Activity Overview
Activity Title: Travel Brochure & Tourism Fair
Grade Band: Middle School
Students will research a New Mexico cultural or historical site, then create a travel brochure and booth presentation for a classroom or schoolwide Tourism Fair.
This activity combines social studies, art, writing, and communication skills. Students learn how culture, geography, and history shape the way New Mexico is experienced and celebrated.
Time Required
2–4 class sessions
Materials Needed
- Research materials (library books, internet access, brochures)
- Paper, art supplies, or digital design tools
- Example brochures or posters for inspiration
- Optional: tri-fold boards or printed visuals for display
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Research and describe the historical and cultural importance of a New Mexico location.
- Apply persuasive and creative writing to promote tourism respectfully and accurately.
- Design a visual product (brochure or display) highlighting culture and history.
- Present their project clearly to peers or visitors at the Tourism Fair.
Essential Questions
- How can we share New Mexico’s culture and history with others?
- What makes a place important or unique?
- How can tourism help preserve — or harm — culture and the environment?
- How do we show respect when representing other people’s stories?
Inspired Conversation Topics
- Why do people visit historical or cultural sites?
- What does it mean to be a “cultural ambassador”?
- What symbols or images best represent your community or chosen site?
- How can tourism connect people across cultures?
Educator Resources & Links
- New Mexico True – Tourism Resources and Cultural Sites
- National Park Service – Explore New Mexico
- New Mexico National Parks and National Monuments
- Visit Albuquerque – Local Tourism and Events
- New Mexico National Historic Places
- New Mexico Historic Sites
- Our Land: New Mexico’s Environmental Past, Present and Future
- Learning for Justice – Teaching Cultural Diversity in the Classroom
Book List
Optional Family or Community Extension
Invite students to share their brochures or displays with family members and discuss places they’ve visited — or want to visit — in New Mexico.
Families may suggest additional sites or stories for inclusion in the Tourism Fair.
Teacher Note
Encourage creativity while emphasizing cultural respect. Highlight how accurate storytelling promotes pride and understanding of place.
Technical Tip
If students design digital brochures, save as PDFs for display or printing. Ensure all sources and images are cited.
Educator Resources & Links
- A Forgotten Kingdom: The Spanish Frontier in Colorado and New Mexico, 1540-1821
- NM History Museum Timeline
- Library of Congress – Chronicling America: Historic Newspapers
- National Archives – Historical Documents & Research Tools
- New Mexico History Museum – Voices of Independence
- Journalism Basics
- Intro to Journalism Study Guides
- Six Tips for Teaching Journalism
- Free template for making newspapers in Word or Google Docs
- Flippable Digital Newspaper Template
- A Brief History of Hispanic Periodicals in the United States
- New Mexico, New Spain, Old Cultures: Historic Spanish-Language Newspapers in Chronicling America
- The Spanish Archives of New Mexico 1779
- New Mexico State Library Newspaper Collection
- New Mexico Historical Newspapers – UNM Digital Repository
- Newspaper Archive Albuquerque Public Library Edition – New Mexico
- Chronicling America :Historic American Newspapers Collection
- Timeline of Albuquerque History
Book List
Additional Teaching Resources
- EDSITEment – Comparative History Projects and Media Literacy
https://edsitement.neh.gov/ - Learning for Justice – Truth-Telling Through Journalism
https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources - National Endowment for the Humanities – Teaching History Through Narrative
https://www.neh.gov/
Optional Family or Community Extension
Encourage students to share their article drafts with family members or community elders for feedback on tone and historical accuracy.
They can collect quotes or oral histories to enrich their comparison of events.
Teacher Note
Emphasize objectivity and critical thinking. Encourage students to explore how history is told as much as what is told.
Technical Tip
If students publish articles online, ensure proper citation of images and quotes, and review privacy settings before sharing publicly.
