Virtual Field Trips

What are Virtual Field Trips?

Virtual field trips are extension of actual field trips. Often the expense or the time to travel to a particular interesting location is not possible. A virtual field trip is a guided systematic exploration that organizes a series of web pages of a particular subject or place into a structured online learning experience.

Technical Skills in PowerPoint to create a Virtual Field Trip

Hyperlink images in PowerPoint.

Hyperlink text in PowerPoint to other cards.

Hyperlink text in PowerPoint to the WWW.

Creating interactive buttons to move to different slides.

Instructional Design of a Virtual Field Trip using PowerPoint

Slide 1 – Home Card – include topic, images, objectives button and project menu.


Slide 2 - Objectives.

Slide 3 - Overview of your topic.

Slide 4 – 8 (or more) – Content of the project correlates to each objective.

Last Slide – Assessment – Questions are correlated to project objectives.

Use this PowerPoint Virtual FIeld Trip as a guide to designing your Virtual Field Trip

Stonehenge Virtual Trip

Vocabulary:

• Concentric circles
• Druids
• Heel Stone
• Megalithic
• Mesolithic period
• Stonehenge

Objectives:

• Describe some theories as to the purpose of Stonehenge.
• How was Stonehenge constructed? Describe the bluestones and where they came from.
• Name and discuss the three construction periods of Stonehenge.
• Discuss the ancient builders of Stonehenge.
• Discuss how Stonehenge could predict eclipses and other astronomic mysteries.

Slide Topics:

Slide 1 - Home Page

Slide 2 – Objectives

Slide 3 – Overview of Stonehenge

Slide 4 – Stonehenge Construction

Slide 5 – Stonehenge Periods

Slide 6 – Who built Stonehenge?

Slide 7 – Mystery of Stonehenge points to the heavens

Slide 8 – Questions

Materials:

Internet Connection
Microsoft PowerPoint

Assessment:

• Briefly describe some theories as to the purpose of Stonehenge.
• How was Stonehenge constructed? Describe the bluestones and where they came from.
• Construction of Stonehenge was broken into how many periods?
• What where the dates of each construction period?
• Give a brief summary of each construction period.
• Why couldn’t the Druids have built Stonehenge?
• Most scientists agree on the modern theory that three tribes built Stonehenge at three separate times . Name and discuss how each one of these tribes contributed to the building of Stonehenge.
• Briefly explain how Stonehenge may be able to indicate a change of season.
• What is the “Heel Stone”?
• What is Archaeoastronomy?
• How does Stonehenge play an intricate part in the science of Archaeoastronomy?

Age level: Be sure to select Web sites that are suitable for the reading and vocabulary level of the grade level you are designing your Virtual Field Trip for.

Site Layout: make sure the web page layout is well-structured and easily readable. Most important make sure the information on the web page is easy to find. The web site should load quickly and should not have flashy ads that can distract the viewer.

Source Integrity: Be sure to check the web site’s author’s credibility and check to make sure the site information is valid (evaluating web sites).

Design Considerations:

• A good Virtual Field Trip should include 8-12 slides
• The title slide should welcome the student to the Virtual Field Trip Title and should have a button to list the objectives for the Virtual Field Trip.
• Each slide should be designed to meet the objectives of the Trip.
• Each slide should have a home button, next and previous button.
• Hyperlinks can be inserted either to pictures, text or both.

Digital and Virtual Field Trips Examples and Resources

Classroom Examples

http://www.field-trips.org/

http://www.campustours.com/service/tour.aspx

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour/

http://www.chinavista.com/beijing/gugong/!start.html

http://www.360soundview.com/stonehenge/alterstone.htm
 

Resources

http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic35.htm
This site offers one stop shopping for all you virtual field trip needs; purpose, how to, and links.

Earthtrip Virtual Fieldtrips
http://www.priweb.org/ed/earthtrips/ETripIndex.html
The Paleontological Research Institution presents virtual field trips to explore regions of the United States.

eduScapes
http://eduscapes.com/sessions/virtual/index.html
Gives options to help explore, use, adapt, and create virtual field trips.

Electronic (Virtual) Field Trips
http://www.pitt.edu/~poole/VirtualFieldTrips.html
 A resource which is rich in links to websites whose creators have provided an exciting opportunity for learners of all ages to virtually experience our wondrous world.

Expeditions Online
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/siteindex/adventure.html
An excellent resource from the National Geographic Society

Fabulous Field Trips
http://www.geocities.com/perkinshome/fieldtrip.html
A hot list of grades school age virtual field trip in one spot.

GALAPAGOS GEOLOGY ON THE WEB
http://www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/Galapagos.html
This virtual field trip takes a look at the geology of the Galapagos Islands.

Glencoe Online: Teaching Today
http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/33
Discusses purpose and importance of virtual field trips and provides ideas.

Global Field Trip
http://www.spartanburg2.k12.sc.us/links/fieldtrips.htm
A list of possible virtual fieldtrips.

Gotta Get out of Class with Virtual Field Trips READ
http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech071.shtml
An easy to read online article from Education World

Go to Madagascar
http://www.greatestplaces.org/book_pages/madagascar2.htm
A virtual field trip to Madagascar

Grand Canyon Explorer
http://www.kaibab.org/grand.htm
This website allows you to explore the Grand Canyon

Guidelines for Virtual Field Trips READ
http://surfaquarium.com/IT/vftguide.htm
Excellent guidelines for the do's and don'ts of virtual field trips

Home Sweet HomeSchool
http://home-educate.com/fieldtrip.shtml
This site links users to virtual field trips guiding students around the world to many continents and historic places.

Homework Spot
http://www.homeworkspot.com/fieldtrip/
An archive of virtual field trips.

Hot list of Virtual Field Trips
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listvirtualgr.html
Need to spice up that old lesson?...check out these great virtual field trips...

Houghton Mifflin: Geology Link
http://college.hmco.com/geology/resources/geologylink/fieldtrips.html
Allows user to select virtual field trips based off of which country and region they are inquiring about.

Info Today
http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/stevenson.htm
Helps guide users to discover and create their own virtual field trips.

Internet 4 Classrooms
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/vft.htm
Gives insight and ideas on virtual field trips.

LEARNZ
http://www.learnz.org.nz/
This is an online education program for students in New Zealand state, private and integrated schools.

Middle School.net
http://www.middleschool.net/curlink/virtual.htm
This is a hot list of virtual tour and field trips created by teachers for teachers.

NoodleTrip (for a fee)
http://www.noodletrip.com/
A virtual field trip search engine.

The "OOPS" Virtual Field Trip Page!
http://oops.bizland.com/vtours.htm
This website has many destinations for exotic locations to museums across the country.

Saskatoon East School Division No. 41
http://sesd.sk.ca/teacherresource/virtualtour/virtualtours.htm
This site lists general resources of virtual field trips as well as online tours and museums.

Stromboli online- Virtual excursions
http://www.swisseduc.ch/stromboli/virtual-excursions/index-en.html
This site allows you to virtually tour volcanoes around the globe.

The Surfaquarium- Innovative Teaching - Virtual Field
http://www.mathesonline.com/VirtualFieldTrips.html
All kinds of virtual field trips are listed on this site.

The Teachers Guide
http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html
Gives virtual tours of exhibits and museums.

Tech Trekers
http://www.techtrekers.com/virtualft.htm
Provides a large list of many possible virtual field trips.

Virtual Dissections, Labs, and Field Trips
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/virtual.html
The National Health Museum Resources Center virtual dissections, labs and field trips that are science related.

Virtual Field Trip
http://campus.fortunecity.com/newton/40/field.html#
Offers links to dozens of virtual field trip.

Virtual Field Trips
http://www.virtual-field-trips.com/
This is a great place to start on how to use virtual field trips to enhance the educational experiences and a list of trips to take.

Virtual Field Trips
http://www.vickiblackwell.com/vft.html
This website is a resource for the creating, the using and the finding of virtual field trips.

Virtual Field Trips at Tramline
http://www.field-trips.org/vft/index.htm
Match Tramline's virtual field trips that address National Standards.

Virtual Field Trips
http://www.oswego.org/staff/cchamber/webdesign/virtual_fieldtrips.htm
Virtual field trips to prepare students for actual ones.

Virtual Field Trips
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/fieldtrips2.htm
Lists categories and subjects of virtual field trips.

Virtually Hawaii
http://satftp.soest.hawaii.edu/space/hawaii/virtual.field.trips.html
Links to a virtual field trips around each of the Hawaiian Islands.

Virtual SchoolHouse
http://www.ibiblio.org/cisco/trips.html
This site has links to several virtual field trips and online museums.

Virtual Sites
http://www.virtualfreesites.com
Allows you to search for a virtual field trip

Yahoo Travel- Virtual Field Trips
http://dir.yahoo.com/Recreation/travel/virtual_field_trips
A hot list of virtual field trips from Yahoo.