“But, how do you know if an ending is truly good for the characters unless you traveled
with them through every page?”

– Shannon Hale, Midnight in Austenland

If only the character in Shannon Hale’s novel had heard about Google Lit Trips, she would have known that this is, in fact, possible! Google Lit Trips is a free resource thatallows readers to virtually follow the journey of literary characters via Google Earth (download Google Earth here). These pre-created trips place readers inside the story so they can see for themselves the path that characters have followed and experience the sights they have seen. Pop-up windows at each location provide the reader with different resources that stimulate higher level reading skills – discussion starters, links for further information, videos, etc. These resources bring about a fuller understanding of the text while establishing real world connections the reader can learn about for himself.

The upcoming holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, presents a perfect opportunity to bring your students on a Lit Trip. The site offers a pre-created trip for Marching for Freedom by Elizabeth Partridge. Partridge tells the true story of the children who chose to join Dr. King on the march from Selma to Washington during the Civil Rights Movement in 1965. The trip outlines the 5 day march, giving students a visualization of

the path the participants took, where they stopped, and what happened on each day. The pop-ups provide videos that make students feel as if they went on the march themselves – including speeches by MLK and LBJ, as well as a video of the actual marching. Among other things, the pop-ups also include links to documents that will give the readers background information (like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and MLK’s principles of non-

violence), discussion questions, and notes from the author. Click here to download this Lit Trip!

If your class plans on reading a different book about MLK that does not have a pre-created trip (or, if your class plans on reading any

book that does not have a pre-created trip) no need to worry – we have covered how to make a trip of your own in previous webinars. Take a look at the webinars here!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or contact us via email at Training@teq.com.