Midwest

Shedd Aquarium

VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS IN THE MIDWEST

STUDENTS CAN EXPERIENCE LIVING HISTORY SITES, ZOOS AND NATURAL BEAUTY ALL FROM THE SAFETY OF THEIR HOMES OR CLASSROOMS.

INDIANA

Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana is offering a n w live video chat program via Google Hangout. Students will have the opportunity to learn about a specific opic from a “zoo educator” and then have a Q&A session at the end of the video chat. Topics include habitats, adaptation, zoo careers, Indiana wildlife, rainforests and penguins. Each session is $50 for 30 minutes and a maximum class size of 35 students. Teachers can customize a session to fit their curriculum with the zoo workers for $75.

ILLINOIS

For those interested in aquatic life and marine biology, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago is offering a ariety of virtual field trips or kids grades K-8. Let your students explore the behind the scenes of the aquarium and go into the habitats all from the classroom. Students will be able to interact with aquarium workers and talk with experts and professionals in the field. “Shar s at Shedd” allows students to discover how sharks are identified and eed and even be able to explore the wild reef habitat

Art Institute of Chicago

they live in. Other programs, all 50 minutes long, focus on penguins, turtles and the other animals and habitats of the aquarium. Although students canno t weave down wide silent hallways to experience diffe ent periods and expressions of art in person, the Art Institute of Chicago has created an online space where virtually viewing art is still possible. Although much of the pleasure comes from viewing art in person, AIC has put its vast collection of paintings, sculptures and photographs online for students to enjoy. Your

kids can explore diffe ent collections like the famous painter El Greco or scroll through the AIC blog, which has behind-the-scenes articles written by curators and staff. here are even interactive features where people can hear stories about diffe ent artworks and the timelines from their creation to preservation.

MICHIGAN

For the history buffs, Mackinac State Historic Parks in Mackinac Island has created many virtual programs that allow students to explore and learn about the rich history of the Straits of Mackinac. Students can enjoy online exhibits, videos, readings and other educational materials. There are virtual tours of historic sites like “Fort Mackinac” and “Mackinac Point Lighthouse,” and students can learn about previous battles that happened on the grounds. They even offer m vies and a blog that offer more insight into the history of the state parks.

MISSOURI

Due to a statewide shutdown of historical sites and museums, The Missouri Historical Society has put together an online program called “History at Home” for families and kids who are still looking to learn about Missouri’s past. There is even a virtual field trip or students called “Panoramas of the City,” which is an online exhibit that presents St. Louis in the past through a series of photographs. Students can immerse themselves in the gallery to discover St. Louis and how it has changed. Additionally, the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis has placed all their exhibits and extensive libraries online for public access. Your students will be able to fil er through current and previous exhibits that include pictures, passages and videos about Missouri’s past and the prominent people who made the state—and city of St. Louis—what it is today. Exhibits include “Mighty Mississippi,” which follows the history of the famous river, and “Seeking St. Louis,” which maps out how the city came to be.

OHIO

The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Riverside, Ohio has created a new virtual tour with a 360-degree camera that allows students to enjoy all angles of the museum from their classroom.

WiscoVR

The self-guided tour includes the entire museum and will take your students from gallery to gallery, teaching them the history of the Air Force and major battles and inventions of the past. The tour has arrows that guide them and pinpoints that, when pressed, will give videos or paragraphs of more information. There are even links that can send you to other educational resources. For those interested in the aircrafts, “COCKPIT360” has a gallery of the interiors and exteriors and is available for free at the Apple and Google Play stores.

WISCONSIN

WiscoVR, created by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, is a new cutting-edge program that brings a new meaning to what field trips a e. By using virtual reality goggles through programs like Google Cardboard, students are able to explore diffe ent places across Wisconsin without having to be there in person. Students can go virtual to places like Habelman Brothers Company in Tomah, the largest fresh cranberry farm in the world, to learn about how the fruit is grown and produced. Each virtual field trip includes 360-degree videos, audio recordings and written texts.

MINNESOTA

Students can now explore and discover the

Mississippi National River and Recreational

Area, a 72-mile stretch along the Mississippi River that encompasses 54,000 acres of protected land, from the classroom. Take virtual tours and watch 360-degree panorama videos of the Mississippi Corridor and learn about nature and the species that reside there. Using Goole Earth, students can explore Mill Ruins Park, St. Anthony Falls and Coon Rapids Dam. For more information, students can listen to the “Ranger on Call” audio tours which have interesting stories and facts on the park and river.

IOWA

Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines has created new virtual programs that allow kids of all ages to enjoy the zoo from home or the classroom. Teachers can have their students experience a live tour of the zoo with a Blank Park educator who will tell fun and interesting stories while explaining animal habitats. The zoo also offer sessions where students can chat with workers about one of the animals from the zoo. I f students are looking to see the animal, there are pre-recorded, and sometimes live, videos where kids can meet animals like alligators, giant rabbits, birds and more. ■