As a part of Vanderbilt's Center for Science Outreach (www.vanderbilt.edu/cso) student programs, "Trail Guides" combines communications technology, the Internet, and hands-on applications to educate elementary school students in standards-based math and science related disciplines.

Dr. Glenn McCombs, Associate Director of the CSO, coordinates all aspects of the program. This project takes students "outside" of the classroom and into southeastern United States natural areas through traditional video. Interaction is encouraged by involving students in problem solving and scientific deduction. Several concepts can be integrated into one lesson plan where students will understand by doing. Program emphasis is targeted at environmental and life sciences with secondary relationships to math, geography, geology, natural and US history.

Each unit will be centered on one significant Trail Guides site location, for example, our first is the Carolina Sandhillls National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina. Concepts from the field video will be reinforced on the Trail Guides website complete with downloadable video clips. The "Teachers' Tools" section will serve as a comprehensive guide to participating teachers in a password protected area.

Finally, hands-on activities are provided in a "kit" form to schools. Activities are led by Trail Guides team members from the schools' media centers. All media centers are connected via videoconference such that team members and students from one school can communicate (see and hear) with the students located at any other school. In this fashion all students have access to Trail Guides coordination of activities in order to ask questions, follow directions, etc. Team members rotate to each school for subsequent programs.

Feel free to contact Dr. Glenn McCombs for more information.

Back to the Trail Guides Homepage