TPACK for Virtual Tour

This particular project will fulfill Utah's Core Curriculum for Fifth Grade Social Studies. More specifically, it covers Standard 1, Objective 3, a. which states: "Students will understand how the exploration and colonization of North America transformed human history,assess the global impact of cultural and economic diffusion as a result of colonization, and describe the cultural and economic impacts that occurred as a result of trade between North America and other markets (e.g., arts, language, ideas, the beginning and expansion of the slave trade, new agricultural markets)."

The technology that will be introduced and applied is the software program called Google Earth. With the aid of computers, each student will have the opportunity to view a virtual tour of the slave trade that occurred during the establishment of the 13 colonies. At designated spots located on the tour, each student will be asked to accomplish a specific task, activity, calculation, or answer a research question. These activities will be designed so that students learn first-hand about the slave trade, its routes, goods, and ports.

In terms of pedagogy, this virtual tour provides students with an opportunity to interact with technology, engage in personal research, and gain a more accurate scope of the distances between the global markets of that time. Furthermore, this activity helps students to focus on how the economy of the time influenced the colonies' financial stability.