Online GlobalEdCon Presentation, Nov. 2011. Fostering Global Awareness Using Travel Literature and Other Primary Sources This session will be an introduction to using travel literature to promote global awareness and global connections. This global content enables students to compare and contrast their own regions and cultures with other areas of the world. Possibilities for virtual travel, student-created blogs and discussion groups, and collaboration with students in other regions of the world will be discussed. Ideas for promoting students' understanding of contemporary and historical geography in a global context will be shared: travel blogs, digital stories, and interactive sites enable global dialogue and cultural understanding; Google Maps & Google Earth host global content such as an interactive map of geotagged primary sources; and student-created blogs, digital images, and maps authentically assess students' understanding of global geography and culture. This session is recommended for anyone who is interested in promoting global cultural awareness through the concept of travel in Social Studies, Literacy, or English Language Arts classes. While examples of specific projects will be included in this session, its primary focus will be to share ideas for global collaboration using 21st century skills and web tools. Students who travel via literature will see their world expand and will become more aware that they are global citizens.

1. Global Awareness Through
Travel Literature
Susannah Wheelwright
Grade 6 World Geography Teacher
wheelwrights@holliston.k12.ma.us

2. Global Awareness Through Travel
Literature
Global Awareness Travel
Understanding other “Seeing” other people
cultures + and places +
Knowing one’s place in reflecting on global
the larger world + experiences +
comparing and
Empathetic worldview +
contrasting to own
Outreach and service = place and culture =
Global Citizenship Learning via a
geographical lens

3. Global Awareness Through Travel
Literature
Travel Literature
Maps
Diaries Blogs
Images Video
Letters TEXTS Global
Audio Fiction
Photos Postcards
Logbooks Guidebooks

4. Overview
• Global Content: Maps, Geotagged Primary
Sources, Other Cultures
• Geographically Rich Global Experiences:
Virtual Travel, People from other cultures,
Literature and Images, Interactive Maps
• Compare and Contrast: Global Interactions,
Text to Visual, Local to International, Culture to
Culture, Historical to Contemporary

5. Why?
• To challenge
stereotypes and
prevent
generalizations
• To make foreign
places real instead of
imagined

6. How?
• Classroom teachers
and students interact
with travel literature
as text
• Students publish
globally and
communicate with
people of other
cultures

17. Links

18. Acknowledgements
Thanks to:
Julie Elkan, Holliston Tech Ed Coordinator
Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS) for
the Swensrud Teacher Fellowship and the
support and access to their library of
primary sources
Marie Cuevas & Laurie O’Rourke, fellow
curriculum creators & webinar viewers