Without having to leave the comfort of their classrooms, seventh-grade English students from Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School recently traveled to London to celebrate the magic of “A Christmas Carol” with assistance from technology integration specialist Victoria Pappas.

Prior to reading the acclaimed play in class, the students were afforded the opportunity to experience a virtual tour through Google which included important maps, locations, images, videos and hyperlinks. Amongst the locations visited was the house of Mr. Dickens, which included interactive photographs and bits of information pertaining to his life. 

The students guided the Google-based “Pegman” character, renamed “Scrooge” for the activity, across various locations in order to deepen their understanding of the play’s setting before enjoying it for themselves. During their two-day tour of London, the young explorers were also asked to complete a digital scavenger hunt with questions pertaining to their many travels.