Virtual Field Trip

Kristen Scudder
Ivy Tech Community College

InTASC Standard Page

Standard: Standard 7: Planning for Instruction

The teacher plans instructions that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals,
by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and
pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Name of Artifact: Virtual Fieldtrip
Date: February 28, 2016
Course: EDUC 255: Multicultural Teaching
Brief Description: This is a virtual fieldtrip that could be used in a science class, particularly
astronomy. This virtual fieldtrip gives students the chance to explore our solar system. The
students get to learn about the Milky Way, the planets, stars, the Hubble Space Craft, and so
much more. This give the students the chance to explore space without actually going to space.
Rationale: This virtual fieldtrip shows that I know how to plan for instruction. This shows that I
can help my students meet rigorous learning goals by drawing upon content knowledge and
curriculum. I know how to take the information my students have learned and apply it to their
virtual field trip to help expand their learning.

Virtual Tour
The virtual tour I chose is one over aspects of astronomy. The Galaxy Tour give students
the chance to explore our galaxy without actually having to go into space. On the first page, there
is a brief introduction and a link of Things You Should Know Before You Go.
In the section Things You Should Know Before You Go, there is a brief description on
what galaxies are and different things that are in a galaxy. Then it goes on to list the major types
of galaxies and small description of each.
After you go through that section, you can return to the galaxy tour page. On the right of
the page, there are links to start the tour. The first link is focusing on the Milky Way. On the
Milky Way page, there is a small picture of the Milky Way and the various solar systems in the
galaxy. The page then goes on to describe the galaxy. The description explains how far way our
sun is located from the center of the galaxy. Have you seen a creamy strip across the sky before?
That is part of the Milky Way. This description also mentions that galaxies are held together by
gravity, and that gravity also hold the stars, gas, and dust in orbit. It also mentions that just like
the planet orbit the sun, the sun orbits the center of the Milky Way, but it takes about 225 million
years to do a full circle.
The next section to this virtual tour is the Magellanic Clouds. There is a description of
what the clouds are and how it relates to our galaxy. The closest galaxies to use are the Large
Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic cloud. It then goes on to say what these clouds are
and who discovered them.
There next sections are Andromeda, the Virgo Cluster, The Unusual Galaxies, and the
Hubble Deep Field. Each of the links provides detailed, but short descriptions of the topics and

how they relate to the Milky Way. There are also pictures to help give the students a visual of
what they are reading about.
I would use this virtual fieldtrip if I was teaching science or astronomy. I would make a
handout for the students to follow and answer questions on. I would have them start with the
What You Should Know part and then have them go through each of the tabs. Because they
would already have knowledge on the topic in this subject, there would be questions that would
expand their knowledge on what is discussed in the virtual tour of the Milky Way. The questions
that I would prepare with the handout will not be a word-for-word look for the answer type o
questions. I want to teach high school, so the questions would be questions that they would be
able to find on this website, but would also have to use their background knowledge on.

References

Understanding the Universe - Learning Adventures. (n.d.). Retrieved February

28, 2016, from
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/universe/galaxyto
ur/index.html