TRACKING THE VOYAGE
The Beautiful Nation Social Network is a private geosocial network that trackes the Voyage of Makulu and helps classrooms stay connected with the crew and with each other.  Schools can sign up for special access to the crew, content, videoconferencing and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) discussion groups. Check out the network!

CONTENT 
The Makulu crew are expert educators and explorers ready to take your students for a virtual trip around the planet! The crew will publish weekly digital media stories and monthly webisodes that promote Agastya's hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics on the network. 

The crew's digital media stories follow Reach the World's global journalism program and are designed to promote critical thinking around the essential question, How does where we live affect how we live? The articles are short, nonfiction articles accompanied by colorful photos and videos. The crew's articles can help your students meet the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in a fun and meaningful way! 

CURRICULUM 
Educators  follow the voyage with their students in a number of ways depending on the educational needs and goals of their students. The project aims to deliver regular content across grade levels, for students age 6 to 18 years old. Resources are available to help educators map their curriculum, assess and teach geographic literacy, and plan interdisciplinary projects around the crew's content. 

Benefits for Students:

-fun and meaningful standards-based non-fiction, interdisciplinary articles
-innovative geography education using digital maps, online games and research-backed methods for improving core geographic literacy

- real-time, real-world scenarios that depict the use of critical thinking skills and applied knowledge around core STEM concepts

-global kid-centered content that is customizable to meet their expressed interests and needs using social media tools

-opportunities for live online discussions and video calls with a team of expert explorers, scientists, educators, sailors and artists on a real expedition

-safe and secure asynchronous chats with the crew and other school community members subscribed to the channel

-special access to content to support project-based activities

Vision: Reach the World students in New York ask the Beautiful Nation crew to interview students in Indonesia on marine debris in their community to support their research on the topic. Students produce a local PSA video and convince their school administration to join the new New York City Composting Program.

Vision: Agastya students in India engage in discussions and videoconferences with the Beautiful Nation crew on water quality that are customized to align with Agastya’s hands-on-science curriculum. Students participate as citizen scientists and model the crew's water testing in their local communitiy, share their data and present to their local community solutions for preventing further pollution of their waterways.