A sample lesson plan from Gypsy Family Travel for researching and exploring a country, city or any destination can follow this sequence to best integrate the concepts. A lesson can be part of a broad curriculum or it can be as specific as you want it to be. If you are not planning a trip anytime soon, the student can be an “armchair traveler.”

The “formula” for travel planning with your children can be outlined like this:

1. Consider your childrens’ personalities and incorporate those characteristics into the itinerary. Are they athletic? scouts? artistic?

2. Have them each choose a country, state or city they are interested in. You can pick a region of a continent and connect the dots from there.

3. Have your children research their specific country or destination by checking out books.

4. Meet together at the dining room table (or kitchen table) and work together daily to keep everyone on track. Leave the materials together in one place for accessibility. Build a bibliography from their favorite books.

5. Make quizzes for your children to take from their books’ information. See our quizzes section on the blog menu tab. Print those off. There are answer keys, too.

6. Make each child is the docent for their specific country or city so when you tour those countries, treat that child as an actual “docent’ by letting them explain monuments, architecture, cuisine, historic facts, etc

7. When you arrive to that country, state, or city, let the child/docent who studied that particular country or destination be the first to “step” onto the soil as a a celebratory arrival. You may enter that country or destination by airplane (so let them be the first off the plane), by ferry boat, bus, rental car, etc.

Activities depending on personalities: hiking, rafting, skiing, whale watching, zip lining, camping, art museums…

*The suggested reading books I’ve included on most countries’ posts are for children and/or parents to read. Some parents have told me that reading a children’s book on a country gives gave them a simple “bird’s eye view” into what could otherwise be a complicated or complex history in adult versions.

© Gina Kingsley. This lesson plan and others are copyrighted in the book A Magic Carpet Ride.

Sample Lesson Ideas:

Choose a destination— state or country. Have the student write to the Chamber of Commerce or Tourism Bureau of that destination requesting materials. Some will provide these for free. When the package arrives from the Chamber of Commerce, the student sorts through useful information as they become the “docent” or “travel agent.  When I was a teacher in the 90’s, my students enthusiastically waited for these packages to arrive. It was the highlight of this unit. Now the different subjects come in:

Geography-–use Google Maps or a regular atlas to locate the destination Social Studies–draw and learn about the country’s map symbols and colors

 

www. shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/geography/little-passports-world-edition—one-year-subscription

Science or Art-– make a craft or project depending on the destination you are studying. Example: a volcano project for Santorini, Greece. A paper maiche mountain project for The Alps, etc.. Make a poster of your country, showing the highlights.

Cuisine-– make a recipe from that region, serve it for family dinner that night and discuss what you learned about the country you are studying

Reading– read the books you’ve checked out about your country and share factoids with your family

Writing– write a sentence or paragraph on the country (see Quizzes section of this blog)

Language–use an audio translator on the computer to repeat phrases from the various countries. Build a vocabulary word bank of foreign words. (See France on this blog)

Math- create a budget for your travel expenses. Calculate the distance of miles between countries. On the airplane, have the student observe the maps on the TV screens that show the distance and location of the flight route.

Art & Photography: when the trip is over, make a photobook together on iPhoto, Shutterfly, etc.

Integrate the concepts-–you use visual, auditory and kinesthetic modalities when you do the following:

• visual- learning through images, graphics, sights
• auditory- hearing
• kinesthetic- tactile and physical learning

1. Check out books about the destination (ex: Archeology or Sea Life)— VISUAL

2. check out a related DVD  (ex: National Geographic Kids video)–AUDITORY

3. go on a related field trip (ex: visit the city Aquarium, zoo)–KINESTHETIC  If any of this seems too complicated or overwhelming, even just choosing 2 ideas will enhance your trip for your children!

 

This info is included in the travel book  A Magic Carpet Ride. Click on link to order the book and/or read the reviews and summaries:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/069271393X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

© Gina Michalopulos Kingsley.

This lesson plan and others are copyrighted in the book,A Magic Carpet Ride. Proceeds are donated to charity.

Newspaper article on Gypsy Family Travel and A Magic Carpet Ride:

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/columnists/johnklein/john-klein-tulsan-turns-love-of-tourism-into-tips-for/article_51acdbc0-c45b-5d8b-bc9e-4b00cda51379.html

The highlight for me, in all of Spain, was seeing the Alhambra. Having read a book about Catherine of Aragon, (The Constant Princess) before seeing her childhood home, the Alhambra, prepared me in a wonderful way! Reading about the descriptiveness of her childhood Moorish home during its finest regalia gave me such a sense of what to appreciate once I arrived there. I recalled the details of the first few chapters of the book when the character of Catherine describes the details of this palace and all of its servants and royalty. You must see the Alhambra in Granada and then drive over to Ronda, Spain. Try not to go when it’s hot because you’ll be tempted to rush through it.   Something that particularly moved me was that the Alhambra has a connection to me as an American. This is where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella commissioned Christopher Columbus to sail to the New World which led us to the discovery of the Americas. To stand in the room where they all were when this historic moment happened was intense for me. We also found out that Washington Irving had an apartment here. The jalis and calligraphy on this palace was unlike anything we had ever seen. My 9 year old son even remarked on it. My architect friend back home pointed out these stylistic treasures to me. Arabic script and white cursive or kufic characters of verses and poems are inscribed onto the backgrounds.

Three vocabulary words that describe the Alhambra are:

1. alcazaba which means fortress
2. alcazar which means palace
3. medina which means city

Another interesting fact about the Alhambra is that it actually takes on three different color tones depending on the light of day reflecting the iron hue of the towers and walls surrounding the hill. It is red but becomes silver at starlight and transforms into gold by sunlight. The words alqala hamra’ means red.

This Moorish palace became a Christian court in 1492 under the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. During the 18th century and part of the 19th century, the Alhambra was neglected and many sections were converted into dungheaps and taverns where thieves and beggars resided. Napoleon’s troops used the palace as barracks.  Some of the towers were blown apart by the French during the War of Independence. But in 1870, protection and restoration turned the Alhambra into national monument, thankfully.

suggested reading: The Alhambra told to Children by Ediciones Miguel Sanchez.

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

suggested series: Isabel

(pictured below is my son at the palace door) photos by Gina and Patrick

take this quiz: www.gypsyfamilytravel.com/alhambra-lesson/

and check your answers: www.gypsyfamilytravel.com/alhambra-lesson-answer-key/

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

The Golden Triangle was the sightseeing route for us in 2015. Dehli-Agra-Jaipur exposed us to temples, forts, landscapes, mass humanity and culture.

After the Golden Triangle, we were fortunate enough to travel to Udaipur for an Indian wedding of a relative of ours! This experience was the icing on the cake because we were engaged in 3 days of customs, mind-blowing visuals, music, decorations, food and all of the special effects that come with an Indian wedding. The family roles, the choreographed dances, the elephant at the Baraat and the camel rides were only some of the attractions! Haldi turmeric body polishing of the bride and groom, the Mehndi henna tattoos, the performance artists, the Sangeet dances, the water splashing ritual and the unforgettable Baraat procession of dancing while the groom rode down a hill on the elephant. Not to be outdone—next came the bride’s procession to meet the groom—entering with fireworks, rose petal explosions, marigold leis, incense, and more intense music.

The trip started off with the Golden Triangle itinerary of Dehli-Agra-Jaipur. It was a fast pace of sightseeing, temples, tombs and forts. We were squeezing a lot in nine days for various reasons. I’d suggest breaking up the trip by staying overnight a day or two in Dubai and doing a dessert experience there. The latter was an option for us but we chose to keep traveling so that we wouldn’t have to unpack and get transportation back to the airport, etc. Another suggestion I’d make is to spend a bit more time in each city if possible—not so much for the sightseeing, but to enjoy the luxury hotels and to catch up on sleep due to the time difference and any jet lag from the 20 hour flight.

Dehli                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Jaipur

Dehli was the hub we flew into. Mass humanity and interesting architecture in Old Dehli. First we saw Jama Masjid; the great mosque of Old Dehli which is the largest in India and the last architectural magnificence of Shah Jahan.  The minarets constructed of vertical stripes of red sandstone and white marble created the optical illusion of leaning away. We drove past the Red Fort and then saw the Qutub Minar; a high tower dating back to 13th century Islamic culture. Next was the India Gate; a 42 m high stone arch of triumph standing at the eastern end of the Rajpath.  We saw the President’s House: Rashtrapati Bhawan. Completed in 1929, the palatial building is a blend of Mughal and western architecture.

Agra was the second day of our sightseeing. We woke up at 4:00 am. to catch the 5:30 am sunrise setting of the Taj Mahal. This mausoleum of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, the beloved spouse of Shah Jahan, is everything you think it will be…and more. Depending on the light of day, the white marble takes on different tones. From a distance, you see an all-white or opalescent tone but as you get up to it, you notice the jewel inlay. Our guide shined a light up to the carnelian and it glowed!  The hotel welcomed us with a bindi dot of saffron and a marigold lei. You can see the Taj Mahal in the background of this picture. When we returned from the Taj Mahal, we noticed that an orange was taken from our fruit bowl and a monkey must have peeled it apart and eaten it! The monkey left the evidence on our balcony!

click on hotel link. http://www.oberoihotels.comOur hotel pool was a perfect spot for dining. We skipped dinner at the hotel restaurant and decided to dine poolside so we could enjoy the view as long as possible. The colors of India were even brighter than any Dublin building or any city in Mexico, which until then and been the most colorful places I had seen. Men working in the fields, cities or praying at the mosques were often seen taking naps in the shade when they could. Driving down the streets, we’d see cows among the cars but we also saw monkeys, boars, camel carts and more. Monkeys climbed along the roofs of buildings and forts and one even jumped on our tour van!            Jaipur was our next stop on the Golden Triangle and probably my favorite!  We saw the Amber Fort, City Palace and Jantar Mantar Observatory.                      the Amber Fort and the City Palace   and the Jantar Mantar Observatory

(Those places will be covered on individual posts. )There were several beggars around which is always emotional. There are many opportunities to give them money. You just need to be prepared that this continues for a while and it can be difficult on a tour. We also tried to ask people if it was alright to take pictures of people (or with them) with at least a gesture or body language. Most people said yes. The Indian people had a joy and peace about them. The men were gentlemanly and the women were feminine, colorful and graceful.

suggested reading: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo.

• Indian Children’s Favorites Stories by Somaiah
• India by Apte
• Fashions from India (coloring book) by Tierney
• The Drum: A Folktale from India by Cleveland and Wren

© Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

photos by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Carpet-Ride-Michalopulos-Kingsley/dp/069271393X

Click on link above to order the book, A Magic Carpet Ride by Gina Michalopulos Kingsley

The opportunity to be part of a wedding in India was a high point for us. The wedding events in India eclipsed the sightseeing in India for me. Becoming part of the culture for three straight days in the wedding extravaganza will be an indelible visual memory for us; one that we are still visually and auditorily processing! The events included: Haldi, Mehndi, Sangeet, water ritual and Baraat.  The music at the Haldi breakfast started my Indian wedding experience off in a joyful, musical way.

                 Mehndi, at lunchtime, was a whirlwind of activities: henna decorations, bangle making, a palm reader, performance artists, signature drink cocktails and buffet, a hair salon, the bride and groom entering in a decorated bicycle buggy encrusted with flowers and lots of dancing!—all started off with a camel ride outside!

……I  looked up some video and content on these rituals before I went to the wedding but I’m glad that I didn’t over research it like I usually do because it was more visually exciting to not know what to expect as I entered these incredibly joyful events! As someone who usually over researches a country and studying it with my sons before a trip, I recommend sometimes not doing that.

This particular trip was one of those times that I left it up to be surprised; partly because I wasn’t traveling with my whole family (just my oldest son) and partly because our schedules did not allow this pre-planning. My 19 year old son was excited to see India for musical inspiration (as India did for the Beatles’ White Album). My pre-planning for this trip consisted of a itinerary planned out with my travel agent and sister-in-law, ordering Indian costumes to wear (and learning all about the different kinds and styles) and rehearsing a dance we had to perform for the bride and groom at the Sangeet. I also prepared for this trip with increased yoga and mediation practice and consuming more turmeric and curry to get into the spirit of things. I discovered a “turmeric juice cleanse”. Turmeric “Juice” Cleanse:

• Juice of 1 lemon and pinch of honey
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder or cayenne (boosts metabolism)
• 1 1/2 cups water

 

Sangeet :This event featured traditional dances presented to the bride and groom by various groups of family and friends. We presented our choreographed dance on an amphitheatre stage with lasers and lights. I was so mesmerized by the performances, that I didn’t want to take my eyes off of the stage for a minute to take pictures. My son wore a Kurta Pajama and I wore an Anarkali.

Water ritual: On the morning of the final day was a casual event. When you arrived to breakfast, you were given a white kurta to wear with your leggings. The people who joined in grabbed buckets and water guns and filled them up with the nearby pool water and SPLASHED each other —all set to music. People clutched each other to make each other wet which I interpreted to be a bonding gesture. (much like the turmeric body polishing ritual).   The Baraat: the bridegroom’s wedding procession (on an elephant or horse) accompanied by bands, dancers and sometimes fireworks as it reaches the meeting point between the two families.  The groom is given the marigold garland (like a lei) as are some of the family members.

adapted from the book A Magic Carpet Ride. Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/069271393X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

photos by Gina Kingsley

Turkey was our first country to go to in Asia. We took a ferry boat over from the island of Rhodes in Greece. The ferry ride was approximately an hour or so. While sailing into Asia, my first thought was “the mountain range seemed different from the Greek mountains.” We sailed into the port of Marmaris and the water did look very turquoise to us.

There is actually a stone called Turkey turquoise and I will always now think of Turkey’s water having a very turquoise tint. The tour in Marmaris offered a variety of things to see and experience: a visit to the Gold Center, a Persian rug factory, a Loukoum factory and a Turkish bazaar.

I had been told for years that the gold in Turkey is exquisite! We toured through it and admired the unique settings of the gold jewelry. The ads of American celebrities plastered all over the Gold Center was interesting to me, as we don’t see these ads in the United States. The rug factory was a favorite for my youngest son. He sat and watched the ladies at their looms for an hour straight—just fascinated at her technique.

I bought two kilims from the rug factory and was so ecstatic to take them home in their own little duffel! The loukoum factory was fulfilling for us because when we used to read “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” I used to tell my sons that the Turkish Delight that the White Witch would feed Edmund was probably a loukum!

Although we’ve had many loukoumia in Greece, going to our first loukum factory was unique! They make the loukoum in the traditional, 800 year old method like they did for the Sultans years ago. Turkish Delight used to only be for royals; not commoners.  We watched them string the cubes and dip them which fascinated us. We tried a Turkish gyro which has cabbage in it unlike Greek gyros. Lastly, we heard a call to prayer for the Muslims who prostrated on their prayer mats at 3:00 pm. to pray together in the square. There are many styles of rugs, kilims, etc. The rug factory tour explains the differences in detail. They are all works of art! to learn about kilim symbols, click on this link: http://www.thefolkartgallery.com/newsletters/turkishnewsletter/visuallanguage.htm

• Suggested reading:
• Mosque by Macaulay
• The Hungry Coat- A Tale From Turkey by Demi
• The Hero Schliemann by Schlitz and Byrd

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

I interviewed my middle son to see how he summarizes our family travel experiences. These were his thoughts around the time of his senior year in high school.

“Traveling gave me a better understanding of different cultures….the bigger picture of the world. It opens you up, shows you, makes you aware of the world–not the bubble of America. I liked the bus tours even better than some of the museums because someone is speaking to you and it’s more interactive.”

(On most of the museums, cathedrals, castles, etc…we had a private tour guide so he’s referring to museums where we may not have had a guide.)

Meeting relatives in Greece for the first time…..

Learning in interactive childrens museums:

Trying new experiences in foreign environments:

At 18 years old, he set off on his first independent trip. He went to Greece for 5 weeks; 3 weeks at a camp and 2 weeks on his own with a friend. He stayed at the monastery, Mount Athos, for 6 days and wrote about his experience in a journal…..a tradition we started when he was a little boy traveling with the family. He presented us with this idea of independent travel a year earlier. It took some faith on our part and a lot of meticulous planning but entrusting him with responsibility on this journey was worth it. It turned out to be a successful trip and a huge learning experience! Below is his six day journal of that experience.

Mount Athos, Greece

I interviewed my sons on their thoughts on traveling. It was very interesting to learn what their impressions were.

What did you learn through traveling?  

“Traveling showed me what life outside of America is like. There are cultures very different from our own. Traveling gave me the best memories of being with my family. In Spain and the Mediterranean, they have siestas—taking a break out of the day. Americans are about “work, work, work” so this siesta was different. There were no restaurants open to go to. It showed me that some countries prioritize leisure and family time more.”

What were the pros and cons of traveling?

“I realized America has certain conveniences like 24 hour grocery stores. Our roads and parking are better in America. Our van practically got stuck between buildings in Seville.”

What was your favorite trip?

“I think my favorite trip itinerary was: Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Lichtenstein, France, Germany, England and Greece a few years ago because I like being in the Mediterranean and close to the sea. Greece is my favorite country and that was our last stop on this trip.”

What was the most exotic trip you’ve taken?

“India was the most exotic trip I took because it’s a total 180 from America. There wasn’t a lot of English spoken and we didn’t eat the street food. It was definitely a third world country.”

What people skills did you acquire through traveling?

“I learned patience and understanding since there is a language barrier when you’re traveling. Each side has to understand what the other is saying. I don’t focus on the negatives because there’s too many good things that happen.”

What advice do you have about long flights?

“My advice about long flights is watch movies, take good music and sleep.”

This son went on a trip to Ireland with his college ruby team to play in a 10-day tour. They raised their own funds for most of the travel expenses and then stayed in youth hostels. He mountain biked, played guitar in a pub at night and played on an Irish rugby team for one of the games. (link below)

photo by Patrick

A Rugby Tour in Ireland

Halfway through starting this blog, I interviewed my three sons, separately, to get their feedback and impressions about traveling. My youngest son was deliberate and engaged about sharing his experiences. I was surprised to learn that his favorite trips were not the ones I thought they would be. He was always so good about “going with the flow” on the highly educational trips. It turns out, he liked the R & R trips the best–the ones with the relaxing geographical features and excursions…..

“My favorite thing about our trips is experiencing things you can’t find in your hometown. The best parts are the beaches, new environments and seeing how different things can be…..like the bazaars we’ve been to. The worst part about traveling is going through the airports and not being able to get to what you want to do when you want to.”

“My favorite trip of all time was Switzerland because it started with Switzerland and it ended with Greece. The tiny little city of Churwalden up in the Alps was my favorite place. The weather was cool and the air was fresh. We didn’t have to go into a city to sightsee….it was just calm. I also loved Hawaii because of the nice beaches and the natural wonders that are unique. We had fruit at breakfast that we’ve never even heard of before.”

“My advice is to always be ready to be going somewhere and be sure to have the energy to do it. Getting enough sleep and eating the right foods help you have the energy. The craziest thing I saw was a naked man walking down a major street in Spain. The best artifact I’ve seen was the thorn from Jesus’s “crown of thorns” in the Seville Cathedral. The most fun thing I did was ride the waves in Hawaii and Mexico. My favorite transportation was ferries. I liked the short distance of going between countries. On the plane, it’s good to always have music and earphones. Appreciate your time while you are there and keep a journal. I’m glad that my mom made me keep a journal because I enjoy reading it now!” Below is a blog about his pre-school travel journal entries.

Little Kids can Travel-Journalize, too!

Lefkada is on the Ionian Side of Greece. Porto Katsiki beach was so blue it looked like a blue paint can had fallen over into the sea. We had to reach the beach by staircases of 100 steps or more.

We stayed in a villa near Karia, a village which is nicknamed the “embroidery capital of the Greece. Nydri is the larger town nearby. It was a good 20 minute drive down the mountain to get to the port town of Nydri.

Restaurant recommendation: Taverna Kara Boulas 

Excursions on Lefkada were totally different from any of the other Greek islands we’ve been to. Lefkada is old-fashioned in the way that it’s not touristy and it has an authenticity to it. When you look onto the port from the mountainside, it looks like a 1950’s postcard.

A full week there was perfect. You can walk right up to any boat on the port and ask for the two cruises I recommend. Captain Gerasimos’s boat with the huge eye on the mast is the one I recommend. Our villa was a paradise to come home to everyday. http://www.booking.com/hotel/gr/lefkada-villas.html

Excursions to check out:                           

• star gazing cruise (from the port)
• Onassis cruise (from the port)
• amusement part in Nydri
• The Fort of Aghia Mavra

photos by Patrick and GIna

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts

On the island of Lefkada in Greece, we took two cruises: the Star Gazing cruise (on another post) and the “Onassis cruise”. The Onassis cruise was a “bucket list” event for me because I’ve always wanted to see Skorpios--which had been the private island of Onassis. Ari Onassis married Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis “Jackie O” on the island of Skorpios. This cruise’s captain had worked for Onassis as a youngster and was able to tell us anecdotal tales. He had photo albums onboard with newspaper clippings of the famous couple…and of Maria Callas (the opera singer) too!

We visited 4 islets, swam in a cave which was rumored to have hidden a submarine (?), went to an islet with an ancient olive press “factory”, had a picnic on a beach and snorkled and ended up on Skorpios –a public access beach on the private island.

We drank espressos when we started, mojitos in the afternoon, and had Greek “caviar and champagne” which is really olives and ouzo shots.

the captain let our son pull the masts up….

I looked out onto the  turquoise blue Ionian sea with the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, in our bathing suits, relaxed on beverages, my arm around my husband and my gaze on my sons dancing and steering the sailboat which was a pirate ship replica and I thought, “This is a perfect moment of life.” People were Greek dancing in their bathing suits, everyone was relaxed and intrigued at the same time for what was around the corner as we toured 4 islets. Sailing, walking, hiking, drinking, eating, snorkeling…..

Click on excursion http://www.lefkadaslowguide.gr/en/business/activities/travel-excursions/cruises/Odysseia/?region=

                  reading scrapbooks, steering a boat, pulling masts, learning about an olive press, taking photos of native island women in their traditional dress….it was an assault of the senses in the best way.

 

http://www.odysseia-lefkada.eu/excursions.html

Follow this lesson plan to build trip itineraries with your family:

Travel Lesson Plan: Integrate the Concepts