What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekHomework
Additional photos and videos are provided each week for learners to expand their knowledge beyond what was provided in class. They are also encouraged to share what they learned and interested them about the location in the classroom throughout the week.Assessment
Written learner reports matching the US's Social Studies Common Core Standards can be provided upon request by parents.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
I'm National Geographic Certified Educator and Outschool Teacher who is on an 7 year- 50 state road trip and I want you to come along (virtually) to a new mystery location with me each week (please note - these are not taught live on location). Each week is either a historical, geographical or cultural location. This class is ideally for learners who are interested in in-depth historical, scientific or cultural facts about locations. This is not a social class designed to look at photos. It is an educational experience, hosted by The Traveling Teach, much like a guided tour. As a result, I try to engage with learners with questions and discussions, but it is primarily lecture-style. Due to the nature of this ongoing class, it is currently taught 7x per week, it is not live on location but is a collection of curated facts, photos and videos from my visit to that location. What sets this class apart is that I haven't searched the internet for photos or maps, but actually aim to share what it's like to visit each location by taking hundreds of photos and videos and putting them into a 55 minute educational experience. Because I move often and visit locations during my travels I can't outline where we will be weeks in advance but here are some locations we've been to that are similar to what you can expect. Previous field trips include: National Civil Rights Museum (TN) San Antonio Missions and The Alamo (TX) USS Cod Submarine (OH) The Cosmosphere (KS) Grand Caverns (VA) Alligators 101 and Swamp Boat Tour (LA) International Spy Museum (DC) Fire Museum of Cincinnati (OH) Students will learn through live classes, videos pre-recorded and photos taken on location by the teacher. What families say they like best about virtual field trips with Ms. Shae, The Traveling Teach: "Ms. Shae engages the kids really well, and makes the content interesting. My daughter would often, unprompted, talk about the things that she learned in Ms. Shae's virtual field trip class and even teach her parents a few things." "Ms. Shae! Every field trip is interesting and very informative." "[My child] loves the surprise element of the clues and finding out where you're going. Also the variety of places, the mix of fun and more serious topics. She always learns something interesting, and I feel like it really broadens her knowledge base in such a great way. And [Ms. Shae's] personality is a big part of her love for [her] class!"
Learning Goals
Each week the learners will learn something new about the mystery location. In 2023- 2024 we are going to be in Michigan, Minnesota, New England, Florida, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Washington, Nevada and Alaska. The specific location of each week's lesson will remain a mystery until class starts. The lessons will be historical, geographical or cultural in nature.
For example, if I were in Richmond, Virginia - learners could expect to learn about the Capital of Virginia and it's role in the Civil War as the Capital of the Confederacy.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Occasionally, stops may include topics that parents may want to be aware of such as death, slavery, war, famine as well as government buildings and places of worship. These subjects will be handled with care, neutrality and from a secular perspective as outlined by Outschool's requirements.
Supply List
No supplies required
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
I'm the Traveling Teach - who better to teach a virtual field trip lesson each week than me? I've been on the road for 6 years of our 7 year, 50 state adventure. We move every 5-7 days and spend, on average, 5 weeks per state (larger states receive longer stays while smaller states receive shorter stays). We drive in our 2004 Toyota Corolla and mostly stay in hotels and Airbnb's where I teach all my classes from. We travel with our little dog, Truffles, who features in my pet photography classes.
Before heading out on the road, I was a Professional Youth Worker and then a Middle School Science Teacher so I know the value of project based learning and learning "on location" through field trips and excursions. Just because your learner can't physically go to a place, doesn't mean they should miss out on the change to learn about it. I look forward to having your learner join me on this adventure.
For one time and multi-week classes I provide a 10% discount (please contact me for discount) for:
Returning students from my previous classes
Outschool teacher's children
Siblings who both register for the same class
Reviews
Live Group Class
$8
weekly1x per week
55 min
Completed by 423 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
3-15 learners per class