Recommended time
Minimum 60 minutes, maximum 90 minutes

The adult facilitator should begin this session with plans for a particular field trip already in place. Be sure to read the article on field trips that maximize learning.

Goals for the session

• Build vocabulary
• Think critically
• Work cooperatively
• Practice writing words and sentences
• Anticipate and prepare to take advantage of learning opportunities at a local field trip site

Outcomes

• Journal writing and drawing
• Visual map
• Newsletter

Materials and equipment

• A computer with Internet access
• A copy of the book Fortunately, by Remy Charlip
• Composition books (one for each child and facilitator)
• A newsprint pad or roll of butcher paper
• Index cards
• Clipboards
• Loose-leaf paper
• Regular pens and/or colored gel pens
• Colored pencils and/or colored markers
• Copies of newsletter template sheets

Part 1: Journals

What is it?
Have the group do a journal exercise that relates to preparing for a trip.

Sample exercises

• Imagine that you are going to leave your neighborhood to live on the North Pole for a week. In words and pictures, show what you would bring for the trip.
• In words and pictures, show what you would do during a trip to the desert.

Part 2: Read-Aloud

What is it?
The suggested reading material is Fortunately by Remy Charlip. This book is the story of a boy who gets an invitation to a surprise party and ends up having an adventure with lots of twists and turns. Click here for other recommended books.

Sample questions

• In the story, Ned digs a hole to escape from tigers in a dark cave. What else could have happened?
• What is your favorite part of Ned's adventure? What would you do if you were in that situation?

Tip
If possible, bring books related to the people, resources and activities that occur at the field trip site to this session for a read-aloud and personal reading. A trip to the library to find books, children's magazines and other print material related to the field trip site could be an extension activity.

Part 3: Idea Mapping

What is it?
Make a visual map to generate ideas about things to see, do and learn during the field trip.

Map ideas

• Central word: Name of field trip site (e.g., City Bike Shop)
• Question for the first circle: What do you think we will see at the (field trip site)?
• Question for the second circle: What do we already know about the things we will see?
• Question for the third circle: What do we want to learn about the things we will see?
• Question for the fourth circle: How can we find out about the things we want to learn?

• Central word: Name of field trip site
• Question for the first circle: What people will we see at the (field trip site)?
• Question for the second circle: What questions do we want to ask these people?
• Question for the third circle: How will we record the answers to our questions?

Part 4: Field Trip Roles

What is it?
Assign roles for different tasks that need to be performed during the trip. Roles might include the following:

• Interviewer: ask questions and record responses
• Photographer: take photos
• Artist: make drawings of people interviewed and other interesting things
• Sound recorder: tape interviews and interesting sounds
• Number recorder: counting or keeping track of important numerical information

Have the group think of other things that it might want get from the field trip experience and create related roles. Could the adults at the site be surveyed? Could the group track some sort of numbers and make them into a graph? Does the group want to collect samples?

Roles can also be related to safety and logistics, such as leading the line or cleaning up after snacks. Multiple participants can have the same role, and participants can have multiple roles. Everyone should be responsible for taking notes about important and interesting things that happen during the trip.

Before the trip, discuss the goals of the trip and the specific activities that have been scheduled. Also talk about field trip safety and the "rules of the road": how to be safe when riding in a vehicle or walking in a group and what to do in case of an emergency.

How to
Use index cards to write down the roles and the person who will be filling each role. Make a short list on each card of the things that the person in the role will need to do (e.g., photographer: carry camera and disks/film, take pictures, and share camera with other photographers). Ask the participants if they think new roles should be included. Use your judgment on whether to assign roles or ask for volunteers. Give participants their role cards to keep during the trip.

Tip
If time permits, role-plays are a great way to practice scenarios that might occur during the trip, such as interviewing an adult, asking an adult for help and eating together at a table in a restaurant. Role-plays can also be used to build skills such as lining up, walking with a buddy, holding the door and carrying equipment.

Part 5: Web Review

What is it?
Have participants look at Web sites related to the field trip to gather information to be written down, printed or discussed prior to the trip.

How to
Search for and review Web sites related to the field trip site. If the field trip site does not have its own Web site, search for sites about similar places, sites about the types of activities that can occur at the field trip site or sites about resources related to the field trip site. Create a Web file with links to the sites, or email the site addresses to participants. If the field trip involves traveling to a location outside the immediate neighborhood, a map site like Mapquest can be used to chart how the group will travel to the field trip site.

Have participants work in pairs to look at the Web sites. Bring the group back together to share what everyone learned. If possible, ask participants to print out materials they think would be useful for the trip.

If Internet access is not available, this is a great time to do read-alouds and personal reading with books, children's magazines and other print materials related to the field trip site.

Part 6: Daily Newsletter

What is it?
Instructions for creating a daily newsletter are in Session 1, Part 6.

Extension activities
If adults at the field trip site are accessible by email, students could use email before the trip to exchange questions and answers and after the trip to exchange comments, questions and notes of appreciation. Participants could send individual emails or compose a group email. If children from other organizations or schools who have already gone to the field trip site or who will be going on the same day are accessible by email, notes could be exchanged with them as well. Group phone conferences (with adults at the field trip site) are another option for exchange. If possible, an Internet videoconference with adults and children could take place before visiting the site.

Before the trip, any activity is worthwhile that will help participants focus on particular things to see, hear or do during the trip. Children will be better able to make connections and retain learning if they come into the trip with pre-formed questions. Pre-trip activities might include making collages, reading, writing, building models, making maps, doing research, listening to music, making music, watching films, making food, doing science experiments, or making graphs and charts.