Tour USA: A Virtual Field Trip

We'll use Google Lite Maps to Chart our Course.

Inspired by a colleague's project, my fourth grade students and I will embark on a virtual cross country trip during school year 2013-2014.

The trip will introduce students to the culture, geography, and history of the United States.

We'll use a number of tools during our virtual trip including Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Sites, YouTube, and Discovery Education. I'm sure the list of tools will grow as we begin journey in mid to late September.

The framework for the project includes the following.

1. In September, we'll get to know one another and the tools for the trip through a number of activities including creating a Google Lite collaborative class map of our homes and the places we like to visit. 
2. Next students will learn how to use the many features on Discovery Education including their interactive atlas, timeline search, and various libraries.  Students will share short films of favorite New England attractions.  
3. I'll introduce students to the five themes of geography as we review the work we've done so far. 
4. After that we'll talk about a cross country trip in general.  What do we want to see?  How are we going to travel?  Where do we want to start?  How will we create a scrapbook of our journey? Essentially the students and I will create the tour structure. 
5. After that I'll work to embed a number of standards, the five themes of geography, a schedule, and the 4 c's (communication, collaboration, critical thinking skills, and creativity) into the virtual tour structure.
6. Towards the end of September or the beginning of October, we'll create travel teams. Teams will create a scrapbook (tool yet to be determined), decide on their overall path to and from home, create a team name, and begin the journey.
7. Then, approximately once or twice a week, the teams will meet to continue their tour across the United State and perhaps edging north or south to Mexico, the Caribbean or Canada. 
8. At the end of the year we'll have our U.S. Tour share and celebration. 

Like many, I love to travel and explore.  I'm sure my students will enjoy their trip too. We'd enjoy using Skype or Hangouts to connect with schools around the country too so if you're interested please let me know. 

In the meantime, please don't hesitate to send helpful links and tools to my attention as my colleague and I develop the project.