My last project for my digital media course was to
create a “virtual fieldtrip” using “Google Earth.” The purpose of this project was to help
students develop, “according to Gardner” their respectful and ethical
minds. I was trying to look for an idea in science to make
a trip on, but couldn’t think of one. I
then talked with a colleague at my school that teaches grade eleven social
studies. I chose to create a Google
Earth fieldtrip on the following outcomes for the Alberta Social Studies 20-1
curriculum:
Related Issue 2
To what extent should national interest be pursued?
Concept 2.8 - analyze ultra nationalism as a cause
of genocide (the Holocaust, 1932–1933 famine in Ukraine, contemporary examples)
This topic is not a very happy one, but students
are required to learn about and reflect upon different genocides in the
world. This Google Earth fieldtrip will
have students experience genocides in a way that they have not been able to
before. This trip requires students to
complete a pre-assessment survey, collect information and complete a post
reflection writing prompt. At each
location, they are to look at photographs, watch a short video clip, and click
on a hyperlink. They have to identify
background information and possible historical, social, economic, and political
causes of each genocide on an “Ultra nationalism” worksheet.
The uploaded photos to Google Earth allow students
to see pictures of the place that they are studying. I especially like the panoramic “red”
photos. You click on the red photo and
are transported into a bubble that lets you take a 360 degree walk through an area. It feels like you are actually at the
site. The images and panoramic pictures
of Auschwitz, for example, create an eerie, virtual “you are there” feeling. The short video segments and hyperlinks bring
visual and written information to the students.
Throughout the trip, students will be reflecting on the information they
are gathering. The writing prompt at the
end of the trip allows students to summarize their learning.
Throughout this whole trip, students will be
working on developing their respectful and ethical minds. They are learning about history and what
happens when the theme of respecting individuals goes awry.
As Gardner (2007) states “A respectful mind is responding sympathetically
and constructively to differences among individuals and among groups; seeking
to understand and work with those who are different; extending beyond mere
tolerance and political correctness.”
These students must learn how to work together in the world, be good
citizens, and prevent genocide from occurring in the future.
I am looking forward to carrying out this field
trip with students in my school in the next few weeks.
Here is the attached KMZ file:
Citations:
Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.
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