DISCLAIMER: In no way does Mr. Snyder condone the actual skipping of class or school to complete this project.  Any unexcused absence may be dealt with according to the guidelines of the Student Handbook.  Have a nice day.  ☺

I. Rationale:

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

What better way to end off the year than where we began?  In the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Ferris and his friends skipped school, and in the process went through a travelogue of the city of Chicago.  Your task is to duplicate Ferris' goals and objectives, but in the region of South Florida, not Chicago.  Research, map exercises, a final report, presentation, and debate will allow you to demonstrate your mastery of human geography.

II. Instructional Procedures:

(Time Required: Three Class Periods)

Organizing your "Day Off"

The students will:
- Read and analyze maps of South Florida
- Research information about the course and the region
- Create a paper with a map of their planned route
- Engage in a debate

Project Goals - Noting pertinent facts and evidence through research, and highlightingmaps of South Florida, students should be able to complete their arguments as to the viability of their planned route.  Students must be prepared to present their planned routes, and be able to back up their arguments with evidence.

Paper - The paper's grade will be based on the students' effort and ability to recognize, analyze, and use the tools of geographic analysis.  Each student must submit a type-written paper of no more than three pages completing the following requirements:

Refer to Ferris Bueller's Blueprint - Ferris' day off brought him and his companions to several locations around the Chicago area.  To complete your task, you must visit a minimum of eight locations and/or events.  Furthermore, you must follow these guidelines:

a. Geographic Jargon - use terms and concepts from throughout the course in your final report. Here is a list.

b. Jurisdiction - your travels must begin at your homes, and end at your home.  They must take you no further than the boundaries of Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties.  In addition, your travels must take you into at least two of the three different counties.

c. Time - The clock starts at 8:00 am and ends at 6:00 pm.  The journey must occur during a school day, and must be no more or less than a year from the last day of school this year.

d. Locales and Events - you must travel to each of the following types of locations/events in any order of your choosing (Ferris' equivalent is in parentheses).  Eight total locations must be visited.

Symbolic (Sears Tower)

Business/Economic (Mercantile Exchange) - must visit a place of business that deals with the exchange of goods or capital; not including a store, mall, or shopping center

Culinary (Chez Quiz) - must dine at a fancy restaurant for lunch

Athletic (Wrigley Field) - must be a paid event; college, semi-pro, or professional

Artistic (Art Institute)

Cultural (Von Steuben Day Parade) - must coincide with a major South Florida event

Environmental (Glencoe Beach)

d. Support your claims - give a complete timeline of the days' events, describing all locations, and modes of transportation.  Explain why you chose the selected locations/events; be sure to defend all choices.  Support all your chosen locations/events with facts and figures, and defend how you would be able to travel to all the locations you chose to visit in the time allotted.  Graphs, charts, and other illustrations may be included - but are not required. Be sure to use the "geographic jargon" (3 terms from each course unit).

f. Map - A map depicting your travels and highlighting the selected locations will bolster the project's validity and reliability.  The map must be attached to the final paper.

g. Additional Elements - The font of the paper should be Times New Roman (size 12), with 1.5 spacing, and no more than 1" margins.  Any term used in the paper must be bold, underlined, and italicized.

Final Advice -
-  have a solid background regarding all material
-  have plenty of evidence to back up claims
-  be decisive in your answers
-  be creative

Top of Page