Christmas Vacation?!

Some of our students will be able to go on great vacations this Christmas, during Spring Break and over the summer.  Some of them won't.  Here are some virtual field trips (apps and websites) that will take your students all over the world without ever leaving their computer or iPad!

Of course, we have to start out at the North Pole this time of year. This isn't a reindeer/Santa type of thing. :)  It is the real North Pole and is truly breathtaking. http://www.airpano.ru/files/North-Pole/2-2

National Parks by National Geographic (1) is full of breathtaking pictures and information on National Parks including Acadia, Mount Rainier, Yellowstone and Zion. With details on weather conditions and interactive maps, this app is a great resource for bringing the National Parks to your classroom.

The Life of Art (3) app designed by the Getty Museum focuses on four items from their collection. With detailed information on each object, students can manipulate the artifacts by spinning high-quality three-dimensional images and tapping to learn more about the history and characteristics of each item.

A trip to the National Gallery or Sistine Chapel might be out of the question, but Timeline - Art Museum (5) will bring the works of famous artists to your students' fingertips. This app includes a variety of works including Rembrandt and Lichtenstein, to name a few.

Aerial panoramas of some of the most beautiful places on our planet. Really amazing! http://www.airpano.com/

The Smithsonian http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/

The White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house/interactive-tour

The Titanic http://titanic3d.ca/virtual_tour/titanic3d_virtual.html

Although this exhibit is no longer on view at the American Museum of Natural History, the Creatures of Light (7) app can bring the information from the show to your class. Students can explore nature's bioluminescence on land and in the sea with clear pictures, interactive widgets and a variety of videos.

The Congressional Record (9) app is a fantastic resource for teachers who can't take their students to the floor of Congress. Up-to-date information as well as archived text paired with some CSPAN clips can bring the United States Senate and House of Representatives straight to America's future voters.