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Virtual Field Trip Apps and Websites
Top Picks
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Virtual Reality Experiences
Nearpod
Engage and assess students with media, videos, and interactive slides
Bottom line: This is a great tool with a vast content library, and the teacher- or student-paced learning can unlock the potential of 1-to-1 environments.
Apollo 11 VR
Thrilling VR experience needs creative teaching to truly soar
Bottom line: If infused with good teaching, this cinematic experience can provide a rich, unforgettable adventure.
Roundme
Virtual tour library and creation site has limited classroom utility
Bottom line: Tours have some potential for experiential learning, but the consumer focus means it'll take more work to find them and integrate them in the classroom.
Google Earth VR
Explore the world with an incredible new perspective and sense of scale
Bottom line: An amazing experience that brings the world to life, despite the heavy investment in VR required.
On-the-Ground Reporting and Journalism
Detour - Immersive Audio Walking Tours
Great location-based history but presents implementation challenges
Bottom line: A compelling way to learn local history, but no classroom support and ultimately dependent on physical access to the tours.
Listenwise
Bring real-world stories from public radio into the classroom
Bottom line: A fantastic resource that brings both historical and current event public radio stories into the classroom.
StoryCorps
From the everyday to the extraordinary, personal interviews get kids listening
Bottom line: It's a great resource to help demonstrate the value of listening and the importance of storytelling and interviewing skills.
Global Oneness Project
Captivating, cross-curricular stories increase cultural awareness
Bottom line: Teachers looking to enrich their curriculum with high-quality, thought-provoking videos and photos will find plenty of inspiration, but may need to create or fine-tune some lessons.
NPR: Borderland
Illuminating, up-close-and-personal visit to the U.S.-Mexico border
Bottom line: As a truly unique resource that's worth using, teachers will need to create lessons that scaffold students' understanding of the complex issues found within.
Online Museums
Asian Art Museum
Inventive lessons and activities integrate Asian history, art, and more
Bottom line: It offers an in-depth look at Asia’s influence on art and history and provides lots of creative tools for educators.
National Geographic Education
Top geography resource site provides global exploration opportunities
Bottom line: This is a must-bookmark site for classrooms across the curriculum hunting for inspiring place-based resources.
Lawrence Hall of Science: 24/7 Science
Outdated site still useful for science games and investigations
Bottom line: Many of these interesting and highly educational activities, though a bit disorganized, still challenge and engage kids in important ways.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Powerful stories and media centralize African-American history
Bottom line: While there aren't ready-to-go curricular materials, this modern, well-curated, and well-contextualized digital collection is sure to inspire compelling lessons.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Epic science museum's site has unparalleled but disorganized content
Bottom line: While it needs some updating and organizing, this is still an unmatched resource for the history of air travel and space flight.
National Archives
Access U.S. history with treasure trove of docs, genealogy, and other resources
Bottom line: NARA's website wasn't designed for kids, but they can definitely use it to research and learn about history, genealogy, and the U.S. population and government.
Ford's Theatre
Site famous for its Lincoln assassination resources has more to offer
Bottom line: This site can support meaningful, primary source-driven examination of some of the most important events in U.S. history, but educators will need to dig a little.
Google Arts & Culture
Well-curated art and history site inspires curious learning
Bottom line: A beautifully presented one-stop shop for compellingly curated and contextualized art, history, and culture resources, but it's lacking educator supports.
Exploratorium
Science experiments and activities abound in this comprehensive resource
Bottom line: A host of mostly at-home activities are available if kids stick to the Explore tab of online resources.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Extensive resource collection supports teaching about the Holocaust
Bottom line: As a valuable resource for anyone teaching or learning about the Holocaust, time to explore and plan is necessary in order to make the materials effective.
The National WWII Museum - New Orleans
High-quality resources and activities offer an in-depth study
Bottom line: Materials and activities support a thorough study of World War II, making this a valuable resource for both teachers and students.
Other Tools and Resources
Learn Around the World
Travel the world and learn from locals with live virtual field trips
Bottom line: Unique way to take students on a world tour without actually leaving the classroom, but needs some basic technology and time zone coordination for best results.
NOVA
Compelling science videos have high-quality classroom applications
Bottom line: Unparalleled science documentaries offer a window into real-world scientific topics in a high-interest way.
California Academy of Sciences
Expert research and diverse, rich lessons inspire future scientists
Bottom line: A perfect companion to (or substitute for) the Academy, this site delivers highly interactive resources and research with a lot of depth.
Google Earth
Dazzling globe-trotting tool has endless classroom applications
Bottom line: This tool defines engagement and offers a completely open-ended experience perfect for use across the educational spectrum.
Google Lit Trips
Google Earth-powered tours explore how stories and geography connect
Bottom line: With some initial fiddling, this can be a good option to increase student interest in -- and add depth to -- literary study.
Oddizzi
Kids travel the world, cultivate global curiosity and responsibility
Bottom line: Kids get a sense of culture and global responsibility via kid-friendly articles and great multimedia.
GooseChase EDU
Digital scavenger hunts provide dynamic, fresh learning experiences
Bottom line: Students and teachers will enjoy the powerful learning of a modern scavenger hunt.
Project Noah
Engaging online community for relevant, hands-on science fieldwork
Bottom line: Project Noah is a free and easy way to take part in biodiversity research with the support of a knowledgeable and global community.
Google Maps
Hugely popular mapping tool has tons of learning potential
Bottom line: This familiar tool can go beyond here to there and take kids to new educational destinations.
Artsteps
Immersive virtual exhibit tool is attractive and versatile but fussy
Bottom line: For teachers and students who can invest the time, Artsteps provides a compelling, free option for presenting and exploring images and audio of any kind.
