We will discuss New York City and its attributes. Students will then receive a blank map of New York in which they can record and map the travels of the main characters John, Lorraine, and Mr. Pignati. Before actually reading the story, students will locate the boroughs of New York including: Staten Island, Empire State Building, Statue if Liberty, etc. After discussing the location and features, we will go to the computer lab and visit the following sites on the Internet:

Downtown Manhattan (http://gonyc.about.com/od/downtownattractio/)

What is Downtown Manhattan?
(http://www.answers.com/topic/downtown-manhattan)

Other Attractions in Downtown Manhattan
(http://www.mykreeve.net/new_york/downtown/other_areas/index.htm)

New York City Skating Guide (http://www.skatecity.com/nyc/where/manhattanmap.html)

Manhattan Art Guide
(http://www.nyc.com/arts%5F%5Fattractions/)

Times Square
(http://www.timessquarenyc.org/then_now/then_now_timeline.html)

Statue of Liberty
(http://www.sccorp.com/cam/)

Guggenheim Museum
(http://www.guggenheim.org/new_york_index.shtml)

Manhattan Transfer
(http://webcambiglook.com/ny.shtml)

While visiting these sites, students will give description of each site on the blank sheet of paper they carried with them.

After completing this activity, students will go back to class and write in their journals about their adventures on the Internet. They must include specific locations and express why they liked or disliked the sites provided.