Earth Balloon is an incredible learning environment - a 20' inflatable globe that students enter. Inside, they look at the world from the inside out and make discoveries about how the world works.

About the Earth Balloon
About Our Programs
Purchasing an Earth Balloon

In-School Field Trips: Because we bring the Earth Balloon to your site, there is no busing and no hassle. We provide a content-rich, WOW of an experience in this unforgettable school assembly.

Our Educators: Our geography specialists will bring Earth Balloon to your site and present all programs.

Space: Earth Balloon requires an indoor location with a 20' clearance in height, and an electrical outlet within 20' of the Balloon base.

Participation: WhereAbouts educators take students inside the Earth Balloon one class at a time (25-30 people). In a school setting we can accommodate a maximum of 15 classes in a full day (6 hours) and a maximum of 8 classes in a half day (3 hours).

Program Length: Class-by-class programs inside the Earth Balloon can range from 20 to 40 minutes in length, depending on a school's scheduling needs. Allow 15 minutes for set-up and take-down. Click here to see scheduling guidelines and sample schedules.

New for 2007-2008

Program Options: In keeping with our commitment to provide the best possible experience for all students we now offer a variety of program options. Choose one of the themes below for the entire school, or select a different one for each grade.

Whichever program you choose, be assured that the content will be tailored to the age and grade of the participants and will be based on state and national standards.

We will continue to focus each theme on "the whys of geography" why the world looks and functions as it does.

The Human Element

• Our Worried Earth
  Why is our climate changing? Students will explore global warming and the cause-and-effect relationships between people and the environment.
• Peopling the Planet
  Why do people live where they do? Students make fascinating discoveries about settlement patterns, both past and present.
• Stories from Around the World
  How are people the same and different the world over? We'll focus on children's literature and interesting artifacts from around the world.
• The Stage Where History Happened
  Why did events happen here and not there? Students investigate the geography behind history.

The Physical Earth

• Traveling Through Geologic Time
  Why do mountains and volcanoes form where they do? Students will discover the forces that create these landforms as they investigate topics in plate tectonics and geology.
• World Weather Report
  Why do climate regions form patterns on Earth? We'll discuss global climate patterns, the water cycle, and violent weather.
• Our Watery Blue Planet
  How is all the water on Earth interconnected? Students will explore water-from fresh water resources to motions of the oceans.
• Life on Planet Earth
  Why are different life forms found in different regions? As they explore global biomes, students will learn how plants and animals adapt to their unique environments.

Map and Globe Skills

• Mapping the Earth
  Why and how did people invent models of the Earth? Students will unlock the puzzles of maps and globes, from map scale to the global grid.

Interrelationships

• Curious Connections
Why are seashells found on mountaintops? Students will discover amazing and thought provoking connections among Earth's systems.

Accompanying Materials: A packet of pre-and post-visit activities will be provided prior to the Earth Balloon visit.

Program Costs: The following fees apply to educational institutions:

Interested in purchasing an Earth Balloon? WhereAbouts can help. Contact us and we'll fill you in.