Tourist Information and Travel Agent role play

On Thursday night, I used this site to contact a few tourist information boards, saying in the comments section that I was a teacher working on a geography project with my class. This morning (only two days later!) I received information from Sri Lanka and Korea. They've sent me loads of useful stuff, including maps and cultural information booklets. There's also a directory of tourist boards here, which sometimes has links to order brochures.

I've also spent this morning going round travel agents to collect brochures. I'm trying to find space in my classroom to set up a travel agent role play area, inspired by ideas from Trinity Educational (including a free download of ideas, photos and a booking form template for children to use) and Role Play Online.

I'm going to try to use this in maths, for example:

• data handling - weather graphs and statistics
• time - timetables, flight departure times, itineraries
• calculations - travel, hotel and attraction prices
• measures - weight and size allowances for luggage

I'll also use it in literacy, for example designing adverts, brochures and tourist information. And obviously it will link in with geography!

Make believe...?

I'm not sure my class really 'get it' when I've tried role play with them. One of the other teachers reported back to me a comment that one of the boys in my class made. She'd asked him what they were doing that afternoon. He'd replied, "We made passports. We're going on a trip round the world. Well, Miss K thinks we are, anyway."

In the autumn term, I tried using email. I created an account under the name of Professor Bubble. We were studying gases in science, and I sent the class an email from him saying that he didn't think gases existed. The idea was that we would do the experiments I'd planned and then email him, proving him wrong. But my class saw through it immediately, insisting that the email was from me.

This doesn't put me off though, despite knowing that my class think I'm slightly mad. They're quite willing to humour me, but they make it fairly obvious that's what they're doing and that they don't belive me for a moment!