Have Google Will Travel
It was a blistering hot day in July 2017. My bags were packed. I was on my way to meet my traveling companions. We were headed for Giza! When we met, I realized they had forgotten to pack their bags. They were traveling without a toothbrush or a pair of pajamas. What to do? Well … “settle in traveling companions! We are going to Egypt!” I decided to embark on the journey anyway. With over 20 eager 5th graders awaiting the trip, I began what would be the first of 12 trips to Egypt that summer without ever leaving the North American continent!
With the help of Google Expeditions, I could take students across continents and oceans to Egypt!
Background:
This summer is the second year that Riverside Unified School District has provided approximately 400 students at thirteen different school sites the opportunity to travel to “parts unknown.” The Summer Camp program was designed to bridge the summer slide so that students who would normally not have experiences to talk about or write about WOULD! In collaboration with our Innovation and Learner Engagement Department (ILE) we created a lesson design that would connect engineering concepts (Simple Machines) by traveling virtually to the Pyramids of Giza!
Experience:
Using Google Expeditions, the Asus ZeFone 3 Laser, Merge viewers, and TP Link routers, students in 5th and 6th grades experienced an immersive learning environment as they traveled virtually to the Pyramids of Giza on the continent of Africa! In conjunction with front loaded content about Simple Machines, students were able to make connections about how ancient Egyptians may have used pulleys, wheel & axle, ramps, and levers to build the massive structures. With the support of 3 instructional specialists acting as tour guides, over 400 students in Riverside were able to experience this adventure of a lifetime. Students were taken across varied experiences and viewed the Pyramids at Giza, the Great Sphinx, the city of Cairo, and more!
After the experience concluded, summer teachers further connected the learning by having students engage in collaborative conversations and drafting an expository essay on what they had learned.
Equipment Used:
Asus ZeFone 3 Laser
Merge viewers
TP Link routers
Resources:
Google Expeditions: https://edu.google.com/expeditions/
Lesson Plan Design: Click HERE
Graphic Organizer
Photo Credit: @MsSalinasEdu
Janet C Sewell
TK-6 ELA/ELD Staff Developer
Riverside Unified School District
Thinker. Dreamer. Believer.
“Educate toward the common good.”
Twitter: @jcsewell1
Caryn McLoughlin
Staff Development Specialist for Tech Integration
Riverside Unified School District Department
Website: Ilerusd.com
Innovator. Learner. Creator.
Twitter: @CarynMcLRUSD
