A QR Field Trip to Ancient Greece

Today I told my kids that we were taking a virtual field trip, also known as a webquest, to Ancient Greece via our new iPads.   Similar to an actual field trip, the goal is not to rush off the bus, see one thing, run to be the first person back to the bus, and then stand around waiting, doing nothing, until everyone else returns to the bus. The goal is  to learn as much as possible in the time allotted.

Parthenon, Athens

The Parthenon in Athens

Photo Credit: Pedro Szekely via Compfight

Imagine that you are on a field trip to the Acropolis.  Everyone must stay at the Acropolis, no side trips to McDonald’s, but everyone is free to explore the parts of the Acropolis that he or she finds most interesting.  Some kids might go to the Parthenon, others to the Erechtheion, to the Propylaia, or to the temple of Athena Nike.   That’s how our virtual trip worked as well.  The kids scanned a QR code which brought them to a website related to Ancient Greece.  Once on the site, each student was free to explore according to his/her own tastes and interests.

Here is one site we visited.  Click on the picture to explore with us!

Explore Ancient Greece via the BBC

Explore Ancient Greece via the BBC

On a real field trip, after returning to the bus, you might talk with people around you about what you saw in your section of the park.  “The Parthenon is huge!  It looks like the one in the Percy Jackson movie!” or “My Nikes stood at the Temple of Nike!”  We had similar discussions on our virtual field trip.  Once we had explored the site individually, we shared our information in small groups, and then chose the most interesting tidbit to relate to the entire class.

In order to find the web sites most efficiently, some of us whose iPads had a free scanner app on them scanned the QR code to quickly connect to the site.  Those without a scanning app could also find the site by typing the URL address.

Facts about Ancient Greece

Facts about Ancient Greece

or

http://www.ngkids.co.uk/did-you-know/10-facts-about-the-Ancient-Greeks

What was the most interesting piece of information you learned while visiting Ancient Greece?

 

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4 thoughts on “A QR Field Trip to Ancient Greece

  1. I am learning about Ancient Greece. I think that it is very cool and fun to learn. I would like to learn more about Ancient Greece.

  2. Hello Mrs. Donofrio!
    This is very interesting! I had no idea it was possible to take a virtual trip on Ipads! I would love to learn more about Greece! My friend went there last year and told me lots about it! I am one of Ms. Smiths new students this year and am just practicing commenting! I hope we can talk another time!
    Sincerely, Amy

    • Hi Amy,
      Thank you for visiting our blog. Virtual field trips are really fun. Have you ever tried GoogleEarth in class? There are a lot of neat activities you can do on this site, including “Lit Trips” which are virtual field trips based around literary works. Not only does GoogleEarth take you to the settings of the stories, it also has activities at each location. I have never been to Greece in real life, but it is on my list of places to visit. Other places I want to visit are Alaska, the Grand Canyon, Bethlehem, and Comox, British Columbia, Canada. Do you have any special spots in the world you’d like to see?
      ~Mrs. Donofrio

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