Welcome to our series sharing Homeschool Resources: Social Studies & Roadside Peek: Learn History & Get Your Kicks on Route 66. I would like to ask you to check out the following websites and let me know if you’ve used these with your students or not. Charlie and I can’t wait to check out Roadside Peek: Learn History & Get Your Kicks on Route 66.
Exploros powers Wordly Wise i3000, and now you can find new courses from them through the Co-op — English Language Arts, Social Studies, Digital Citizenship. Exploros distributes the resources, documents work, and automatically reports on learning progress with these versatile courses.
Roadside Peek: Learn History & Get Your Kicks on Route 66— Grades 5 & up, with parental supervision
One of the great things about a summer road trip is seeing the landscape that reflects our culture through the architecture and signage along the way.
At this website, you can take a virtual journey along old routes and highways (through photographs and text) to see the long-gone, but not forgotten drive-in restaurants, gas stations, motels, neon signs, and tourist traps of the 1950s-1970s.
Many are the roadside haunts of your parents and grandparents – so, ask them to take this nostalgic online tour with you, and I’ll bet they’ll provide some personal and historical perspective for your whole family.
When you get to the site use the menu to explore:
- Architecture – See examples of Art Deco, Googie (space-age architecture), Tiki Villages and more.
- Auto Alley – Visit vintage auto showrooms, gas stations, and car washes.
- Eateries – Check out the burger joints, coffee shops, diners, and hot dog stands of bygone eras – often shaped like the food they served!
- Entertainment – Explore bowling alleys, drive-in theaters, and skating rinks of yesteryear.
- Neon – Be dazzled by the neon lights advertising motels, theaters, eateries, and more.
- Road Icons – Discover roadside attractions that include giant cows, artichokes, and dinosaurs, as well as legendary folk heroes.
You can even explore these memorable roadside stops by regions including the East, Great Plains, Midwest, Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and the Southwest.
If this makes you want to hop in the car and find your own roadside treasures, be sure to check out RoadsideAmerica.com for an online guide to offbeat tourist attractions.
And don’t forget to take along my book, Carschooling, to entertain the family between roadside attractions.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
