Virtual Field Trips: K-4th Grade

Take a different kind of Virtual Field Trip!

Young explorers, we now have a virtual field trip experience designed for you! Students in Kindergarten through 4th grade can now travel to our historic building on Chicago’s lakeshore through our virtual environment and get a guided tour of our virtual field trip space via a video call. For those who can’t make it to Museum Campus for an up close look at our universe, our Adler experts are bringing our solar system to you, wherever you are, and using the same digital technology that we’ve all become accustomed to over the past few years.

Here’s what some of the students and teachers who have taken this type of Virtual Field Trip with us have had to say about their experience.

Tweet from a teacher who recently took their class on a virtual field trip video call. Images of her classroom and students taking the virtual field trip . Images from a virtual field trip experience included in a tweet by a teacher who just took her students on a virtual field trip video call.

Pricing

$200 per group (50 participants max)

BOOK A VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP VIDEO CALL NOW

Session Schedule

Sessions begin October 4 and will run through June 6 on the following days/times. Check calendar for most up-to-date availability.

Tuesdays: 9:30, 11:00, and 1:30

Wednesdays: 9:30, 11:00, and 1:30

Fridays: 11:00 and 1:30

*All times listed are Central Time

If a time slot is not available when you go to select during checkout, then it has already been booked.

Registration must be booked two weeks in advance to allow for coordination of pre-field trip activities. Please refer to our refund and cancellation policy in the FAQ section should you have related questions.

About the Adler’s Virtual Field Trip Technology

The Adler’s Virtual Field Trips are held in Mozilla Hubs, a VR-style environment that is accessible through a participant’s web browser. You don’t need to download special software or acquire special equipment! You can use a desktop computer, laptop, Chromebook, tablet, or mobile devices. The experience runs best on laptop and desktop computers and in Chrome and Firefox browsers. More details here!

Safety/Security

Your group will access the experience via a private link, so you will have the virtual space all to yourselves! You and any other participating adults are asked to take the lead on group expectations and management while participating in the experience.

Adler is a Tier 1 Chicago Public School vendor.

Technical Requirements

The Adler’s Virtual Field Trip experience is designed to work on a variety of devices, but desktop and laptop computers provide the best experience. If tablets or smartphones are used, the quality of the experience may be affected.

The registrant is responsible for verifying with their organization’s IT representative that their internet connection is sufficient, both in bandwidth and in latency, to support their session.

Registrants decide which platform they’d prefer to use for their Virtual Field Trip video call. If you’d like the session on Zoom, the Adler will provide you with the link for the session. If another video call platform is preferred, you will provide the Adler with a link for the session.
Registrants participate in a Tech Check the week prior to your scheduled sessions to test video call link and all technology planned for use during the session (projectors, speakers, etc.)

Who Should Take a Virtual Field Trip (Video Call)?

This type of Virtual Field Trip video call is designed for students in Kindergarten through 4th grade.

For students in grades 5th–8th grade, our immersive Virtual Field Trip experience is for you. Head over to this page for more information.

Free Virtual Field Trips

The Adler Planetarium is pleased to offer free Virtual Field Trips to any school where 51 percent or more of the student population comes from low-income households. There are a limited number of free field trips available and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. One free field trip per class, availability permitting. To apply for a free Virtual Field Trip please complete this form, and one of our educators will provide you with a code to input during registration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a virtual field trip at the Adler and how is it different from an in-person field trip?

Virtual Field Trips at the Adler are a completely new experience, designed from the ground up with remote learners in mind. In the virtual environment, groups will learn about the size and scale of our solar system directly as our Adler Educator uses an avatar to actually “walk” around models of the planets, moons, and other solar system objects showing you different vantage points of these celestial bodies.

How much does it cost?

A Virtual Field Trip video call is $200 per session for classes up to 50 participants (inclusive of teachers and students).

What should I do to plan for the experience? Is it moderated or will I need to create my own lesson plan?

The experience is moderated live by an Adler educator. During the virtual field trip, teachers will be responsible for student management, but the experience will be led by Adler staff.

Do students need to be all in the same place?

No! Thanks to the magic of the internet, students can join the field trip from anywhere using a unique URL during your scheduled time period.

How long is the experience?

The video call style session lasts 30 to 45 minutes. If you have a time limitation, we can work with you! Let us know at vft@adlerplanetarium.org after booking.

What should I expect my students to learn during the field trip?

In the virtual environment, groups will learn about the size and scale of our solar system directly as our Adler Educator uses an avatar to actually “walk” around models of the planets, moons, and other solar system objects showing you different vantage points of these celestial bodies.

What age range or grade level is this appropriate for?

Our video call style session is designed specifically for K-4th grade students.

We look forward to creating more virtual field trip experiences for a wider range of students. If you would like to help Adler as we develop programming and resources for teachers and students, please join the Teacher Evaluator Group!

How can I schedule a Virtual Field Trip?

Click on this registration form to book a Virtual Field Trip with us!

What happens after I register?

You’ll receive an email confirming the date and time of your field trip as well as guidance on preparing for your session and the link to register for your Tech Check. After receiving your Tech Check registration, an Adler Educator will reach out with next steps.

I’m not in the Chicago area, can I still schedule a Virtual Field Trip?

Yes! While the Adler’s primary educational audience continues to be Chicago-area schools, a completely online experience means your class can attend from anywhere.

Are there accessibility options?

Because Mozilla Hubs is a new application, accessibility features are not yet available to us. Please email us at vft@adlerplanetarium.org with your specific needs so we can talk further.

What is the capacity?

For our video call style Virtual Field Trip sessions, up to 50 people can participate.

What is your rescheduling and cancellation policy?

Contact us as soon as possible—no later than TWO weeks prior to your virtual field trip date—so that we can reschedule your Virtual Field Trip for another date. Cancellations made less than TWO WEEKS prior will not receive a refund.

The registrant is also responsible for verifying with their organization’s IT representative that their internet connection is sufficient, both in bandwidth and in latency, to support their group. Blocked access or insufficient internet connection do not qualify the registrant for a refund or a reschedule, should they prevent the session from occurring.

Please note: Adler’s Virtual Field Trips use Mozilla Hubs, a new, still developing, open source platform. Our team will work to adapt and troubleshoot unforeseeable technology challenges if they occur during a session to provide the best experience possible. In case of sound impacts, the Educator will continue the virtual trip via the chat function with continued student participation. Outages are uncommon but possible. If an outage prevents a session from happening, Adler will work with the registrant to reschedule.

Terms of the Teacher Acknowledgement Form also apply.

Can I schedule an in-person field trip?

Absolutely! We encourage an in-person field trip to supplement our Virtual Field Trip experiences. For more information about our in-person field trip options, please click here.

What payment types do you accept?

At this time, we accept credit card payments only.

What other resources are available for educators like me?

We love to support educators however we can. Visit our educator hub for space resources to help supplement your classroom curriculum.

Still have questions? Contact us!

Feel free to email us at VFT@adlerplanetarium.org. We will do our best to reply to you within 3 business days.