The N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh announces its 2008 lineup of virtual field trips. Through the marvel of modern technology, students can see, hear and talk with museum educators on-site during these interactive, two-way videoconferencing sessions.

North Carolina teachers can take advantage of these one-hour classes that meet specific goals of the N.C. Standard Course of Study curriculum. Educators love how the creative, developmentally appropriate, and interactive aspects of virtual field trips bring the state's history to life for students of all ages.

Participants at cyber sites across North Carolina can explore exhibits at the museum, engage in hands-on activities, join an interactive discussion and much more.

Topics for this year's virtual field trips are as follows:

American Indians -- Delve into the fascinating history and contemporary culture of the state's American Indian communities through group activities and video clips.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum: Who Works Here? -- Find out what it is like to work in a museum. Watch museum professionals in action, and learn about their jobs. Play "Museum Jeopardy" for prizes.

History Mystery -- Discover how historians unravel mysteries from the past. Through interactive discussions and hands-on activities, students use various methods to identify objects. Four sessions are offered: Colonial Home Life, Health and Healing, Rural Home Life, and Tools and Gadgets.

Moccasins to Motorcars -- Learn about the history of transportation in North Carolina. Students follow a transportation timeline and discover the effects of different modes of transportation.

Gallery Cart Classes -- Visit a museum exhibit, and participate in hands-on activities that relate to the artifacts on display.

The museum does not charge North Carolina educators for virtual field trips. Pre- and post-program classroom activities are available.

If you would like more information about these distance-learning classes, visit www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/edu/outreach.html. Click on "Virtual Field Trips."

To schedule a virtual field trip, contact Jerry Taylor at jerry.taylor@ncmail.net or at (919) 807-7972.

If your school does not have videoconferencing capability, call your local Video Network Services site coordinator to schedule a class. For a list of N.C. Information Highway sites, access www.ncih.net/operations/ds1sites.html.