By Sohrab Salami
This Webquest is designed to help students prepare to travel to
Paris and use its complex Metro transportation system. They will learn essential skills needed for using the Metro such as budgeting, places to visit and finding their directions, and how to behave while being inside the Metro cars.
Going to Paris and using the metro can be quite challenging for many travellers who are not accustomed to its complex railway system as well as its usage. People often get lost or have bad encounters due to cultural misunderstandings in specific contexts such as displaying awkward behaviors in the
Metro. This activity is designed to help you learn how to navigate around Paris using the Metro and prepared for many situations. Let’s get started!

• Go in groups of 3 and assign yourselves one of the following roles:
• Guide (give directions)
• Budgeter (determine options and prices)
• Cultural Specialist (giving tips about using the metro and good sites to visit in Paris)
• Each group members has a certain task. After doing your research, you will share your findings by making a PowerPoint presentation, and write a blog about your trips. You will also make one 3 minutes video with the group where you express your feelings about the pros and cons of the metro system using eyejot . You can use Evernote to store all your notes.
• The class will then proceed to a vote to determine who did the best job. The winning team will receive 5 points extra credit.

• You are staying in hotel at La Défense (line 1 metro) with two other friends, and all of you need to coordinate in order to ensure safe and enjoyable trips around Paris, the sites you will visit will take a total of 10 hours for that day.

•
• Guide: You will research the following sites and choose 3 locations that you would visit in Paris and think about the timing, and find the directions and connecting metro lines to arrive at your chosen destinations.
• Websites:
• http://tinyurl.com/lzkwgub
• http://www.ratp.fr
• http://metropolitain.io/# (use this to visually show your paths travelled during your presentation)
• http://www.historvius.com/what-to-see-in-paris/fr283
• https://www.google.fr/
• http://tinyurl.com/px4d8bn
• http://tinyurl.com/ltgzkpj
• http://parisbytrain.com/tag/paris-metro/
• http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_90747/visit-paris-by-metro/
• http://www.quia.com/jg/988783list.html
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ACxAAzizY

Metro lines used
Locations
Directions and numbers/names of connecting metro lines for location 1 from la Defense
Directions and numbers/names of connecting metro lines for location 1 from la Defense and estimated time of travel.
Directions and numbers/names of connecting metro lines for location 1 from la Defense and estimated time of travel.
Important vocab words in the metro context (e.g how to say tickets, platform etc..)
Most common methods to find direction
(website, app, physical maps etc…) and estimated time of travel.
Metro service starting times
Metro ending times
Write a 1 page informative essay to reflect and sum up the results you found.

• Budgeter: You will coordinate with the Guide to see what are the destinations, and you must determine the price to pay in order to get there as well as other pricing information required by the table.
• Websites:
• http://www.francetoday.com/travel/paris/practical/
• http://tinyurl.com/khfxr8t
• http://www.transilien.com/static/tarifs/billet-unite
• http://www.ratp.fr/en/ratp/r_61584/buy-your-tickets/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnESfpkyC_Q

Price per ticket
Price per ticket bundles
Duration of a ticket (how long is it valid for?)
Price for each trips chosen by the Guide
Price for different Cart Navigo subscription based and what zones they cover.
Best deal for Tickets chosen (single, bundle, subscription?)
Locations chosen to buy the ticket (booth, electronic dispenser etc…)
Write a 2-3 paragraph informative essay to reflect and sum up the results you found.

• Cultural Specialist: You will research about different norms applied in the metro transportation usage context to make sure your team does not get into cultural misunderstandings with the locals using the same transportation method.
• Websites:
• http://parisbytrain.com/paris-metro-tips/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Gk4aZOzn0
• http://tinyurl.com/oj66xfe
• http://tinyurl.com/m52xmna
• http://www.bonjourparis.com/story/metro-tips/
• http://tinyurl.com/k38tq19
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn7GfJr5L68
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZtQkp0ce0w

• Make a list of major rules that your team should follow in order to avoid any misunderstandings or awkward situation with other metro passengers and explain why.
• List at least 4 potential dangers or awkward situations you may face when using the metro in Paris, and explain what steps can be taken to avoid them.

• Use Google Docs to co-edit your PowerPoint presentations by combining all your input:
• http://tinyurl.com/lo4m5lj
• Once your presentation is completed use to following website to put it on the web and give the link followed by your group members’ names: http://www.slideshare.net/
• Share your final work on our Wiggio Web page.

• This is how your work will be graded:
• http://tinyurl.com/mmzydgo

• Go to m.socrative.com
• Join room number: 282118

• Now that you have completed this project, you can effectively use the
Paris Metro system and not worry about getting lost or getting intimidated by it, and you can show and share your knowledge with others who will travel there! You have learned how to buy metro tickets, where to purchase them, how metro lines connect with one another, safety issues, norms used inside the metro car and a few great cultural places and monuments to visit!

• http://www.u.arizona.edu/~sohrabs/