Social Studies Videoconference
Field Trip Providers

Institute of Texan Cultures http://www.texancultures.utsa.edu/public/shopping/texkit.htm

The Institute is a great way to introduce students to the cultural heritage of the Lone Star State.  ITC delivers artifact-based, interactive programs directly into the videoconference classroom. Produced by the University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures at San Antonio, the programs enables learning about the state’s history and culture.  A wide range of topics are taught and includes an array of touchable objects and emphasizes audience involvement which bring the heritage of Texas to life in a personal way. $200, open scheduling.

Contact: Syliva Campos scampos@utsa.edu 210-458-2281

 

Museum of Tolerance http://www.wiesenthal.com/ in Los Angeles, California, is part of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Today, it is an international center for "Holocaust remembrance, the defense of human rights and the Jewish people." The Museum of Tolerance offers speakers that include Holocaust survivors and presentations by former neo-nazi skinheads. These can be done over videoconference along with other museum programs. Often programs focus on the dynamics of racism and prejudice in the United States. Bridging the Gap utilizes videoconferencing to share the resources of the Museum of Tolerance with students who are unable to visit in person.  Literature-based curricula enhance the virtual Museum experience.  A highlight of this program is the ability of students to dialogue with a Holocaust survivor. 90 minutes of less, curriculum material available, $150 per event – costs can be shared for multi-point conferences.  Open scheduling, at least 10 days advance scheduling, Grades 6-12 and adults.
Contact: Janet Garfinkle  jgarfinkle@wiesenthal.net 310/772-2502

 

American Labor Museum http://community.nj.com/cc/labormuseum

The museum is pleased to offer eight social studies and fifteen performing and visual arts distance-learning programs. Programs discuss the history and contemporary issues of immigration, the labor movement, and working families. These interactive programs, including "The Botto House: An Immigrant Home in 1908" and "Child Labor, 1900 - Present," feature historic photographs, artifacts, and recordings. Programs are offered Mon.-Wed. 9AM-3PM & Thurs.-Fri. 9AM-12PM. $50 a session.

Contact: Evelyn Hershey mailto:lobormuseum@aol.com 973/595-7953 

Apex Museum (African-American Experience)

 

Children’s Museum of Indianapolis http://www.childrensmuseum.org/ invites students to virtually visit the museum located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The museum can bring its galleries and exhibits to your classroom over videoconferencing. Seventeen experts are on hand to guide the programs. Extremely popular, reservations are required weeks in advance, often at set times. "What’s My Line" has students interviewing museum staff to discover their lines of work. "Egyptian Mummies" explores real mummies from the museum’s collection.  $90 interactive, $50 view only, set scheduling, 45 minutes, Grades K-8.
Contact: Charlene Brombaugh  317-334-4139 x1010

 

Conner Prairie Museum www.connerprairie.org/edu/dl.html  is an open-air living history museum located in Fishers, Indiana (Hoosier Country). It is a national center for research into the lives of the early 19th century settlers of the Old Northwest Territory. The Museum is committed to offering "its nationally recognized videoconference programming to schools around the nation." Some of the programs listed include, "Native Ways" and "Healing Hands: Medicine in Early Days." $90 interactive, $50 view only, set scheduling.
Contact: Brigid Fry fry@connerprairie.org  317/776-6000 x261


Fort Ancient Museum www.ohiohistory.org/places/ftancien is located on a 235-foot bluff overlooking the Little Miami River, Oregonia, Ohio. It "features 18,000 feet of earthen walls built 2,000 years ago by Native Americans as a ceremonial gathering place." Students who participate in the museum videoconference programs will learn about the cultures of Native Americans, past and present. In a program called "Archaeology" students are instructed in basic terms, methods, and tools of archaeology.  No fee currently (2/2003).
Contact: Jack Blosser  800-283-8904
 

Freetown Village Living History Museum http://www.freetown.org/ Each field trip employs a cooperative strategy for students, teachers, and historians to study and learn together about African American history and culture. The components of this program are: (1) a training program; (2) the preparation; (3) a one-hour, live performance; (4) follow-up activities; and (5) evaluation.  $85 open and set scheduling.

Contact: Freetown@ameritech.net 317/631-1870

 

Health Museum of Cleveland  www.healthmuseum.org/education/education.asp?detail=3

Through interactive video conferencing and web-based activities, Distance Learning brings the best of The Health Museum's programs into your classroom. Connecting live from The Health Museum, these real-time learning experiences bring science to life using hands-on activities, applied math concepts and exploratory discussions.
All programs are 40 minutes in length. Program fee is $125. Pre and Post Activities are included for each program.

Contact: Katrina Dieringer dieringer@healthmuseum.org

 

Historic Cold Spring Village http://www.hcsv.org/

Each program will be 25 minutes long with a 10 minute question and answer period.

Sessions include: A Child's School Day in the 1800's, Hearth & Home: Domestic Arts in Early America, From Horses to Horsepower, The Red Badge of Courage,

A Father's Day in the 1800's,  A Mother's Day in the 1800's.  $50, open scheduling.

Contact: Jim Stephens jstephens@hcsv.org or shirleys@hcsv.org 609/898-2300x16

 

Independence National Historical Park: www.nps.gov/inde is located in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is often referred to is "the birthplace of our nation." Park visitors can see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Through the power of videoconferencing students can be transported to this National Park for lessons on the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Liberty Bell.
Contact: Cindy Ansel cansel@berwicksd.org 888-404-8860

 

International Studies for Indiana Schools http://crlt.indiana.edu/isis/

also known as ISIS, is an innovative and award-winning distance learning program which uses interactive video technology to connect K-12 schools and community groups in Indiana and other states with Indiana University international students, scholars, and specialists. In 1995, ISIS was created jointly by the Office of International Programs and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching and uses presenters from Indiana University's many world area studies centers. $100 a session.

Contact: Deb Hutton huttond@indiana.edu


National Museum of Natural History www.mnh.si.edu/ located on the National Mall in Washington D.C.
, is one of the 16 museums, galleries and a national zoo that make up the Smithsonian Institute. The National Museum of Natural History houses an innovative hands-on learning facility. Videoconference programs are not regularly scheduled but big changes are afoot! The museum plans to coordinate and conduct an assortment of videoconference fieldtrips!
Contact: Linda Stevens stevens.linda@nmnh.si.edu 202-633-9497


New York Institute of Technology Culinary Arts Center iris.nyit.edu/culinary situated in the Central Islip, New York, area has trained many students in the area of culinary and pastry arts. Now the Culinary Arts Center reaches out to classrooms around the country as a videoconference content provider! One well-received virtual field trip is called "The Chicken or the Egg" featuring chicken dissection, comparative anatomy and cultural recipes.
Contact: Susan Sykes Hendee  shendee@nyit.edu 631-348-3290

 

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: http://www.naturalsciences.org/ has students visiting their museum in Raleigh, North Carolina, without having to sign field trip forms. By Videoconferencing students are able to stay in the classroom and interact with the instructor and museum exhibits. When possible, "a class visiting the museum will join in the videoconference and participate in the scheduled program." A series of natural history videoconference lessons are available.
Contact: Liz Baird  Liz.Baird@ncmail.net 919-733-7450 x621


Museum of Television and Radio http://www.mtr.org/ can be found in Beverly Hills, California. Videoconferencing with the Museum allows teachers and students access to the archive of over 100,000 television and radio programs. These act as a window to the past and present, illuminating significant events in our nation's history and culture.A Museum Educator focuses on a particular subject, using clips from the Museum’s collection as a basis for discussion. Classes are sixty ($100) to ninety-minutes long ($125).  Ninety minute classes can be adapted into two forty-five minute sessions. Two of our programs, "The Civil Rights Movement & Television" and "Planet Earth," are supplemented with websites specifically created to provide pre- and post-class activities for the program. The latest program is titled "What Scares You - A Look at Hitchcock!"

Contact: Cid Pearlman cpearlman@mtr.org (310) 786-1099

 


Ohio Historical Society www.ohiohistory.org/resource/teachers/dlearning/index.html

The Ohio Historical Society's distance learning programming transports students through time to historic venues ranging from prehistoric mounds and river boats to Civil War parlors and "safe houses" on the Underground Railroad. Video streaming, remote cameras, blue-screen projections, and theatrical sets and costumes are among the innovative techniques used to make history come to life for students from kindergarten through high school. Each program has been designed with the Ohio Model Curriculum in mind and includes literacy initiatives. Reserved first for Ohio students.

Contact: David Gillespie dgillespie@ohiohistory.org 614-298-2961

 

Presque Isle State Park http://www.presqueisle.org/a sandy peninsula that reaches into Lake Erie is located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Presque Isle is a National Natural Landmark with diverse plants and animals that attracts many visitors. The first users of the peninsula were the Eriez Tribe, giving Lake Erie its name. Students can learn about the historical, natural and environmental issues of Presque Isle via a videoconference! Maps are available to teachers as well as activities during the videoconference.  Closes in winter.
Contact: Randy Neyer ranature@aol.com 814-833-0351

 

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania rrmuseum.org Strasburg, Pennsylvania, is on PA Route 741 about a mile east of the "only traffic signal in town!" The Museum is dedicated to preserving railroad history. One way to pass this history along is via videoconferencing to students. A number of videoconference programs are available such as "150 Years of Riding the Rails" and "Let's Run a Railroad."
Contact: Cindy Ansel cansel@berwicksd.org 888-404-8860


State Museum of Pennsylvania www.statemuseumpa/org/nvisiondlp.html in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, offers many interactive videoconference projects. "Pickett’s Charge," a towering painting of one of the climactic moments of the Civil War, is the focal point of one videoconference class. In "Every Object Tells a Story" students learn about their past through objects. The videoconference course offerings are endless at the State Museum!
Contact: Cindy Ansel cansel@berwicksd.org 888-404-8860
 

United States House of Representatives clerkweb.house.gov/mbrcmtee/mbrcmtee.htm in Washington, D.C., began with its first Congress on March 4, 1789. Not until recently did Congress have the ability to use email and videoconferencing to communicate with constituents. Teachers can videoconference to the House of Representatives by contacting their Representatives FIRST then the Videoconference Director for the House of Representatives. Schools incur all costs of a videoconference session.
Contact: Keith Hastedt keith.hastedt@mailhouse.gov 202-226-6200


United States Senate www.senate.gov in Washington, D.C., houses two Senators from each state. It is located at the "east end of the National Mall between Constitution and Independence Avenues. Through the power of videoconferencing it is possible to visit your Senators for a unique "Capitol experience." Arrangements must be made ahead of time by contacting the office of the Senator FIRST; then the videoconference center. The school must incur costs of the videoconference.
Contact: Torgunn Eckroad  torgunn_eckroad@saa.senate.gov 202-224-4977
 

Ward Melville Heritage Organization .stonybrookvillage.com or www.wmho.org   mcornelli@wmho.org phone: 631-751-2244 Fax: 631-751-2024=20

WVIA TV/FM www.wvia.org/other/learning.html serves 22 counties surrounding Pittston, Pennsylvania. "How to Produce a Newscast" is just one of the twelve programs the station offers over videoconferencing. Experts often discuss the similarities and differences in reporting via print media and reporting on television or radio. Videoconferencing programs are "designed to improve the quality of education beyond the WVIA viewing area."
Contact: Calesta Schmitt Calesta_Schmitt@wvia.pbs.org 570-602-1182

 

Updated by JMcDaniel on 12/6/07