Sherry took her class on a successful, family-friendly field trip. Here is her
account of what worked:
“On April 20, during the public school vacation,
I took the students and their families to the Children's Museum in Providence. I had a total of 27—15 adults and 12
children. The field trip went really well. I would recommend it as a future field
trip. I have highlighted some components of the planning that contributed to the success of this trip:
—Naomi and I visited the museum before hand. This
helped me to plan pre-trip activities, find out where to go, and talk to the personnel about group procedures.
— I stimulated student interest by doing a reading
activity about the museum. I had found an article in a AAA flyer. After reading
the article, I asked the class if they would like to visit the museum. Of course, they said, "yes"!
—I created a Webquest that required students to
research one theme and 3 corresponding activities in order to share this information with other classmates. This enabled them
to learn a lot about the museum, what to do there, and what to expect—without researching all the information individually.
This cooperative learning was key. I used the Children's Museum website as a guide in creating the Webquest.
—Students also planned our transportation as part
of the Webquest, using the RIPTA website, but it was important that I confirmed the information. When leading a large group,
you want to be 200% sure about everything! In speaking to RIPTA, I found out
that they would send a bus to pick us up at Olneyville and take us directly to the museum for the same price as a one-way
bus ticket. It was like having a charter bus for $1.50 per person. They will
do the same for the return trip if needed. They even sent a supervisor to meet
me in Olneyville to make sure this wnt smoothly. It was great.
—Another part of the Webquest was finding out what
the weather would be on that date so students knew how to dress.
—I simplified the Webquest a lot from the RI Webquest
that Karisa and I did last fall. This Webquest was mostly done in one 2-hour
class and right before the trip. That was key as well.
—The museum gives each family bilingual guide cards.
As families get to a certain theme area, they look at the card, which tells them what activities are available. The museum
docents begin each family in a different part of the museum so people are not crammed into one area. They are really well
organized and very accommodating.
—The museum is very interactive with a lot of fun
games. The children loved it and the adults enjoyed it as well.
—The visit took about 3 hours including coming
and going. 1.5 hours in the museum is plenty of time for most people.
— I gave them a post-activity sheet at the end
of the visit that we used for discussion and writing in the next class.
So, don't be afraid to plan a local field trip! Iif you'd
like to take a look at the Webquest I created or would like further information, please let me know. “
