Educational advantages of wdw?

[angel's momma]

I've tried different searches, and I'm not coming up with anything.

I know I've seen posts about a site that lists reasons to give a teacher for taking kids to wdw, but I've never needed to use it. A relative needs it, and now I can't find it. Does anyone have the website?


ETA: I found it. http://www.passporterboards.com/for...714-letter-teachers-about-missing-school.html

 

[allison443]

I would think carefully before sending that letter...it is way over the top, imo.
Really, learning about the sociological aspects of crowds? I think it is almost an insult to the teacher's intelligence. We had a thread on here recently and I think every poster thought it was crazy.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Yes, that letter is WAY over the top and rather silly if you really think about it, though I do feel there is a lot for kids to learn and experience on vacation.

Patience, ethnic foods, patience, culture (all the international visitors/CMs), agriculture, science (innoventions), patience, veterinary (if you hit Rafiki's Planet Watch during a procedure), art, etc.

A lot has to do with the parent being willing to slow down and do those things. A lot of people get caught up in the rush of it all and never slow down and see all of the "other" stuff that Disney has.

 

[CLR4321]

WDW is very educational. There's tons of stuff from history, science, and culture there. Someone could even make a project for their child where they interviewed various CM's (about 10 or so) in different parts of WDW about what they do there. You could get chefs, talking characters such as Aladdin (of course they will give in-characater responses), attraction CM's (ask the HM CM's what the scariest thing they have ever seen was for example), CM's at the front gate, the police officers, the CM's who tend to the horses, etc. Take a picture and have them write a paragraph or 2 about what they learned about that CM's position and put it in a folder sort of scrapbook style. The kids would have fun making it and the teachers will think it is great.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If you look at the YES programs that Disney offers for school groups, you will get some nice appropriate educational verbage for various things. I think if you stick with AK and EPCOT, that would be best as those have clear educational aspects.

Here is a link:

http://disneyyouthgroups.disney.go.com/wdyp/listing/listingPageRender?page=YESProgramsListingPage

While the programs have more than your average Disney trip, it can help you think in a different way about what is educational at Disney. They even have links to national standards and the appropriate "classes" the trip would benefit. (for example--liberty squares american history as tied to a civics class for example).

Things that are truly educational:

EPCOT learning about the cultures of the world by visiting 10 national pavilions with citizens of those countries. Sample activities:

Oceanography: Living Seas with Nemo
Prehistoric times: Horizons

The communicores (and whatever they are called)--they have a fire safety exhibit, savings exhibit, and I cannot remember what else--many life skills opportunities here.


Hollywood Studios: Arts and sciences: Animation (I think you can draw mickey, Film production and live shows

Animal Kindgom:
Cultures (Asia, Africa)
Life Science/Zoology: Learn about lots of animals

Magic Kingdom: IMHO the toughest to explain that would be more about patience and good citizenship with American History in Liberty Square (and Carousel of progress for how things change over time.)

ETA: I looked at the linked letter and it seeemed fine until the final paragraph. I did take a physics trip to Busch Gardens and there is no way a child is "learning" physics at a theme park without access to the physics information of the rides. They will experince it, but they won't "learn" it (unless physics expert mom or dad can enlighten them.) And the sociological aspect of crowds is nonsense.

The map information was good as I completely forgot about that. That is how my children learned maps. Just using the Disney maps and figuring it out for themselves.