History, Interpretation

Step 1: Choose your destination

You will choose one of the following interactive field trips to go on. For many of the websites that have interactive, flash-based materials, an alternative site has often been recommended. Please also let me know if you are having difficulties so that I can provide you with an alternative accommodation.

• New Amsterdam (Links to an extenal site.)
• Jamestown
• National Geographic (Accessible Content) (Links to an external site.)
• National Geographic (Interactive Content) (Links to an external site.)
• Historic Jamestown (Interactive Content) (Links to an external site.)
• Colonial America (Links to an external site.)
• Salem 
• National Geographic Kids (Accessible Content) (Links to an external site.)
• National Geographic (Interactive Content) (Links to an external site.)
• Salem Witch Museum (Interactive Content) (Links to an external site.)
• Williamsburg
• Williamsburg (Interactive Content) (Links to an external site.)
• Encyclopedia Virginia  (Links to an external site.)(Accessible text, some alt tags missing)
• Africa
• Africans in America (Accessible text, some alt tags missing) (Links to an external site.)
• African & The Carribean (Accessible Content) (Links to an external site.)
• Coronado Expedition (Links to an external site.)

Step 2: Explore & Analyze

Spend time going through the interactive materials – let your interests lead you! Gather the facts about your site visit and then use a critical lens to think about how what you have learned is important/has influenced the US today. Use journalist questions to help you. For example:

• Who lived in this site?
• What was their life/experience/culture like?
• When was this happening? What else was happening in the world at this time?
• How did this culture/event relate to or influence early US history?

Step 3: Report

After visiting your virtual field trip site, use the questions above to help you write a 2 paragraph summary (about 15-20 sentences) describing what you learned. Make certain to write in complete sentences and not to simply answer the questions listed above and make certain to post the URL to your field trip site.

You will also need to create 1-2 thought questions related to your visit. A thought question is something that helps others think more deeply about a topic. For example if you are visiting medieval Europe, you might have a question like this:

How do you think religious beliefs influenced people in the Colonial Era?

For your Response to at least 2 classmates due by Sunday, 11:59 PM:

1. Choose 2 classmates who visited different sites than you.
2. Ask for clarification (that is, ask questions) if needed.
3. Briefly visit their field trip site to get an idea of what they experienced.
4. Answer the question(s) posed by your classmate, making certain to refer back to their original summary and to your observations from your short visit to their site.