Using the family's summertime vacation as a springboard can motivate children to start their projects early-and add to their enjoyment of the trip and participation in the planning. Family vacations are a break from normal routines, a chance to spend time together and grow. The whole family can be involved as the child shares what he or she is learning. Another advantage to doing the work during vacation is that focused kids will produce better projects with less stress.

Getting started

Whether to an exotic country or just to grandmother's house, every trip offers learning opportunities. Children can be challenged to research the route and final destination of the vacation to discover possible project topics. With age-appropriate guidance, they can contact convention and visitor bureaus, visit the library, and search the Internet to learn about different locations on the itinerary.

Once the initial exploration has been completed, the child can be helped to focus on a specific topic. (Social Studies Fair guidelines are determined by individual states, and should be reviewed before the topic is selected. Some guidelines are available on the Internet. Local libraries may also have a copy.)

After a topic is selected, the student can do additional research in advance, making a list of specific places and attractions to visit, questions to ask, etc.

Large cities

Large cities, of course, present endless possibilities for social studies projects. Take advantage of self-guided tours, movies or live presentations that are offered. At Ellis Island in New York, a three-person play, "Embracing Freedom: The Immigrant Journey to America," takes the audience back in time. A father moved to America and worked for three years to earn the steamship passage for his wife and daughter. His family endured the hardships of the trip, sustained by the dream of a better life. The re-enactment tells the story of just one family that came to America. Viewing the play before touring the museum will make the displays and exhibits even more meaningful.

New Orleans has the D-day Museum, where veterans work as volunteers. A taped interview would make a great addition to a project. Or, after viewing a compelling show at the New Orleans Museum of Art, children might be willing to head to the library to supplement their understanding of a different time and place.

Orlando has more than theme parks. "Titanic-The Exhibition" is a museum filled with artifacts, a full-scale re-created grand staircase, and live interactive interpretations by storytellers in period costumes.

Off the beaten track

If the vacation is by car, and time permits, the project may focus on a town that is on the way to the final destination. For example, just 90 minutes north of Orlando is St. Augustine, which was founded in 1565, 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. It seems as if every exhibit in St. Augustine is "The Oldest" something. The Oldest Jail, The Oldest Store, The Oldest House ... you get the idea. Most of the attractions are small and take less than an hour to explore. The Oldest Schoolhouse in the United States, located in St. Augustine, offers a great tour; it remains virtually as it was nearly two centuries ago.

If the trip doesn't include a well-known city, children, with help, can contact the visitor or tourism bureaus of the states they will be traveling through. These very helpful sources will often send out packages of information at no charge.

Some great detours may be discovered that add fun to the trip and substance to the project. For example, the official Texas tourism site (www.traveltex.com) is packed with helpful information, and offers a free travel guide. Click on the Texas map and a driving itinerary pops up.

In East Texas, the Texas State Railroad runs between Rusk and Palestine. Antique steam engines power vintage coaches through dense forests. Imagine the report a child could write after a first-hand train travel experience!

Some towns honor famous people. Near Huntsville, Texas is the world's tallest statue of an American hero. The 66-foot statue of General Sam Houston is made of 60,000 pounds of concrete and steel. Mounted atop a 10-foot, granite-sheathed base, the statue is visible for more than six miles. In the town, the 15-acre Sam Houston Memorial Museum Complex is located across the street from the university that bares his name. Brochures and maps are available at the visitor center.

Visiting family

Even a visit to relatives can include a search for museums, historical events, or well-known people in the area. Kids can research the family tree. By taping interviews, they can learn more about their grandparents and other relatives. Interviews can include questions like: Did you have an unusual job, or fight in a war? What was school like when you were young? Do you remember getting your first television? This might even lead to a suitable social studies project. Copying old photographs and taking new pictures of family members would add to the experience.

Tips for the trip

A large manila envelope or file folder in a child's suitcase will provide a safe place to put brochures and other printed materials collected on the road-and will encourage independent responsibility for them.

The gift shops of attractions and museums offer inexpensive postcards or books that add dimension to the experience. Plus, a carefully chosen special keepsake might eventually double as a prop for the project's display!

A disposable camera is a great way for a child to capture memorable experiences. The pictures will help document details of the trip, making the project that much stronger. Pictures of a child beside displays and signage-and possibly with the experts with whom they talk-will add credibility to the project and help pull the display board together.

Wherever the family travels this summer, the kids can come home with memories-and next year's social studies fair project as a bonus!

Resources

International Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus, http://www.iacvb.org/iacvb/index.asp.
National Council for the Social Studies, http://www.socialstudies.org.
Regional magazines, such as Southern Living, include travel sections that detail interesting tidbits of history.