Virtual Field trips

Gather up the family and buckle up for a virtual field trip without having to leave your home!

As we enter our third month (fourth for some) in quarantine, we find ourselves looking for more and more creative ways to keep our kids and families engaged. Virtual field trips have gained popularity across classrooms in the past few years, as they do not require permission slips or travel and provide insight into amazing places and exciting journeys. This idea can be adapted to help families embark on their own virtual journeys from the safety of their homes.

• Grand Canyon: The theory of how the Grand Canyon was formed is shown in this animation from NOVA, and features rare footage of a phenomenon known as debris flow.
  Resource: The Grand Canyon: How It Formed

• Old Faithful: Geothermal features, which include geysers, hot springs, steam vents called fumaroles, and boiling mud pots, are found on nearly every continent. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming contains the world's largest collection: nearly 10,000 such features lie within its 2.25 million acres. In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, a young guide offers viewers a tour of the park and explains how Earth's internal heat fuels geothermal formations. The tour makes it clear why millions of people visit Yellowstone each year to witness the park's explosive displays and colorful deposits.
  Resource: A Visit to Yellowstone

• Great Salt Lake: Watch this Smithsonian video clip that explores the Great Salt Lake. Covering 1,700 square miles, Utah's Great Salt Lake is the biggest saltwater lake in the western hemisphere.
  Resource: What Makes Great Salt Lake So Great?

• Niagara Falls: Explore PBS Station WNED’s documentary highlighting Niagara Falls. (Intro up to minute 1:30)
  Resource: WNED PBS Documentaries | Niagara Falls