Introduction
Imagine that you and your friends have won a contest to take a three-day road trip across Mississippi. Before you can leave, you must prove that you can make smart and responsible travel decisions. Your team has been given a budget, a vehicle, and several possible destinations to choose from. You will research gas prices, travel distances, hotel costs, meal expenses, and fun attractions to create the best travel plan possible. As you complete the project, you will use ratios, percentages, unit rates, and multi-step calculations to make sure you stay within your budget. You will also compare different options and decide which choices give your group the best value. At the end of the WebQuest, your team will present its completed road trip plan and explain how your math skills helped you make each decision.
Task
Your goal is to create a complete road trip itinerary while staying within a budget of $1,200. Working with your group, you will research destinations, estimate fuel costs, compare hotel prices, and calculate meal expenses using the provided websites. You will decide which attractions fit your budget while making sure your travel schedule is realistic and organized. Throughout the project, you will solve several math problems using the information you find online and show your calculations to support your decisions. Every member of your group will have a specific role and will be responsible for completing their part of the project. After all of your research and calculations are finished, your group will create a Google Slides presentation to share your travel plan with the class. Your teacher will evaluate both your mathematical accuracy and your ability to explain the reasoning behind your choices.
Process
Your group will first divide into four roles: Budget Manager, Navigator, Hotel Researcher, and Activities Planner. Each team member will be responsible for researching information related to their assigned role using the provided websites. As you gather information, work together to calculate the total miles traveled, estimated fuel costs, hotel expenses, meal costs, and admission fees for attractions. Record all of your calculations and explain how you found each answer on the worksheet provided by your teacher. Once your budget has been completed, double-check that your total cost does not exceed the $1,200 limit. Finally, create a Google Slides presentation that summarizes your road trip, explains your math calculations, and presents your travel plan to the class.
- Divide your group into four roles:
- Budget Manager
- Navigator
- Hotel Researcher
- Activities Planner
- Research possible destinations.
- Calculate:
- Total miles traveled
- Fuel costs
- Hotel expenses
- Meal costs
- Attraction admission fees
- Record all calculations on the provided worksheet.
- Check that your total spending does not exceed the budget.
- Create a Google Slides presentation summarizing your trip.
- Present your findings to the class.
Evaluation
Your project will be graded using the following rubric. Your calculations should be accurate, clearly organized, and show all of your work. You should use information from the provided resources to support your decisions and stay within the assigned budget. Your group presentation should clearly explain your travel plan and demonstrate how mathematics was used throughout the project. Every group member is expected to participate and contribute to the final presentation. Your work should also be neat, well organized, and free of spelling or grammar mistakes whenever possible.
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| Accurate math calculations | 25 |
| Research completed using provided resources | 20 |
| Budget stays within $1,200 and includes all required expenses | 20 |
| Google Slides presentation is organized and clearly explains the trip | 20 |
| Teamwork and participation | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
Conclusion
This WebQuest demonstrated how mathematics may be applied to everyday concerns in the real world. You gained experience in budgeting, comparing pricing, calculating distances, and using research to make well-informed decisions by organizing a road trip. While working with your group, you also improved your communication and teamwork abilities. This exercise should have shown you that math is a useful tool for daily life and is much more than just solving problems on a worksheet. The abilities you developed during this assignment will come in handy the next time you have to handle finances, plan a trip, or make significant financial decisions.
Credits
The information and resources used in this WebQuest come from reliable websites that provide current travel, mapping, weather, lodging, and educational information. Students will use these resources to gather information and complete their research throughout the project.
Resources
- https://www.google.com/maps
- https://gasprices.aaa.com
- https://www.visitmississippi.org
- https://www.nps.gov
- https://www.weather.gov
- https://www.booking.com
- https://www.tripadvisor.com
- https://www.expedia.com
- https://www.calculator.net
- https://www.khanacademy.org/math
Classroom Resources
- Math in the Real World
- National Geographic Road Atlas
- Budget Travel for Families
- Mississippi Travel Guide
Teacher Page
Grade Level: 7th Grade Mathematics
Estimated Time: Three 50-minute class periods
Learning Objectives: Students will apply ratios, percentages, unit rates, and multi-step calculations while solving a real-world budgeting problem. They will also practice researching information from reliable online sources, organizing data, and presenting their findings.
Materials Needed:
- Chromebooks or computers with internet access
- Calculator
- Google Slides
- Student worksheet
- Pencil and paper
Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards:
- Solve real-world and mathematical problems using the four operations with rational numbers.
- Solve multi-step real-life mathematical problems using positive and negative rational numbers.
- Use proportional relationships to solve real-world problems.
- Compute unit rates and apply percentages in practical situations.
Teacher Notes: Students should work in groups of four and be assigned specific responsibilities. Encourage students to explain their mathematical thinking and justify the decisions they make while planning their trip. This activity integrates mathematics, technology, reading, and collaboration while allowing students to apply classroom concepts to an authentic real-world scenario.