Una agencia de viajes en el Cono Sur

Phase 1: Complete the "Sé, Quiero saber, Aprendí" chart, attached below, to tell me three things you already know about the Cono Sur and five things you want to learn about the region. Turn this in as homework for next class. This individual exercise will serve to activate your prior knowledge as you head into the research phase. 

Phase 2: You will choose two other classmates with whom you would like to create your website. While there are three countries and three group members, I would like everyone to expand their knowledge of all three countries. As such, I would like for you to divide the following six specializations equally among your group members. Each group member will become an expert in his or her two areas of specialization for all three countries. Thus, you will have three destinations and two areas of specialization for each, meaning 6 sections of the website. Here are the specializations: 

    1. Food expert- ____________________________            

       The food expert is responsible for the following:

            o Most common foods and beverages in this country

            o A fancy restaurant in each destination

            o A more affordable restaurant in each destination (not international chains- should be something local)

            o A major grocery store chain in each destination (if not available, suggest how a traveler would need to go about                 buying groceries)         

    2. Tourist attractions expert- ___________________________            

        The tourist attractions expert is responsible for the following:

            o Three attractions in each destination that you would personally recommend

            o Must include hours of admission and any entry costs

            o The definition of this category is broad, and can include anything from parks to houses of worship, plazas, shopping                 streets, monuments, museums, activities or anything else that you are excited about. However, please do not                 include any restaurants in this category, as those will be covered by the food expert.                 

    3. Lodging expert- ___________________________            

        The lodging expert is responsible for the following:

            o A fancy hotel in each destination

            o A more affordable hotel in each destination

            o Include prices per night and room types available         

    4. Route planner- ___________________________            

        The route planner is responsible for the following:

            o The best route for a traveler coming from LAX (Should they fly roundtrip into and out of one of your three                 destination cities? That would involve an extra leg of travel, but might save money.) Show average flight prices for a                 multi-city itinerary (LAX --> A, A --> B, B --> C, C --> LAX) and a roundtrip itinerary (LAX --> A, A --> B, B --> C, C --> A, A                 - -> LAX)

            o Your recommended order among destinations A, B and C

            o The best method of transportation between cities

                    ♣ Discuss the pros and cons of flying vs. trains or buses (price vs. travel time)

                    ♣ Include average prices and travel times for different methods of transportation        

    5. Local transport and visa expert- __________________________            

        The local transport and visa expert is responsible for the following:

            o Do travelers need to purchase a visa ahead of time before entering any of these countries? If so, how much is it and                 how do they go about obtaining it? You can assume travelers would only need tourist visas, if anything.

            o What's the best way to get around each of your three destination cities? Metro, local bus, taxi, walking, biking?

                    ♣ Show average prices for sample distances using local transport          

    6.  Directions expert- __________________________            

        The directions expert is responsible for the following:

            o Within the lodging section, give simple directions for getting to both the fancy hotel and the affordable hotel from                 each destination's city center (usually the central bus or train station- NOT the airport)

            o Within the tourist attractions section, give simple directions for getting to ONE of the three attractions mentioned                 for each destination from the AFFORDABLE hotel. 

            o This should be a total of 9 sets of directions

            o It would be great to include a screen shot or embed a map for each of these routes and include the distance

If and only if you need to have a group of 4 instead of 3, please add the following two specializations into the original group of 6:        

    7. Weather expert- ___________________________            

         The weather expert is responsible for the following:

            o Average temperature and climate information for the various regions of each country at various points of the year

            o Keep in mind that Argentina and Chile are both quite "long" and there are many different climates to talk about for                 each

            o Suggest an overall packing list (that accounts for all three countries) for a traveler going in December vs. a traveler                 going in July (careful- think about how different hemispheres affect the weather)        

    8. Celebrations expert- ___________________________            

        The celebrations expert is responsible for the following:

            o Three common holidays celebrated in each destination

                ♣ Give the history of each holiday, its date and common festivities associated with it

Phase 3: Carry out all necessary research in order to provide the required information for your areas of specialization using the links provided below. At some point during your early research, as a group you will decide on one city / region in each country to pursue as your primary destination. Thus, you will have three "destinations", one in each country.

Phase 4:  Construct your website to your liking. All group members should be able to access the website separately, but you will need to work together and communicate as some sections are intertwined. The website must include:

• A domain name that includes the name your group has selected for your travel agency
• A home page with a brief introduction of each of you and your travel agency
• All bullets points mentioned above for each specialization. You can organize the website however you see fit- by destination, by specialization, etc.
• Pictures (see links below for images you can use without copyright issues)
• A sources page- informal bibliography with all the links you used, including pictures. This does not need to be in full MLA style, but please put a brief title / description next to each link. (i.e., "Restaurantes elegantes in Buenos Aires: www.xyz.com")