Virtual Field Trips
Virtual Field trips are not meant to replace regular field trips but they can be a great addition to what you're already doing in the classroom. Virtual field trips can also take your students to places that are far away and would be out of reach as a field trip. Most virtual field trips are free but make sure you're aware of any costs involved.
There are links to several virtual tours below. The easiest way to find a virtual tour or field trip is to open your favorite search engine and type in the location you want followed by 360 view, or panoramic visit, or virtual tour.
Example: Mississippi River virtual tour brings you to several options for guided trips of the Mississippi River.
Related Links
The Virtual Smithsonain
Includes online tours of exhibits in the museums of natural history, American history, and art in Washington.
Colonial Williamsburg
Programs for grades 4-8 with live broadcasts on public television stations and archived video presentations on the Web highlighting people, places, and events throughout history.
National Geographic Expeditions Online
Features a database of lesson plans, online activities, and maps tied to the national geography standards.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions
Jet Propulsion Lab at NASA
Allows participants to choose a virtual character and take a trip through an animated museum, mission control, and a robotics lab.
http://virtualfieldtrip.jpl.nasa.gov/smmk/top/gates
Ball State University Electronic Field Trips
Offers live and archived video tours of a variety of topics and destinations, including the Florida Everglades, gray whale migrations, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
http://www.bsu.edu/eft/home/31digest.php
Virtual fieldtrips and simulations from eduscapes