Virtual Tour Content

Core curriculum standard: Visual Arts- 3rd grade, Standard 4: The student will interpret and apply visual arts in relation to cultures, history and all learning!

I think a virtual tour would be a great way to bring this standard to life for the students. Of course, we could study about other cultures and history from a textbook, or they could have a closer look of themselves. This activity has the students look at visual arts from several different countries/cultures and apply this knowledge to what we are learning in the classroom. The students have a specific task for each visual art they view, but they are able to travel the world to gain a deeper understanding. By incorporating technology and providing students with a multimodal representation, they will be able to grasp the concepts better. They can be interactive with the lesson plans and have personal visuals and firsthand experience. By visiting the different locations, they will learn to appreciate other cultures rather than being bored by them.

Location	Activity Description	Google Earth Content
1. Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota	Carefully study 3 different pictures of Mt. Rushmore. Then, create your own "Mt. Rushmore" of 4 other past Presidents. You may draw their faces/appearances or use symbols of their great accomplishments.	Geographic Web- Panoramio
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	Look carefully at the intricate structure of the Eiffel Tower and gather ideas for when we begin to constuct our own bridges and buildings using various materials.	Street View (Quai Branly)
3. The Colesseum, Rome, Italy	After we finish our unit on American Presidents, we will be discussing several contributions to our history from Greece and Rome. Admire the impressive Colesseum and start brainstorming how their architecture is similar/different than the architecture we have here in the United States.	Gallery- 360 Cities (The Colesseum)
4. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia	First, use wikipedia to learn more about the Sydney Opera House and what it is used for. Then, click on the specified You Tube video and watch a small clip of one of the performances performed at the Opera House. This activity will help prepare us for the school play we will be attending at the end of the week.	Geographic Web- Wikipedia & Gallery- You Tube 4/4 (Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss)