The Indiana Office of Tourism Development (IOTD) has unveiled an innovative curriculum resource for fourth-grade teachers titled “Visit Indiana: 4th Grade Social Studies.”
The history of Indiana is a required topic for all Indiana fourth-grade social studies classes. In the fall of 2012, an innovative group of teachers took their history lessons one step further and incorporated problem solving into the Indiana history curriculum. Through a unique partnership between IOTD and Promise Road Elementary School in Noblesville, fourth-graders became ambassadors for their state and tackled the economic driver question: “How can we as Indiana travel agents, help promote business and tourism in Indiana?”
The six week course, led by fourth grade teachers Molly Haas, Brittany Kiel, Nancy Walter and Courtney Cohron challenged students to:
- Work in teams.
- Select a specific target territory in Indiana.
- Research geography.
- Integrate map reading.
- Examine weather and climate patterns.
- Solve mathematical questions related to travel.
- Comprehend economic patterns.
- Learn the history and allure of their selected Indiana territory.
Student teams then applied what they learned through critical thinking and problem solving to creatively promote their target Indiana territory through multimedia, written and visual projects.
“A curriculum that brings our state’s history and attractions to life through a real-world scenario engages students in a meaningful way,” said Mark Newman, IOTD executive director. “It also encourages a life-long investment in Indiana and our wide variety of tourism destinations.”
With the help of Indiana Department of Education representative and social studies specialist, Bruce Blomberg, the curriculum is designed to be turnkey, comprehensive and interactive. “From resources to activities, teachers will find a complete curriculum to teach Indiana history while integrating a variety of educational disciplines,” Blomberg said.
The initial partnership with Promise Road Elementary School has been developed into a curriculum teachers can use and adopt to meet the needs of their fourth-grade classroom. A toolkit for “Visit Indiana: 4th Grade Social Studies” is available at no cost to teachers at VisitIndianaTeachers.com. The toolkit offers an overview and resources to a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to teaching the course. At the same time, it offers opportunities for teachers to incorporate additional learning components. IOTD will work closely with schools who wish to adopt the curriculum by providing maps, economic impact information, speakers and other resources.
“While school may be out for summer, we know teachers work hard throughout the year to optimize their lesson plans,” says Newman. “We are confident that as they review the existing curriculum, they will discover additional activities throughout their summer travels to enhance the program for their classroom.”
