"How to" Guideline series is coordinated by Helen Mongan-Rallis of the Education Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions to improve these guidelines please me at e-mail hrallis@d.umn.edu.

Virtual Field Trips

What is a virtual field trip?

1. When students are not able to take a real field trip, teachers (or students) can do the following as alternatives.
2. Simulate a field trip either by having students visit web sites that show different places of interest
3. Create their own virtual field trip by visiting an actual place and taking photographs of key features. These photos can then be inserted into a display to show students back in class. This display can take a variety of forms, such as:
   1. Web page
   2. Power Point presentation
   3. Poster display or bulletin board
   4. Brochure
4. You can also create a virtual field trip to prepare students for what they will see and learn when they take an actual field trip. This pre-trip virtual field trip can be combined with readings and other activities. This way, when they arrive at the site, they will have a better understanding of what they are looking at.
5. Even when you and your students are able to take a real field trip, you (and or your students) can take along a digital camera and take photos while you are there. Then, on your return, you can create a virtual trip to show what you saw and learned. Putting together a virtual field trip is a valuable way for students to synthesize what they learned during the trip. This can be used (a) by students who were not able to take the trip (b) for future or other classes who won't be able to go on this trip.

How to create a virtual field trip:

1. Visit the field site yourself, armed with a digital camera and clip board
2. Take photos of key features (example: field trip to a zoo, take photos of different animals). Make notes on what you want students to notice in the photo, or information about the feature in the photo.
3. Collect any brochures that may be available at the site.
4. On your return from the site, prepare your photos and plan your virtual field trip:
• Prepare the photographs that you want to use in your virtual field trip: go through all the photos that you took, selecting the ones you want to use, and then cropping these to the size you want.
• Create a storyboard or concept map to plan out how you want to present the trip. In each storyboard box, state what photo you will include and what you want to say about the photo. You may also include questions you want to ask students as they look at and read about the photo.
• If you want to include photos from brochures that you obtained at the site, scan these using a scanner. Make sure that include the source of the photos within your trip (state where the picture was obtained). If needed, obtain permission to use the photos.
• You can also add to your field trip by doing a search on line for web sites that relate to your trip. You can include links to these web pages from your virtual field trip, or you can copy images from the pages to include in your trip (secure permission of needed). As with scanned pictures, make sure that include the source of the photos within your trip (state where the picture was obtained).
5. Put together your field trip (examples of formats: web page, Power Point presentation, poster display or bulletin board, brochure)

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Example of Virtual Field Trips:

• Virtual Travel: Online Field Trips for Students

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