Field Trip to Paris

We took a trip to Paris and we didn't even have to get on a plane. We teleported there in Second Life! It was so quick and easy and it felt like we were really there. And, in some ways, it was better than actually being there because we could fly around It was so much more fun and interesting than just reading about the history of France in our textbooks.

And, we learned a lot of interesting things when we there. We had a guide that answered all our questions and we were allowed to explore the monuments by ourselves. We really enjoyed being able to discover these places at our own pace and in such an immersive environment. We spent most of our time at two monuments.

First, we saw the Eiffel Tower. Here are some pictures we took in Second Life:

We learned a lot about it. For example, it's over 1000 feet tall and weighs over 7000 tons. Also, it's not just a tourist attraction; it's also an important part of France's communication system. I never knew it was actually a communication tower! And it was built in 1889 as an entryway to the world fair that year and it was built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French revolution.

We also got to explore the Arc de Triomphe. Here are some Second Life pictures of that:

We learned that even though it was built to honor Napoleon's military victories it wasn't finished until after he was dethroned. It was finally built in 1836. Our guide told us that it's at the nexus of 12 streets because it's the center of an "historic axis," which is a sequence of big roads and monuments that stretch through the city. Also, lots of ceremonies are held at the Arc, but the most important one is the Bastille Day Military Parade.

We can't wait for our next History class field trip to...anywhere in the world! :)