We know that just because our usual out-of-the-house activities have been curtailed due to COVID-19, our desire (and our desire for our children) to learn and do has not stopped! To help you explore things and places that supplement your education, NCHE has compiled a list of virtual field trips. If you have others that you would like to recommend, please send the information to NCHE activities director Evelyn Bickley at evelyn.bickley@nche.com.
Thank you– and happy travels!
ANIMALS:
Dairy Farming
Undeniably Dairy has launched a NEW curriculum that teaches students how to create healthy, balanced meals while reducing food waste. Check out the new lesson and video today!
Dolphins
Visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, the home of Winter, star of the film A Dolphin Tale. Meet Winter, her caregivers and trainers and learn how the team rescued her after a tragic accident and then rehabilitated her.
Egg Farming
Choose to visit one–or all–of five different egg farms. You’ll be amazed at the environmental science, technology and math involved!
Marine Life
Marineland Dolphin Adventure in Florida is home to a variety of sea turtles, sharks, dolphins and more.
North Carolina Zoo
Visit the NC Zoo Facebook page on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays around 10 a.m. and zookeepers will take you on visits to see different animals.
Catch their Living with Nature video series.
Pill Bugs
Yes, bugs are animals, too! Learn about these common North Carolina critters, thanks to the folks at Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck.
Polar Bears
Travel with scientists tracking polar bears across the frigid Canadian land just outside Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. Excellent photography.
Turtles
This field trip to the Sylvan Heights Bird Park in eastern North Carolina, will take you on a visit to learn about three different kinds of turtles found here.
FACTORY TOURS:
Boeing
See how an actual Boeing 787 Dreamliner is made!
Chocolate
Who doesn’t like chocolate? Visit the Tesco Chocolate Factory in the United Kingdom to discover the process of converting cacao to scrumptious chocolate treats. And, if you want to learn a bit about Hershey’s chocolate, click here.
LEGOS
The beginning and history of Legos: The LEGO Story: How It All Started The making of Lego: Lego Bricks in the Making
McIlhenny Tabasco
700,000 bottles a day! That’s a lot of tabasco sauce! Follow the process from pepper to barrel to bottle. NOTE: Parents may want to preview this 11 minute video for language.
NASA
Build a clean machine with the best of the best.
Stihl Chainsaws
See how Stihl chainsaws are built.
HISTORY/GEOGRAPHY/SOCIAL STUDIES:
2020 Census
Along with other students, learn what this thing called a “census” is. Why is your family participating in it now? What does the government do with the information they collect?
Billy Graham Library
Haven’t been able to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte? Here’s your chance to do so virtually. Every Monday, the library is adding to their virtual tours. Check back regularly to see what’s new. Additionally, here is a link to online lesson plans that might be of use to you: www.billygrahamlibrary.org/
Colonial Williamsburg
Choose from about 60 video tours and re-enactments from Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
Ellis Island and Immigration
Learn about Ellis Island in New York harbor, the entry point for 12 million immigrants to the United States.
Fascism
The Story of Fascism by Rick Steves. Rick travels back a century to learn how fascism rose and then fell in Europe — taking millions of people with it. We’ll see the horrific consequences: genocide and total war. And we’ll be inspired by the stories of those who resisted. Learn from the hard lessons of 20th-century Europe, and to recognize that ideology in the 21st century.
Fire Department
Tour a station of the Memphis Fire Department to see how firefighters live when on duty. Learn about their equipment, trucks, and how they spend their time in between calls. And follow a firefighter from the Littleton, Colorado department as he goes about his busy shift.
Gettysburg National Military Park, Civil War
Presented by the National Park Service, these videos explain a brief background of the Civil War and the details of those three days in July 1863, marked as the turning point of the Civil War.
Jamestown and Yorktown
Every Tuesday and Thursday, at 10, 11 and 12 o’clock, visit the historic towns of Jamestown (colonial era from 1607 including native Americans, colonists, indentured servants and slaves) and Yorktown (Revolutionary War era) for live, interactive presentations from their educators. A video archive allows you to catch up on visits you missed.
The Lincoln Memorial
Visit and learn about the Memorial, but more importantly Lincoln the man and the President.
Mount Everest
This field trip follows a group of climbers as they prepare for and climb Mount Everest.
Mount Vernon
An exceptionally well-done tour of the home of America’s first president, George Washington. It combines still photography, videos, and self-guiding to allow you to visit whichever areas are most interesting to you.
National Parks
Kenai Fjords, Alaska; Hawaii Volcanoes, Hawaii; Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico; Bryce Canyon, Utah; Dry Tortugas, Florida.
North Carolina Museum of History
History comes to life when you visit their YouTube channel. Find well-done videos on everything from Native American, the Colonial era, Civil War, World Wars, the Wright Brothers and more.
North Carolina Transportation Museum
Their Youtube channel promises something for everyone to enjoy!
Old Salem Museum & Gardens
The Old Salem Museum & Gardens website has great videos showing life in Old Salem!
Follow “History Nerd Alerts” on the Old Salem Museum & Gardens Facebook page to see and learn about everyday items of life in early America.
Panama Canal
Follow the history of Panama from Balboa’s discovery of the Pacific Ocean and the first dreams of a way to connect it with the Atlantic. For related content, see Panama Canal under the Science/Technology section. NOTE: Parents may want to preview this video for language.
Plimouth Plantation
Visit re-created Plimouth Plantation. Thanksgiving virtual field trip featuring Pilgrims and the Native American Wampanoag, discussing their lives, their collaboration, and the first Thanksgiving.
Smithsonian’s National Museum of History
Hosted by author David Baldacci, this short tour meets with several curators, takes you to behind the scenes locations and introduces you to a few bits of American history.
Washington, D.C.
The history. The monuments. The organization of our government. National treasures.
The White House
“The People’s House: Inside the White House with Barack and Michelle Obama” For video resources from the White House Historical Association, click here. For additional, still photography and close views of art, Easter Egg Rolls, Christmas and First Families, visit The White House Historical Association website.
SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY:
Agri-business Careers and STEM
Visit Zoetis, a global animal health company based in New Jersey, which provides medicines, vaccines, and a wide range of services to veterinarians, livestock producers, and others who care for farm and companion animals. Students will discover how scientists and engineers use a variety of techniques and technologies to benefit animal health and society, while matching their talents and interests to featured careers. Companion activities and educators guide on this page also.
Discovery Place Science
Every couple of days, Discovery Place is blogging about a science experiment or activity called “Stay-At-Home Science.”
Egg Farming
Choose to visit one–or all–of five different egg farms. You’ll be amazed at the environmental science, technology and math involved!
Falkirk Wheel
An alternative to locks to assist ships to get from one level to another, the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland is a rotating boat lift. See also The Panama Canal.
International Space Station
Step out of Earth’s atmosphere with NASA astronaut Suni Williams for a tour of her home away from home, the International Space Station. Watch Williams float through space and show you all the bells and whistles (and really cool science gear) on board this floating lab.
Museum of Life & Science, Durham
Life and Science at home: Every day, the museum will post new content to help you learn, do easy experiments, and discover life and science in new ways.
NASA
Learn about the Commercial Crew Program and the government/private enterprise partnership that takes astronauts to the International Space Station in this series of seven video field trips.
The Hubble Telescope Operations Center tour includes visiting the lobby of the Goddard Space Flight Center to learn about the spacecraft, the Mission Operations Room, the Operations Support Room, the exhibit hallway, and even a tour of the tools used by astronauts to repair the observatory.
Take a field trip to the historic Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Students will learn about unique careers in the aerospace industry on Innovating the Future.
North Carolina Museum of Science
The NCMS has many resources, such as a jellyfish cam and ideas on starting a nature notebook project, on their page called Science at Home. For a complete catalog of their videos (2 minutes to an hour), please see https://www.youtube.com/user/ncnaturalsciences
The Panama Canal
Locks are amazing feats of engineering! These videos show the engineering and how the canal was built as well as discuss the economic importance of the canal on the world. How Does the Panama Canal Work and The World’s Shortcut: How the Panama Canal Works. For related content, see Panama Canal under the History/Geography/Social Studies section.
Robotics, AI and Cars of the Future
Join Toyota Teen Drive 365 as they take a ride into the future of mobility with the experts at Toyota Research Institute (TRI) in Ann Arbor, MI. See how TRI is using artificial intelligence and machine learning to bring safety, convenience, and comfort to our lives through automated vehicles and robotics. Plus get an insider’s tour of Mcity, the one of a kind urban test facility where industry, government and academia come together to improve transportation, safety, sustainability, and accessibility for the benefit of society.
Soil–or Dirt?
So, what’s the difference? What are the types of soil? And why are they important? Find out in this field trip to Sylvan Heights Bird Park.
The Tech Interactive
Located in Silicon Valley, The Tech Interactive is a 132,000 square foot interactive science museum. This field trip features topics on biotechnology, robotics, technology and the arts, artificial intelligence, vehicle technology and more.
Weather/Meteorology
You have a couple of options here. Visit the National Weather Service in Louisville, Kentucky (geared for grades 5-12). For all ages, join James Spann’s Weather School for Kids. WCNC Charlotte is doing daily installments of WCNC Weather School .
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