Searcy Elementary third and fourth graders in Barbara Youtsey’s Title One Reading class learned about Australia from Pat Willhite of Overland Park, Kan.
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Mrs. Willhite took a tour to Australia with a tour group of 10 singles and four couples. She went on her trip from Jan. 14 to Feb. 6.
Mrs. Willhite spent two weeks touring and two weeks cruising. She said she traveled 10,145 miles one way and spent 22 ½ hours flying time. She said she had toured Norway, Switzerland and Germany in past years, but had not been to that end of the world before.
She talked to the students about Australia’s people, history, foods, and the difference in that country’s type of animals and those in the U.S.
The students had an itinerary of Mrs. Willhite’s tour and followed along with her in their studies.
The students learned about crossing the time line, and how the International Dateline was moved in order to include the Fiji Islands.
They learned map skills and looked information up on computer websites. They did three book reports and created information packets. They studied Australia’s animals, and about the Great Barrier Reef.
Mrs. Willhite told the children that the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the only living organism that can be seen from outer space.
“I wanted the students to know they can go anywhere they want to in a book,” said Mrs. Youtsey. “And someday they may be able to actually travel to those places, just like Mrs. Willhite did.”