Dear Java GAR:

Thank you for posting. I am new at using Google Earth and am thrilled to have the input from more experienced users. I investigated your comment regarding school blocks and access for viewing images and the benefit to embedding them is far greater than I had expected when designing this project. I plan to continue updating this, as I have four years of travel itinerary throughout the country and beautiful pictures with useful recommendations for traveling with students throughout Costa Rica. I welcome all comments and suggestions.

The itinerary is always packed with high adventure and learning. Students are encouraged to try activities outside of their comfort zone including ziplining, repelling, horseback riding, volcano climbing, white water rafting, and snorkeling.

The students are highly motivated Advanced Placement students. They attend 16 hours of lecture prior to departure to learn about the geography, geology, natural resources and climate zones, culture, politics, and economics. All students are required to keep a journal while on tour. Science students are instructed on how to keep a scientific journal, A.P. Spanish students must keep their journal in Spanish and work with both the guides and bus driver each evening to learn to write correctly and to learn local sayings, even slang. Art students use their media of choice and choose digital photos taken during the day to construct art works in the evening hours and post-tour works. Economic students focus on the project chosen for that tour. For example, in the past students have evaluated the true costing of a banana when considering all externalities, shade grown vs. sun-grown coffee, alternative energy, and the economics of a sustainable village. Science students have analyzed data collected on tour for mustache bat relative abundance and utilization, coral reef health based on relative species abundance/diversity as well as % bleached coral, leatherback turtle population threats based on changes in turtle nest abundance and changes in number of eggs/nest and hatchlings/nest over time. Advanced technology students videotape the entire trip and create a DVD for all participants. This DVD is presented at a Pot Luck Dinner approximately one month after the return date for family, friends, faculty, administrators, and the Board of Education. The dinner also highlights a photo gallery where all students frame and display two of their favorite photos and photo albums created with their journals.

ALL students present their findings in their classes following the AP Exams.

Thank you once again for responding to my post. I look forward to continued input from the Google Earth Community.

Best regards

Zostera