Great Field Trips Out and About in God’s Wonderful World

1. Great Field TripsOut and About in God’s Wonderful World LCMS Michigan District All Professional Church Workers Conference carol.stathakis@gmail.com

2. Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of your possessions. New King James

3. Wisdom from the Principals “A principal wants the students to get a well-rounded education using every possible means. This involves exposing the students to many experiences that open their eyes to the real world. Great field trips, collectively, allow students to use all their senses to take in the wonders.” Thanks to great principals!

4. More Wisdom from the Principals • opportunity for kids to represent Christ and their Christian school • great occasion for strengthening classroom community • might include service events for the kids • connection to classroom learning all year long • fun break from the regular routine • gives parents exposure to the class culture

5. (from the school handbook) Field trips: +are an important part of the curriculum, and field trip days are considered official school days … + should not exceed 5 per class per school year; one should be a servant event and one may be a social … + should not exceed an annual total cost of $35 per student …

6. Field trip drivers: +must have a (rear) seat belt for each child … +must submit driver’s license number and current valid insurance information to the school office … +must submit to a background check through the ICHAT system (Internet Criminal History Access Tool) …

7. Field trip vehicles: +must not stop at any location other than teacher approved destinations … + must not offer viewing of anything other G-rated material on screens … +must not carry any type of tobacco or alcohol while on school business …

8. Field Trip Master List A school field trip master list helps to ensure that many wonderful field trip experiences are provided for students as they grow through the years at your Lutheran School. Students will become experts about the great things in their area.

9. Preschool Favorites • Historic Trinity Lutheran Church (preschool puppets) • Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve • Deneweth’s Pumpkin Patch • Wolcott Farm • Cranbrook Planetarium (Big Bird’s Space Adventure) • Joe Dumars Fieldhouse (Soccer Day) • Westview Orchards • American Gymnastics Center • Shadbush Nature Center

10. Kindergarten *Fire Station: October Fire Prevention Awareness Month *Barnes & Noble: story time with children’s specialist; tour of the store; receiving room, etc. *Lutheran High School North: band demonstration

11. 1st Grade * Detroit Zoo * Blake’s Big Apple orchard * Humane Society * Barnum & Bailey Circus * Depot-to-depot train trip and picnic

12. 2nd Grade *Parade Company *Greenfield Village *Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum *Belle Isle Dossin Great Lakes Museum

13. 3rd Grade *Diamond Jack Riverboat Tours *Andrews 1-Room Schoolhouse *Seven Ponds Nature Center *Webber Wildlife Taxidermy Museum

14. 4th Grade *Wolcott Mill *Concordia AA *Michigan Science Center / Ann Arbor Hands-On *Macomb Symphony youth concert at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts

15. 5th Grade *Detroit Art Institute *Stony Creek Metropark: Winter Survival *Lansing State Capitol and Michigan Historical Museum *Macomb County Jail *Martha T. Berry Nursing Home

16. 6th Grade *Outdoor Education at YMCA Storer Camp *Nursing Home, Assisted Living, and Memory Loss Center *Stony Creek Metropark *Selfridge Air Base and Museum

17. 7th Grade *Greenfield Village *Ford Field Tour *Chicago downtown overnight trip *Eagle Village camp *Creation Museum overnight trip

18. 8th Grade *Washington D.C. class trip

19. On-Campus Field Trips *Thanks to our organist for organ lessons and a pipe chamber tour… *and to our facilities manager for a mechanical/electrical systems tour.

20. Before the Trip • Plan and teach meaningful related lessons. • If possible, visit the site before the field trip. • Request printed information for teachers. • Secure parental permission well in advance. • Prepare students for the experience. • Provide parents with vehicle group lists. • Provide drivers/chaperones with maps, site information, and itineraries.

21. Before the Trip • Explain behavioral expectations to students. • In written form on hard copy and/or email, explain behavioral expectations to parents. • Verify field trip with the venue the day before or the morning of your excursion. • Leaves copies of permission slips and a list of car groups with your school office staff.

22. On Field Trip Day • Provide drivers and chaperones with copies of permission slips for all students in their care. • Remind students and parents/chaperones of behavioral expectations en route, and on site. • Pray with the group for safety, for a great learning experience, and for their Christian witness while out and about in God’s wonderful world.

23. After the Trip • Discuss the experience with your students. • Plan and teach a lesson and/or activity to reinforce the learning of the field trip. • Write thank-you notes to your contact person, docent, or guide/instructor at the venue. • Write thank you notes to drivers/chaperones. • Write and draw about the trip. Share in pairs or with the class.

24. Free Field Trips !!! *Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and Library; Grand Rapids *Detroit Institute of Arts (bus transportation free as well) *Webber Wildlife Museum; Clinton Township *Detroit Historical Museum; Detroit *Matthaei Botanical Gardens; Ann Arbor (nominal parking fee

25. More Free Field Trips!!! * Teddy Bear and Factory Tour and Toy Museum, Chelsea * Jiffy Mix Factory Tour, Chelsea * Morley Candy Company, Clinton Township * Belle Isle Nature Zoo, Conservatory, Aquarium; Detroit free with State of MI Recreation Passport

26. Gifted and Talented • benefit of a gifted program in a Lutheran School: high level processors dreaming and thinking together with like-minded kids • theme units 4 to 6 weeks, each culminating in a final project or a field trip • unique field trip opportunities available only to small groups

27. Theme unit 1: Ancient Greece • Greek language lesson with the pastor • compare/contrast map of ancient Greece and modern-day Greece with recognition of Biblical cities and sites • “toga party” with Greek food sampling • dramatization of Greek myths • production of a ‘travelogue’ on the mainland and islands of Greece • *“New Testament” field trip to Historic Trinity Lutheran Church

28. Theme unit 2: Aviation • principles of flight modeling and diagramming • flight navigation with latitude and longitude coordinates • aviation phonetic alphabet • mock airline corporate organization with auction for purchase of structural materials • paper aircraft design and flight contest, judged by church/school Fed Ex pilots • *field trip to Selfridge Military Air Museum

29. Theme unit 3: Baseball • baseball card statistics • biographies of sports figures and discussion about ‘heroes’ and their qualities • baseball dissection and reproduction using alternate materials • umpire lesson and practice with former NCAA baseball ump • letters to MLB teams and requests for franchise information and complimentary memorabilia • *field trip to Comerica Park

30. Theme unit 4: Birds • bird species classification • birdhouses and feeders constructed from recyclables • birdseed volume and consumption charting over many days • owl pellet dissection and meal identification • migration patterns • *field trip to Stony Creek Metropark

31. Theme unit 5: Dogs • pet pros and cons debate: Dogs vs. Cats • vinegar “Sniff and Search” on the lawn • studies of Iditarod, WWII Army dogs, Hollywood dog training, American Kennel Club, Search & Rescue • Pavlov’s experiment of conditioned response using “puppy chow” made in class • veterinarian and dog visit at school • *field trip to animal hospital

32. Theme unit 6: Flowers and Fruits • garden architecture blueprints • fruit and flower botany study • flower research and species identification • apple varieties: testing, tasting, and ranking of crunchiness, color, fleshiness, juiciness, etc. • applesauce made in class from apples purchased during visit to fruit market • *field trip to Belle Isle Conservatory

33. Theme unit 7: Nutrition • weekly meal plan creation with all food group requirements • study of product ingredient labels • butter churning • continuum of fat in dairy productsand sugar in cereals • blind taste test, including identification of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter • *field trip to local grocery or market

34. Theme unit 8: Pioneers • cooperative work group study and simulation of the Oregon Trail journey • history and meaning of quilt patterns and quilting bees • trail maps and wagon train diaries • square dance lesson and “barn dance” • sampling of old farm tools and equipment • *field trip to one-room schoolhouse

35. Theme unit 9: Pizza • pizza parlor menu creation • Italian language lessons – live, CD instruction, and English/Italian dictionary • Neapolitan-style pizza baking and serving • wait staff practice for short-term memory and organization • restaurant management tutorial • *field trip to pizza parlor

36. Theme unit 10: Rainforest • charting compare/contrast average annual rainfall of various global habitats • sampling of rainforest foods • papier-mâché rainforest birds • letters to the president on the topic “Saving the Rainforest” • chewing gum manufacturing process from raw chicle to sweet chewy gum novelties • *field trip to Rain Forest Cafe

37. Theme unit: Architecture Field Trip: downtown walking architecture tour Theme unit: Drama Field Trip: matinee, catwalk and backstage tour Theme unit: Weather Field trip: television news/weather station

38. Theme unit: Electricity Field trip: Christian Radio station Theme unit: Garbage and Recycling Field trip: Landfill and compost garden Theme unit: Elections Field trip: County party headquarters

39. Trusty Trip Tips from Teachers “Watch the school calendar!” “If kids misbehave, let them worry about the consequence until the next day.” “Don’t assume kids and parents will know your expectations unless you tell them.” “Count heads!”

40. Life’s a field trip. Go with God!