Teaching Ideas

Creating a Travel Brochure for 7-12

Key Ideas

While there is certainly a lot of information out there for the taking, copyright laws limit what can be used, especially for a commercial use such as a travel brochure.

Materials

1. Computer with internet access
2. Digital camera or scanner for print photos
3. Color Printer

Background

Because this lesson essentially encourages students to violate copyright laws, you must be careful to ensure that they "get the point."

There are two ways to approach this activity:

1. You can go over copyright issues before they do their work and then grade them on their compliance OR
   
2. You choose not to go over copyright issues and then blind-side them with their violations upon completion of the project.

Choice 2 might be more instructive in the end, but you will need a carefully designed assessment instrument that doesn't take into account their violations out of ignorance.

Procedure

1. Put students into groups and tell them to create two travel brochures using a word processor or publication software. It doesn't matter what program you choose (anything students already have available and know how to use is fine); however the brochures should be done electronically so that students can more easily use images from the internet.
   
2. One of the brochures should advertise a local place, such as a nearby tourist attraction, amusement park, or historical monument. The other should advertise a faraway place like the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon.
   
3. Students should research both places and design the brochures to provide interesting information on each place, including images, facts, and interpretations.
   
4. You should encourage students to take their own photos of and to do as much field research as possible on the local place. They should do all of their research on the distant place on the internet or in the library.
   
5. Have them submit two copies of each brochure. Evaluate one copy for quality of information and appearance and the other for copyright violations. Use a bright red pen to mark the violations.
   
6. Return the "evaluated for quality" set and have students present their work to the class.
   
7. After all students have presented their brochures, return the "evaluated for copyright violations" set and have a discussion on the various types of violations.

Class Discussion Ideas

1. Discuss what can and cannot be used from the internet. (Note: you could choose to hold this discussion before the students do their projects if you prefer).
   
2. Discuss how to properly use and cite sources. (Note: this one could also be done before the projects).
   
3. Discuss what is "wrong" with using someone else's information without attributing credit.
   
4. Discuss how to distinguish between "facts" (which aren't protected by copyright) and other types of information (which are).

Assessment

Since there is a degree of deceit involved in the setting up of this lesson, students should be sincerely graded on the quality of their brochure without regard to copyright (unless, of course, you chose to discuss the issues with them beforehand). However, depending on grade-level, you could have some expectation that they would adhere to the rules they already know about documenting sources.

One assessment option might be to have them revise their brochure to adhere to copyright laws and then grade the revision based on adherence. You could then average the "quality" grade with the "adherence" grade.

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