Nations Classroom Blog

When students visit Colonial Virginia, they will have the opportunity to engage with America's history in a tangible way. Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Jamestown offer hands-on learning experiences centered on history, science, engineering, and technology. Next time you're on the Historic East Coast, make a trip to Colonial Virginia to experience the cultural exchanges, strained relations, and significant battles that altered history. 

If you don't have the chance to visit in person, your students can still immerse themselves in colonial history by using the free teacher resources on the History Is Fun website.

Our Founder, Jay Bloxsom, likes to say that we aren't moving towards a "New Normal," we're working towards a "New Better." As we return to inspiring students through travel, there are two big questions that parents and educators are asking about travel.

One, how will we travel safely?

Two, how can I be sure that I am receiving the best refund/payment protection plan that will be honored?

Students + technology = new learning opportunities for your next field trip. Here are three programs for students with advanced, developing, and basic computer science skills that can help them build connections between technology, academic subjects, and their student travel experiences.

One of our more southern student tour destinations is Charleston, South Carolina. The beautiful city is located on the east coast and is steeped in history. Student groups can visit Boone Hall or Magnolia Plantation to learn more about southern history, or they can spend time at Fort Sumter and the U.S.S. Yorktown to experience military history first hand. 

Charleston is also an amazing destination for school trips focused on science and STEM. If you're looking for a field trip that will teach your students about ecology, wildlife conservation, and environmental science, the Barrier Island Eco Tour would fit perfectly in your itinerary.

June is here, the summer solstice has come and gone, and most teachers are officially on summer vacation.  Nothing is more important for teachers than taking some time for self-care and relaxation before the next school year begins in September (or at least before the “Back to School” signs come out in mid-July). 

But before you completely disconnect for summer, here are three easy steps you can take to make sure the next school year begins smoothly. And it won’t take you longer to do than one episode of HGTV’s House Hunters.  I promise. So open up a blank google doc or take out your bullet journal and reflect on these three questions...

Students and teachers are currently navigating a sea of uncertainty. We are struggling to connect with the world around us as we spend more time at home, away from friends and extended family. How are we going to teach our students? How will our lives look once the virus comes to an end?

Help your students face the uncertain future with lesson plans from the Tenement Museum in New York City.

If you haven't heard of the Intrepid Museum located in New York City, you are in for a treat. The Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum Complex "is dedicated to the exhibition and interpretation of history, science and service as related to its home aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, a National Historic Landmark." While it's doors are closed for the time being, the museum has been publishing free online content for educators and students. 

Here are our favorite resources from The Intrepid that you can use with your students!

Unless you're an avid watcher of Bob Ross, you probably don't think about teaching art from the comfort of your own home, especially when there is already so much content to cover during the day. Creating lesson plans for cross-curricular content is difficult when you have a classroom to manage, let alone having to teach on a whole new platform like Zoom or Google Teams.

It's Teacher Appreciation Week again, and it's different than any we've seen before.

Usually, most of us would be running to the store to find a gift for that amazing teacher at our child's school. Mugs with motivational messages, gift cards to Starbucks, and classroom supplies would suddenly be out of stock at your local Target. 

Hopefully, you are still doing something to thank the incredible teachers in your life. Now more than ever, they deserve some extra appreciation. 

Looking for more online teacher resources to use while working from home? Check out our full listing on our Distance Learning web page.

Despite being closed, dozens of museums and historic sites in Virginia have remained active by sharing online resources for parents and teachers. Here are a couple of our favorite resources: