Field Trip Exchange
Standards:
- NCSS Standard: Individual Development and Identity - assist learners as they work independently and cooperatively within groups and institutions to accomplish goals.
- NCSS Standard: Global Connections - help learners to explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, and nations.
- MMSD Standard (4): Geography – Explain how physical environment affects the way people live.
- MMSD Standard (4): Behavioral Science – Compare and contrast individual perspectives and differences.
- MMSD Standard (4): Behavioral Science - Explain how personal opinions and choices are shaped by one’s family and community.
Materials:
- Signed permission slips from each student
- Writing Journals
- Information guides
- Disposable cameras
Objectives:
- Students will experience another community through the descriptions of students their age.
- Students will present and describe their community to a group.
- Students will reflect upon their experiences on the field trip.
Lesson Context:
The students have reached the point in which they will present the research they conducted about their community. The students have been learning about community and what aspects a community entails. They have been comparing and contrasting different sorts of communities and building knowledge about other environments.
Lesson Procedure:
- The students will travel to the school community they became acquainted with through iEarn. The students will be introduced to the students.
- A community activity will take place in order for the students to become more familiar with each other in person.
- The two groups will walk through the community with supervision. The other school will present their community and give detailed descriptions as they did with the information guides. We will discuss when opportunities arise to do such.
- Encourage the students to take pictures of the community which is new to them.
- A closing activity will be made between the two groups.
- The students will have time when returning to school to reflect on their thoughts and experiences in the other community. I will give them time to write in their journals and we will discuss as a class as well.
- A few days later, if not the next day, the students from the other group will come to our school and we will do a walking tour of our community. Before, we’ll do an activity with the whole group of both schools. Each student will present the research they conducted and discuss the elements of their community. Each student will make sure to include all the information from their guide as possible and more if they have discovered more since. The students will discuss and answer questions from the other school if it questions occur. Facilitation and supervision will be made by me, the other teacher, and chaperones if available.
- The students will have a closing activity with the other school group and say their goodbyes.
- My class will return to the classroom and again write in their journals, but this time discuss how they felt about their presentation and showing the other school about their community.
Assessment:
The students will be assessed upon the information they present and how they present to the other group of students. They will also be assessed by their participation in both activities – traveling to the other school, as well as the presentation of our community. It will be gauged if they are asking questions or sharing information. Further, the students’ journals will also be looked at to see if they understand the similarities and differences between the two communities.
Special Considerations:
Make appropriate accommodations for students who have disabilities. Be sure to have all permission slips and contact information for all the students. Build community as much as possible among the two groups before the presentations of the communities begin.