Hi Reader,

One of my favorite parts of teaching through travel is figuring out how to take something I experienced in the real world and turn it into an experience my students can actually have.

This week, we traveled to Machu Picchu, but we never left our school!

And one of the best parts of this adventure was getting other staff members involved, too.

We started first thing in the morning during P.E. class, which was the perfect way to get our little hikers ready for the journey. The kids put on their backpacks and warmed up for the hike. Their P.E. teacher led them through stretches, lunges, and an obstacle course where they pretended to jump over rocks and climb up steep steps.

Then our Inca Trail adventure continued throughout the school. We walked all around campus, climbing stairs and exploring classrooms the students had never been in before. I had given the teachers a heads up about our journey, and they were excited to welcome our little hikers into their classrooms as part of the experience.

This is such an easy way to get your staff involved in a classroom transformation. They don't need to create an elaborate activity or decorate their rooms. Sometimes simply opening their door, greeting the students, and playing along for a few minutes can make the experience feel completely different.

After all that hiking, we needed a break! We had a picnic on the school lawn and ate our morning snack while pretending we were stopping along the trail. Our security guard checked everyone's passports to make sure we had permission to be on the trail.

Then we returned to our classroom to learn more about Machu Picchu before heading back out for more exploring. Eventually, we made our way up into our church balcony. This was our Sun Gate. The students had worked their way through our entire "Inca Trail," and now they were about to get their first glimpse of Machu Picchu. When they reached the top, they looked out and saw Machu Picchu waiting for them.

Then it was time for lunch. While the students were eating, I moved our backdrop into the classroom. When they returned, they discovered that our classroom had transformed into Machu Picchu!

We finished the day by learning even more about the ancient site before getting back to our regular classwork. Since we had spent the morning traveling, we used the rest of the afternoon to catch up on the work we had missed.

But our adventure wasn't over. The next morning, we continued learning about the archaeological site of Machu Picchu.

We pretended to explore the Incan ruins and talked about how carefully the site has been preserved. Then the students used Legos to create their own Incan-style homes. I loved seeing where their imaginations took them. Several students even created their own irrigation systems, just like the Incas used to move water through their communities.

This is where I think travel-based learning becomes so powerful. You can take one destination and connect it to so many different areas of learning. Geography, history, science, engineering, art, architecture, problem-solving, and even physical education can all become part of the same adventure.

You don't have to use Machu Picchu to do it. Turn your school into another place with mountains. Explore an ancient civilization. Create homes inspired by different cultures. Build an irrigation system. Turn your playground into an archaeological site.

The possibilities are endless when you start looking at your school through the eyes of a traveler.

Passport Adventures: Machu Picchu

If you'd like to recreate this exact Machu Picchu adventure with your students, the lesson I created for my class is available as part of Passport Adventures. It includes the activities and resources I used (backdrop not included) to take my students through the experience from beginning to end.

My hope is that it gives you a starting point, whether you follow the lesson exactly or use it to create your own adventure.

Our classrooms don't have to be confined to four walls. Sometimes a staircase can become the Andes. A balcony can become the Sun Gate. A classroom can become Machu Picchu.

And for a child, a little imagination can turn an ordinary school day into a memory they'll carry with them for years.

As you head into another week, I hope you find one small way to bring a little more wonder, curiosity, and adventure into your classroom. You never know where a child's imagination might take them.

Happy exploring!

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