Ideas for Teachers
Here's how TimeTravelers can help
in the classroom

Students are natural explorers! By using TimeTravelers in your classroom, you present an interactive, hands-on approach to excite students about Virginia's wealth of places to visit and study. They can plan actual trips to the sites they read about, such as the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond or the Crab Orchard Museum in Tazewell, or they can stay in the classroom and use TimeTravelers to go on a "virtual field trip" across Virginia. Along the way, they will learn more about Virginia, about history, about research, and about technology. For more about virtual field trips, contact the TimeTravelers Coordinator at timetravelers@vamuseums.org

Use TimeTravelers as an additional resource to supplement textbook lessons on Virginia history and geography. By using the SEARCH feature, you and your students can locate Virginia sites that correspond with your current subject.

Generate parent involvement and support by using the TimeTravelers program to suggest family trips that are economical, interesting, and enriching. You may want to offer extra credit to students who visit sites and give a report to the class. For those who cannot afford or arrange trips, offer extra credit for "virtual field trips" described below.

Encourage student use of technology. Allow students free time to browse through the TimeTravelers site to sample some of the destinations listed. They will enjoy the "virtual" journey, and will gain experience in computer use. Have them record their progress by writing down each link they use. They can challenge classmates to follow their paths or to forge new ones.

Print out the DESTINATIONS pages to discuss in class. Send letters or e-mail to the sites to receive brochures, maps, and more information. Start a class archive of information about Virginia sites.

Use a VIRGINIA STATE MAP in the classroom to chart students' visits to the sites. Ask students to write reports, give oral presentations, and share their TimeTravelers experiences with other classmates. This is an ideal opportunity for students to create multimedia presentations, using the TimeTravelers program, physical artifacts, souvenirs, videotapes, and photographs.

Plan class field trips to nearby sites by using the TimeTravelers program. If the class cannot actually go on a field trip to a site, go on a "virtual" field trip by researching as much as possible about the location and the topic. Start a class "Wish List" of sites to visit.

Teach students how to use other sites on the Internet to research classroom topics. Access "search engines" such as GOOGLE to begin researching.

Use the Virginia Board of Education STANDARDS OF LEARNING to generate other ideas for lesson plans using TimeTravelers.

Please check back while we compile our 2008 BOOK LIST for the 2008 TimeTravelers theme, Virginia Harmonies.

Virtual Visits
Awards are given only to students who "visit" six TimeTravelers museums or historic sites. Virtual visits must be accompanied by documentation such as a short essay on each site or other project to count toward awards. For more information on Virtual visits contact the TimeTravelers Coordinator at timetravelers@vamuseums.org.