See what remains of Cahokia in Illinois

While the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has designated locations around the world as being World Heritage Sites, there are only 20 in the U.S. As a result, schools that are located near these educational travel destinations may want to schedule class trips to them.

One of the sites, the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, is located in Illinois. Here, students on educational tours can see six square miles of Cahokia Mounds, which are essentially man-made hills. However, each of these mounds is uniquely stylized, and was once part of Cahokia, a city that was larger than London.

When students see these mounds up close, they will quickly understand how they are more than the average hill. For instance, Monk’s Mound, the site’s largest, is 10 stories tall and features four terraces.

Before students go on school tours to this area, history teachers may want to prepare their students by creating lessons about the people who lived at this site between 1100 and 1200 AD, or, the "Golden Age" of Cahokia. Today, visitors to this historic area can learn more about the individuals known as the Mississippians at the site’s Interpretive Center.