Getting Started

15 March 2009

Each year the Wilderness Classroom conducts a series of online learning adventures, which allow students to interact with expedition members exploring remote locations around the world. Our online expeditions are used by over 1,800 teachers and 70,000 3rd to 8th grade students and have proven to be an effective way to improve students' vocabulary, reading, critical thinking, and communication skills. Our cross-curricular approach helps teachers tie our program in to their art, language arts, math, science, and social studies lessons. Plus, classrooms often use our online expeditions as the cornerstone for thematic units focusing on the places we explore.

Our current project, the North American Odyssey, started in the Pacific Northwest in April, 2010 and will finish nearly 12,000 miles later in 2013 in the salt marshes and coral reefs of the Florida Keys.

Expedition Updates

Each learning adventure is focused around updates that contain photos, videos, scientific data, journal entries, podcasts, interactive polls, and other content updated weekly throughout each project. Each update contains a variety of content designed to engage, educate, and excite your students.

Notes From The Trail - Journal entries, photos, and daily data keep students informed and active in the adventure.

Dave's Dilemma - Students use their higher-order thinking skills to help the team make decisions and solve problems.

Podcast - Every Wednesday you can listen to our audio updates.

Video Clips - One to two minute videos uploaded from the rainforest that give students unique glimpses into life in the rainforest. You will need Flash 8.0 or higher to view our videos.

Mystery Photo - Each week, students can use their investigative skills to solve a mystery. Clues are provided and responses are sent to the adventurers. Mystery Photos are a huge hit with 1st to 4th grade students.

Cast Your Vote - Decide where the adventurers go, what they do, and what they study by casting your vote using online polls. Please use the maps to find out more about the options presented. Encourage students to submit their reasons why they voted for a particular option.

Expedition Maps - Follow the journey through amazing interactive maps.

CURRICULUM

A full curriculum guide and an expanded library of plants and animals of North America will be available in the Spring of 2010 for the North American Odyssey. Below are examples of lesson plans and educational materials from our last major project, the Trans-Amazon Expedition.

Lesson Plans: Our goal is to make it easy to for teachers to integrate our program into their existing curriculum. To accomplish this we have developed a wide range of quick activities (most with worksheets) to use in conjunction with Notes From The Trail, Amazon Animals, Mystery Photo, and Cultural Connections. You may download the plans and print them out for additional reference.

Wilderness Library: The Wilderness Library contains a wealth of information for you and your students. Included are useful facts and pictures about the different animals, plants the team encounter. Many teachers have each student pick a plant or animal and do a research project or art project.