A virtual field trip possibility would be to visit the moon with WALL-E. Kids would love this! It's so cool. This is a virtual field trip provided by NASA Digital Learning Network. I would incorporate this in my classroom while we were learning about the solar system and space in our science unit. Below is the description from the twice.cc website.
"Many students have the misconception that NASA only sends astronauts
to
space, when in reality, NASA has 58 science missions concurrently taking
place this year in addition to the Space Shuttle and the International
Space Station.
This module will introduce students to a few of upcoming
NASA missions, with a
focus on NASA’s efforts to Return to the Moon
with the Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar Crater and
Observation Sensing Satellite (LCROSS).
This module will also introduce
students to the concepts behind satellite data
collection with a
hands-on demonstration of the LIDAR instrument on LRO.
Be forewarned,
for this module may actually make your students laugh when
WALL-E tries
to help tell NASA’s story."
The Michigan Common Core Standards that this virtual field trip would incorporate are the following:
- Scientific Knowledge II.1 All students will analyze claims for their scientific merit and explain how scientists decide what constitutes scientific knowledge; show how science is related to other ways of knowing; show how science and technology affect our society; and show how people of diverse cultures have contributed to and influenced developments in science.
- SS.II.Content Standard 2: All students will describe, compare, and explain the locations and characteristics of ecosystems, resources, human adaptation, environmental impact, and the interrelationships among them.
If I could bring anyone into my classroom via video conference, I would do a very large unit where we conference with children from all over the world and learned all about their cultures. This would probably take a very long time. Or I would hold an open vote for my students. The format would be similar to a suggestion box. They could vote for their favorite author, something they want to learn about, etc. I would also be interested in bringing someone in who has invented something or created something based on a dream and some really really REALLY hard work.
If I could bring my students to any business, I would try to find a successful business that came to be simply from hard work and a dream. I want my students to be aware that anything is possible. Hard work and a dream can get you a lot in this world. I want my students to value hard work and not feel entitled to anything that they have in this life. I would ask my children to vote about what kind of business they would like to visit. If we had more than one popular option, we could try and conference with more than one. A lot of thought and preparation would be put into these conferences, though. It wouldn't be something I would throw together in a couple of days or leave for a substitute teacher.
