WHEN funding is low and gas prices are high, it is more difficult than ever for administrators to plan field trips for the students in their schools. As the World Wide Web is evolving to include such technologies as movies, sounds, and interactive websites, administrators now have the option of allowing their students to embark on a virtual field trip. The sites contained in this listing are educational in nature, sometimes interactive, and free. www.whitehouse.gov/kids A trip to Washington, D.C., is probably out of the question for most schools in the nation, so this website offers a great way to learn about the history of the White House, the current Administration's pets, and other facts. It is geared for younger learners and contains interactive games, puzzles, and videos related to the White House. www.whitehouse.gov/history/whtour For older students, a virtual tour of the White House is just a mouse click away at this site. >From the Red Room to the Blue Room to the Library, there is a lot of useful information regarding biographies, events, and traditions. And if you click on the image presented in an individual room, you'll see even finer details. www.nasa.gov/home/index. html?skipIntro=1 No matter how healthy your school budget, your students won't be visiting Mars anytime soon. That is, unless they want to check out the website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, where they can see video reports from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Spend some time learning about outer space by watching movies of the space shuttle or viewing pictures and reading about various space missions. And do all this online in the comfort of your own school. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ easter/textindex.html Travel from the U.S. to Easter Island using the Internet. This website will allow you to visit, explore, and read about the lost civilizations and stone carvings of Easter Island. The site includes great photographs and QuickTime VR (virtual reality) movies for most of the locations on Easter Island. www.fullscreenqtvr.com With its QuickTime VR field trips to the Grand Canyon, Mars, or the Vatican, this website would be a great companion for specifically tailored lessons in history, geography, or even art. Each of the QuickTime VR movies appears in full screen and uses high-resolution images. www.vthawaii.com When the cold of winter seeps into the hallways of your school, why not take your students on a virtual tour of Hawaii? This website includes text information, QuickTime VR, and photographs that allow anyone to explore Hawaii via the Internet. …
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