Field trip example for developing questions Essay Example for Free

Field trip example for developing questions Essay Listed below are some sample questions that were asked about a hand plow used in the 1800s that one group of students saw in a museum. These might give you some ideas for developing questions: †¢ What function do you think this object had? †¢ When do you think it might have been used? †¢ Who might have used it? †¢ What materials were used to make it? †¢ How do you think it was made/manufactured? †¢ Imagine using this plow all day. How would you feel? †¢ How do farmers plow their fields today? †¢ Do you think they feel any differently than the farmer using this plow did at the end of the day? Explain. †¢ Do you think there are people in the world today who still use tools like this? Explain. ACTIVITY TO BE DONE: FIELD TRIP TO A OLD-TIMECRAFT MUSEUM Questions: †¢ Are the crafts carefully made to show the culture and beliefs of the people who made them? †¢ Basing from the craft materials that you’ve seen, how might you describe the ancient generation of humans? †¢ How are you able to connect the past with the present through the crafts that you have seen? †¢ Are there any depictions of the past that you could identify to characterize the present human society today? †¢ Do you think these crafts could still be improved through the usage of modern technology? †¢ How would technology actually affect the presentation of the said crafts? Appendix 23. 07c Sample Pre-, During- and Post-Field Trip Activities for a Field Trip to a California Mission Grade Level: 4 Pre-Trip Activity: Who Built the Missions? I will read sections from â€Å"Missions of the Southern Coast† by Nancy Lemke (1996) to my students. After reading the story, we will record information learned about who built the missions on a wall chart. We will discuss how the life of many native Indians changed after the Spanish padres taught the natives Indians to speak Spanish, make adobe bricks, sing Spanish religious songs, and change their religious beliefs, etc. I will set up a computer station for students to explore the site: http://library. thinkquest. org/3615/index. shtml, which describes the layout of the missions and how the structures were built. Students will record their findings for later use in their creative story writing. During the Trip Activity: Mission Architecture At the site I will gather students around me at the entrance to the mission. Here we will take a close look at the basic architectural design of the building and compare it to the photos we examined in class, looking for similarities and differences. Students will sketch three architectural features that they see. As we walk through the mission building (using the mission’s map to navigate our route), students will make a list of the different rooms and make note of several objects or architectural design elements in each room that are similar to items in use today. We will also discuss items that are no longer used. Post-Trip Activity: Travel Brochure for the Mission After the trip, students will summarize their learning by working in pairs to design a travel brochure inviting tourists to visit the mission. Students will need to include the following information: mission name, date built, brief history about why missions were founded, a brief story unique to this mission, a statement that explains to the tourist why missions are an important part of California’s history. Brochures will also include students’ decorative artwork. Per-trip Activity: Sharing the Goals of the Trip with the Students This activity shall help the instructor outline the reasons for the fieldtrip thus guide the students with the necessary learning that they are supposed to receive from the activity that they are to encounter in the field. It is expected that through this particular activity, the students would have a logical understanding of how much they are supposed to be benefited by the said activity. During the trip activity. It is simply through the actual field trip that the understanding of the gist of the activity shall be realized by everyone involved in the project. Thus, through the activity itself, the students would realize the real impact of the process within their learning and personality as well. With the realization of the students with regards the benefit of the trip to their learning process, they are then expected to apply in themselves whatever it has been that they have learned from the trip. Post-Trip Activity Recollection of the things learned is a primary focus of the instructor after the trip is over. It is through this after activity meeting that the educators as well as the coordinators of the trip would naturally measure the success of the activity thus scale it for further pursuance during the following years of operation. Appendix 23. 07b Field Trip Planning and Implementation Form 1. Decide where you are going and record the pertinent information, including: †¢ site address †¢ relevant telephone numbers †¢ admission costs; group rates; group size limitations †¢ hours of operation †¢ content of the exhibits †¢ facilities (bathrooms, area to eat, etc. ). †¢ availability of food concessions, gift shops †¢ requirements for reservations †¢ availability of guided tours (Are they required? Costs? ) †¢ availability of curriculum materials for teachers †¢ special requirements (walking shoes, binoculars, warm clothing, etc. ) †¢ handicapped accommodations, and other relevant information (brochures, handouts) Enter Step 1 information here: 1. Craft Museum in Los Angeles: features the exhibit of the works of the families and cultures of both ancient and modern America. 2. Schedule of Tour: Wednesday or Saturday in the afternoon beginning 1pm. 3.time length of tour: 3hours 4. Exhibit Content: family crafts of the ancient and modern American civilization. 5. Facilities: With comfort rooms and lobby for resting purposes 6. Ground Rules: No eating within the premises of the showroom during the tour activities. 7. No Reservation Payment; but there is an enlisting process before the tour begins. 8. school uniforms for quick identification is required due to the continuous tours taking place in the museum. 2. Educational and other considerations for the field trip. †¢ How does taking a field trip relate to your classroom studies? †¢ What are your objectives for the field trip? †¢ What information will tell you if your students have achieved your objectives? †¢ Visit the museum/site before your field trip. †¢ Which exhibits would you like to use? †¢ Are there any special conditions you will need to accommodate? †¢ What are the rules and procedures for group visits? Lunch plans? †¢ Do you have a map of the museum/site? †¢ Do you have some pictures, slides or postcards of the site that you can use with your students? †¢ Do you know your way around the museum/site? Enter Step 2 information here: 1. The field trip is expected to enhance the knowledge of the students with regards how much ancient America connects with the modern generation of people of the country today. 2. This field trip is rather pursued to help the students see the actual display of intellect of both the ancient and modern Americans whether with the aid of technology or those others that were created without the said utilization of modern technology. 3. to ensure safety of the whole class, it is advised that the instructor sees the museum first for security measures and assessment of the place whether it would be feasible for the subject or the students the like. 4. Souvenirs are given to the students visiting there and several brochures which could later on be used for classroom discussions. The said brochures are accompanied by maps showing the interiors of the museum. 3. Make Advance Arrangements †¢ What are your school’s procedures for field trips? Do you need special permission? †¢ Have you made reservations at the site for your trip? †¢ What transportation arrangements do you need to make? †¢ Have you kept copies of forms, requests, reservations, etc.? †¢ Have you sent out and received permission slips from parents? †¢ Can you anticipate any student behavior problems? Do you have a plan to cope with them? †¢ Have you arranged for payment of field trip expenses? †¢ What is your policy about visits to the museum/site gift shop? Tell students in advance! Enter Step 3 information here: 1. Parental permission must be first received before a student is to be joined in with the group for field trip. 2. Hiring a bus is a necessary step for getting the students safe into the museum. 3. The transportation is supposed to fetch the students back and forth from the school within at least five hours time difference. 4. To avoid unruly behaviors, the instructor is to have three appointees per group who would serve as group leaders thus making the trip much more controllable and the students easier to accompany with. 5. Snacks are to be served to the students in the bus after the three-hour field-trip. 6. all ground rules are to be discussed during the pre-trip meetings with the students. 4. Pre-Trip Activities: Introduce Museum/Community Site †¢ What pre-trip activities have you planned to introduce your students to the field trip site? †¢ What pre-trip activities have you planned to enable your students to try out and practice perceptual skills? (touch-boxes, sounds, smells, same-different, matching, sketching, color) †¢ What pre-trip activities have you planned that pertain to the subject matter of your field trip? (vocabulary, experience chart, artifacts, speakers, research groups, developing worksheets) †¢ Design six questions to ask your students that will help them think about something that they will see on the trip. Enter Step 4 information here: 1. Each student is advised to bring short note pads where they could take down their notes for review purposes in class. 2. Questions: †¢ Are the crafts carefully made to show the culture and beliefs of the people who made them? †¢ Basing from the craft materials that you’ve seen, how might you describe the ancient generation of humans? †¢ How are you able to connect the past with the present through the crafts that you have seen? †¢ Are there any depictions of the past that you could identify to characterize the present human society today? †¢ Do you think these crafts could still be improved through the usage of modern technology? †¢ How would technology actually affect the presentation of the said crafts? 5. Plan Field Trip Activities †¢ Will your students be participating in a site-led program or tour? †¢ If so, have you talked to the guide about your students’ background and preparation for the trip? †¢ Will your students be using worksheets you’ve developed as a basis for their site activities? †¢ What other activities will your students do at the site (beyond a guided tour)? †¢ Have you planned the work in small sections (in case some children finish sooner than others)? †¢ Are the activities varied intellectually? †¢ Review field trip plans with chaperones. †¢ When will you meet with chaperones to review your plans for the trip? †¢ Have you recruited the chaperones you need? Do you have a back-up plan if a chaperone fails to show up? †¢ Have you prepared an information packet about the trip for each chaperone? †¢ Do the chaperones clearly understand what they can do to support the educational objectives of your trip? Enter Step 5 information here: Each group leader is assigned with a name of list in their groups who they would be appointed to check on time and again. Nevertheless, after the three-hour tour, everyone is expected to be intact in their groups as their grade on the said activity shall well depend on how well they behave during the tour activities. Making necessary pre-announced quizzes about the trip would also help the students more attentive and interested in the discussions presented to them during the tours and keep them safe with their groups as well. 6. Field Trip Day †¢ Review plans and schedule with students and chaperones. †¢ Give the bus driver a map, parking information and a schedule. Get the bus number. †¢ Bathroom stop before boarding the bus. †¢ Give a brief orientation to the site upon arrival; review what to do if anyone gets lost. †¢ Conduct at-site activities and adjust pace as needed. †¢ Finish activities and stop at the gift shop if planned. †¢ Move to the exit, do headcounts and board the bus. †¢ Notify the school office when you return. †¢ Discuss the trip with students. Enter Step 6 information here: Headcounts are to be performed, before, once during, and after the tours. The headcount is supposed to be a security check on the whereabouts of the students. If incase anyone gets lost, the enlisting before the entrance of the students in the museum shall be a great help thus alerting the museum securities of the said lost student. Once the trip begins to pursue, the administration should be notified as well as when it is already over. This would give the administration less frustration in handling activities as such in the future. 7. Post-Trip Activities †¢ What activities have you planned to continue your students’ learning back in the classroom? (murals, dioramas, newspaper, letters, tape recordings, posters, plays/skits, creative writing, travel brochure, museum memory capsule) Enter Step 7 information here: Poster making and role playing shall be the main activity inside the classrooms once the activity is over; so as to help the children recover about what they have learned from the touring activities held. 8. Evaluation of the Field Trip †¢ Does the kind of feedback you received from your students allow you to tell if you met your objectives for the trip? †¢ Did you meet your trip objectives? †¢ How did your students evaluate their trip? †¢ What were your students’ reactions to the trip? †¢ What did they learn from their worksheets or other activities? How do you know? †¢ Were there any problems you could avoid next time? Surprises? †¢ What improvements or changes would you make next time? †¢ Have you recorded your thoughts for future reference? Enter Step 8 information here: It should be understood that part of the activity is the assurance that each student is given the careful attention that they need, simply for them to benefit well from the activity. Through post-activity class discussions and presentations, the said matter could be then well measured as to how the activity applied well for the development of the students with regards their learning as considered within the curriculum that they are to discuss along with the integrated goals of the field trip within the development of the lesson. (Adapted from: â€Å"Teach the Mind, Touch the Spirit A Guide to Focused Field Trips† Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago) †¢ Describe your class, their interests, cultural backgrounds, SAT9 profiles, English language levels, reading abilities and special needs levels. The class to be dealt with is comprised of multicultural population that ranged from the fast and the slow as well as the average learners the like. This particular diversity on the part of the class make up actually makes the instruction of integrated lessons quite a challenge for the instructor. Moreover, the ways by which the instructor should deal with the situation should integrate both lecture and practical implication of the lessons as well. Seeing the cultural differences of the students, the instructors are rather required to have a quality that needs to be handled to the said specific types of students. It is understood that with a multicultural population in class, it is needed that the educational instructors utilize the different strategies to approach the learning diversity of all the students catered through the lessons presented in class. †¢ Profile your school culture, family involvement and home/school communication. Because of multiculturalism, the need for long understanding is required. For this reason, it is understood that the instructors could not be able to be expected to do the entire job. The cooperation of the parents and guardians of the students is highly regarded for the treatment within this particular situation. The communication between the parents/guardians and the instructors is to be treated as a primary source of success in this process. Thus it is encouraged that updating the parents/guardians with the development of their students as well as the extra needed attention that the young learners require be made known to the individuals needing the information. Doing so would give the instructors and the parents as well as the guardian of the students give full focus to the advancement of the young learners as primary receivers of the education that they are due. B: Learning Goals †¢ Select goals that are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, student-interest-based and drawn from the California academic content standards. There are numerous academic goals that actually outlines the need of increasing the capability of the students to deal with the challenges of life in a more practical process that would be most beneficial for their own good. Among the said goals is to teach them to become reliable at almost all the times needed. With regards this, it could be noted that understanding the primary issues that are related to life and the challenges that it offers shall give the students the real and right motivation to advance further with their learning. It is through this that they become motivated to hone their capability of being reliable at most especially during the times that their support and understanding are highly needed. Another goal is to help the students relate their school lessons with their real life situations. Being practical in dealing with real life situations could be stressed out during classroom discussions that are expected to be presented during class. Handling this particular responsibility is of utmost need for the instructors to consider during class operations. References: Shapiro, B. L. (1994). What Children Bring to Light: A Constructivist Perspective on Childrens Learning in Science; New York. Teachers College Press. Helm, J. H. , Katz, L. (2001). Young investigators: The project approach in the early years. New York: Teachers College Press.