Conservation-minded virtual field trips at Field Trip Earth
June 11, 2009
Kids these days, you know? They don’t care about the state of the world. They don’t care about endangered species. They don’t care about the environment. If you’re a teacher, you’ve probably heard statements such as these (and maybe even thought them a few times yourself in moments of frustraction). It is up to us as educators to broaden our students’ horizons and give them a reason to care. Field Trip Earth is one place you can go to expose them to some world views, and hopefully inspire them to conserve.
At Field Trip Earth, you can select from several “trips” to take, each focused on a different species of concern in a different area of the world. There are four trips featured on the homepage of the website, but if you view all field trips, there are many more. When you click on each trip, you are taken to a homepage that introduces you to a conservation project associated with that animal. From the homepage, there are links that explain the species, the project, and the region where the project takes place. Additionally, and probably most excitingly for a student or teacher, are the research data and multimedia sections. It is at the multimedia section that the project and species can really come alive for the student. Through the use of research data, teachers can create more authentic, real-world math and science lessons. Also, there’s a robust Educator Resources section that gives many additional resources and ideas for using the website to teach many skills in all subject areas.
So this summer after you hit the beach, take a trip to a conservation project and figure out how you can use it in your classroom. Then, maybe the next time you hear a comment about “kids these days,” it will be about how interested and involved they are in animal conservation.
