Road Trip!
Journey Across America
Overview:
There is arguably no better way to experience the United States then to hit the
highway and head out for a cross-country journey. Road trips have a special place in
the American ethos; we have long celebrated the freedom of the road and the spirit
of adventure. Thousands of Americans make a cross country car trip each year.
Hundreds of American musicians, novelists, film makers, photographers, and
painters have centered works around the idea of the road trip: from Jack Kerouac’s
landmark novel On the Road and John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charlie; to songs like
Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road”, Paul Simon’s “America”, and Jackson Browne’s
“Running on Empty”; to films like Thelma and Louise, Easy Rider, and Dumb and
Dumber.
In the 3,000-plus miles from one coast to the next, a traveller gets a sense of the
American landscape, sees dozens of important sights, gets to know people from all
walks of life, and – ideally – finds out a little bit about himself or herself.
Objective:
In groups of two or three, students will plan and propose a road trip across the
United States, starting in North Carolina. Planning the trip will give students a
chance to explore a variety of cultural landmarks, exercise some planning skills, and
consider what they would want to get out of a trip across our nation.
For the purposes of planning, students will plan a trip departing on the morning of
October 12th and arriving at the Pacific Ocean on October 21st.
Procedure:
First and foremost, students must chart their course across the country. Each group
will have 10 days/ 9 nights to make the trip. You will submit a googlemap or
mapquest file showing your exact route.
Each member of the road trip will have $1,500.00 to cover car rental, lodging, food,
fuel, and entertainment. Each group will present a day-to-day, detailed budget
indicating how the funds will be allocated. Fuel will be calculated using the average
of highway and city mileage ratings for the selected vehicle.
Each group must minimally visit the following sites:
1 Indian reservation
1 Military landmark
1 oddity
2 nights out at a theater performance or music concert (18+ only)
2 notable birthplaces
2 notable gravestones
1 baseball or football ball park
1 amusement park
3 museums (Hall of Fames included)
1 national park
1 factory or corporate headquarters tour
1 summit of a state’s highest peak
Each group is also encouraged to cater the trip to their own personal tastes and
interests by adding to the above list in meaningful ways. For example, if a group of
students is interested in Frisbee golf, perhaps they will want to plan a trip based
around notable Frisbee golf courses. Similarly, a group interested in coffee shops
might make sure to hit up a good java joint every day.
In the 10-day road trip, each group will effectively have 10 destinations (the place
where the day’s journey ends). The final destination will be a point where the west
coast meets the Pacific Ocean.
In addition to a daily budget, each group will propose a detailed daily itinerary
including driving time, meals, attractions, entertainment, and sleeping
accommodations. Groups must spend a minimum of one hour at each attraction
visited. Groups must also allocate 8 hours each day for sleep.
In terms of accommodations, each group must spend 2 nights camping and 2 nights
crashing with family or family friends (i.e couch surfing).
Music is essential for a good road trip. Each member of the group will create a 20song “road trip” playlist.
Each student must select one of these songs as the ideal road trip song. Each student
will write a 1.5 to 2-page essay arguing what makes this song the ideal road trip
song. In this essay, students are expected to address both the lyrical contents of the
song and elements of musicality.
Since the trip is as much about personal enrichment as having a good time, each
group must select at least one (you can have more) book on tape.
Photography is one great way to capture a road trip. Each student will submit a
photo collage “documenting” the beginning of the road trip. See David Hockney for
examples.
Lastly, and most importantly, each group must determine a way to present the
whole of the journey. Specifically, each group must accompany their itinerary with
written reflections about each of the destinations and each of the attractions. In the
reflections (roughly one paragraph each) students should consider why they are
visiting these places and what they hope to get out of the visit. There are many ways
in which groups can communicate this core information, for example: trip blog,
iMovie, googlemap, scrapbook, or poster board.
Each student will write a 1-2 page introduction to the road trip proposal. In this
document, students should attempt to capture the spirit and purpose of this
particular road trip.
Summary of Products: (in parentheses are the points value for each product)
Group:
Budget: (10)
Itinerary: (10)
Trip Summary: Visual and Written (80)
Book on tape (part of above)
Car (part of above)
Individual
Introduction (20)
Photo collage (25)
Playlist (10)
Road Trip song essay (20)
Assessment:
Overall value: 175 points
Each student will be evaluated based on thorough planning, solid research, and
thoughtful reflection. Students should also strive for neat and creative presentation.
Despite the multi-faceted nature of the project, students should aim to connect the
pieces and give the project a sense of unity.