Virtual Field Trips
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
http://www.mnh.si.edu./vtp/1-desktop/
Reading Level: Intermediate
This tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History helps students explore actual artifacts to deepen their knowledge of the history of the earth. Students learn of the beginnings of animals, plants, and minerals by looking at the artifacts and reading selected material on display.
Each exhibit shows pictures of the artifacts that are on display at the Smithsonian with some text. There are arrows that you can click on that will guide you to the next part or exhibit which makes you feel like you are actually walking through the museum. Also, you are able to look around the entire room adding to the feel of being at a museum.
The interaction included in the site is minimal. You are able to click on the arrows to go to different exhibits and use the zoom feature to zoom in on a display. Also, there is sometimes a picture of a camera that you can click on that will give you a close-up picture of the display. Lastly, you able to get a panorama view of the room by clicking the screen and moving the mouse.
This virtual tour is very interesting to look and it really does feel like you are at the museum. Unfortunately, there was not much that I learned from the site. The pictures of the displays were so exciting, but I had no idea what most of them were about because there was hardly any text to read about it. There was nothing for teachers and there were no educational material or games for students which was very disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend using this website because of the lack of important information regarding the displays shown on the field trip.
The Anne Frank House: The Secret Annex
http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/
Reading Level: Intermediate
This 3D, interactive, virtual tour of the “Secret Annex” from the Anne Frank House is a must have resource when discussing the Holocaust and World War II. Students can virtually walk through the space where Anne Frank’s family were forced to hide from German enforcements.
Each room of the tour is set up like it was when Anne Frank’s family was staying at the Annex. This gives students the feel of what it would have been like and how small the family’s living space actually was. You are not only able to view the rooms in their entirety with a panorama feature, but you are able to view videos describing the stories that Anne Frank recorded in her diary and information regarding what was happening during World War II. There are also options located at the top of the page which lead to more videos about the Frank family and the Holocaust.
I wouldn’t change anything about this site. The visuals and resources it provides gives more to students than any history textbook. From the site, I learned of the daily lives of people in hiding such as the Franks, information about the Holocaust, and what was happening in World War II. There are no teacher resources which would be nice to have, but there is so many other resources that teachers can use. There are also no educational games for students, which understandable sue to the severity of the subject. I highly recommend this site to any teacher.
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
http://www.mnh.si.edu./vtp/1-desktop/
Reading Level: Intermediate
This tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History helps students explore actual artifacts to deepen their knowledge of the history of the earth. Students learn of the beginnings of animals, plants, and minerals by looking at the artifacts and reading selected material on display.
Each exhibit shows pictures of the artifacts that are on display at the Smithsonian with some text. There are arrows that you can click on that will guide you to the next part or exhibit which makes you feel like you are actually walking through the museum. Also, you are able to look around the entire room adding to the feel of being at a museum.
The interaction included in the site is minimal. You are able to click on the arrows to go to different exhibits and use the zoom feature to zoom in on a display. Also, there is sometimes a picture of a camera that you can click on that will give you a close-up picture of the display. Lastly, you able to get a panorama view of the room by clicking the screen and moving the mouse.
This virtual tour is very interesting to look and it really does feel like you are at the museum. Unfortunately, there was not much that I learned from the site. The pictures of the displays were so exciting, but I had no idea what most of them were about because there was hardly any text to read about it. There was nothing for teachers and there were no educational material or games for students which was very disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend using this website because of the lack of important information regarding the displays shown on the field trip.
The Anne Frank House: The Secret Annex
http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/
Reading Level: Intermediate
This 3D, interactive, virtual tour of the “Secret Annex” from the Anne Frank House is a must have resource when discussing the Holocaust and World War II. Students can virtually walk through the space where Anne Frank’s family were forced to hide from German enforcements.
Each room of the tour is set up like it was when Anne Frank’s family was staying at the Annex. This gives students the feel of what it would have been like and how small the family’s living space actually was. You are not only able to view the rooms in their entirety with a panorama feature, but you are able to view videos describing the stories that Anne Frank recorded in her diary and information regarding what was happening during World War II. There are also options located at the top of the page which lead to more videos about the Frank family and the Holocaust.
I wouldn’t change anything about this site. The visuals and resources it provides gives more to students than any history textbook. From the site, I learned of the daily lives of people in hiding such as the Franks, information about the Holocaust, and what was happening in World War II. There are no teacher resources which would be nice to have, but there is so many other resources that teachers can use. There are also no educational games for students, which understandable sue to the severity of the subject. I highly recommend this site to any teacher.
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