Here are my current favorite virtual math field trips for all grades preK-12. Whether you teach (or parent) elementary, middle school or high school students, here are some ways to make math come alive.
The National Museum of Mathematics
The National Museum of Mathematics is my number one recommendation for virtual math field trips. This New York based museum offers many options of virtual field trips. They also offer Family Fridays, math bookclub, math workouts and live classes for grades prek-12. There are both free and paid options, and scholarships are available. See all the current options here.
U.S. Census Bureau
In this virtual math field trip, students of all ages can learn about the 2020 Census. They will learn how census data is collected and used. They will get a behind-the-scenes introduction to the Census Bureau through exclusive interviews with subject matter experts. At the end of the program there is an interactive challenge.
The US Census site also has 20 other different math activities available here for grades pre K through 12.
Math in the Real World: Building a House
Math at Work: Math Meets Home Building
Description from YouTube: “The Make It Right Foundation and Ty Pennington from ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team up with HMH Math to make math fun for students. They work with high school students to rebuild homes in New Orleans Lower 9th Ward while demonstrating the connections between math and construction and design.” Free lesson plans available.
Math At Work: Math Meets Culinary Arts
Visit The Institute for Culinary Education and see culinary students challenged to make an entree, side dish and dessert while demonstrating how ratios, proportions and percentages are used for cooking.
Math Meets Fashion
Visit New York City and meet fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, Project Runway’s Tim Gunn and several fashion design students to learn how math is used to create fashion.
STEM Virtual Field Trips
Some of these trips focus more on science standards than math, but we know that science and math always go together. Look for great real life examples on gathering and analyzing data.
Girl Scouts Girls Get STEM
Unleash Your Citizen Scientist
STEM Careers in the NBA
Nickelodeon Slime in Space
This free 15-minute virtual field trip takes students 250 miles above the earth to the International Space Station. There, they will learn along with the astronauts as they demonstrate how slime reacts to microgravity compared to how water reacts in the same environment. Download a free activity guide for grades 3-5 (adaptable to other grade levels.)
Innovation Generation
In this virtual field trip middle school students have an engineering challenge to build crash test cars. Educator guide is available for download.