. Additional Resources (1 - 2 minutes)

   • To further deepen the students' understanding of the topic, the teacher suggests additional resources for self-study. These can include documentaries about U.S tourist destinations, travel guides, websites of tourism boards, or books about the impacts of tourism. The teacher can also suggest field trips to local tourist destinations or guest speakers from the travel and tourism industry to provide a more practical perspective on the topic.

4. Importance of the Topic (1 minute)

   • Finally, the teacher emphasizes the importance of the topic for the students' overall education. The teacher can explain that understanding U.S tourism not only enhances their geographical knowledge but also provides insights into the country's culture, history, and environment.

   • The teacher can also stress that the topic of U.S tourism is not just about sightseeing and vacations, but it's also about understanding the interconnectedness of our world, appreciating the diversity of human experiences, and recognizing our responsibility as global citizens to protect and preserve our natural and cultural heritage.