During one class period, the teacher shows a film about the history of the railroad and its impact on Chicago. Students are reminded they will be tested on the content of the film and they should ask any questions they have about it. There are no student questions. As a review, the students play a game based on important facts and vocabulary, and a written test completes the unit. Before assigning the chapter, the teacher tells the students that they will be taking a road trip to one of the cities in the region and they should be thinking about where they would like to visit as they read the text.
All information is assembled in a portfolio and shared with others in the class.
The portfolio includes such information as the travel budget, the length of time to drive from the student's home to the city, photos, descriptions of noteworthy people and places, and the ways the city resembles and differs from the student's hometown.