Field Trip Project EDU 392 Spring 2012

1. Field Trip Project EDU 392Spring 2012 Andrea Simone Kaitlen Mayszak

2. Cost Calculations School Bus • Cost per hour $36.48 • 4 hours x $36.48= $145.92 • X 2 buses =$291.84 • Cost per mile .96 (26.14miles x.96) = $25.09 • Round to $26per bus • X 2 buses= $52 • Cost there and back= $52.00 • X2 buses = $104.00 • Total Cost for bus service • $291.84 + $104 = $395.84

3. Cost Calculations Morton Arboretum • Total number of students = 56 • One guided 1.5 hour program =$ 7.00 per student • 56 students x $7.00 = $392.00 • Chaperones = 2 free per 15 students • Registration Fee • $15.00 • Total Cost • $392.00 + $15.00 = $407.00

4. Cost Calculations • Total Calculations of Field Trip • Bus cost = $395.84 • Morton Arboretum cost $407.00 • Total = $395.84 + $407.00 = $802.84 • Cost per student • $802.84/56students = $14.34 • Round cost per student to $15.00 • Total money used for field trip • $840.00 (extra $37.16) • Extra money would be used for students who forgot a lunch and for students who could not afford to go on the trip.

5. March 30, 2012 Dear Dr. Groves, As you know in third grade we have been studying ecosystems. The students have recently learned what an ecosystem is. They have also explored the importance of food webs, with emphasis on producers, consumers, and decomposers. Soon students will be learning about the different types of ecosystems. The third grade team would like permission to take the entire third grade class to The Morton Arboretum located in Lisle, Illinois. The purpose for this trip is to expose students to the different ecosystems through active engagement. Students will benefit from this field trip because they will get to partake in many hands on activities that will deepen their understanding of ecosystems, food webs, and characteristics of living things. Prior to leaving for the field trip students will conduct a food web as well as learn the necessary vocabulary words. Upon arrival to The Morton Arboretum, students will be grouped into their Eco Explores groups. Once in their groups students will begin the Eco Explorers program. The program duration is approximately an hour and a half. During the program students will hunt for producers, consumers and decomposers in three different ecosystems: woodland, aquatic and meadow. Through hands-on activities, students will compare the unique characteristics of living things in each ecosystem. After the field trip, students will compare and contrast about the three ecosystems they learned about. We would like to take the entire third class to Morton Arboretum on May 9, 2012. The cost per student for the trip would be $15.00. Thank you for taking time out to review our proposal and for your consideration. We look forward to hearing back from you. Sincerely, The Third Grade Team Andrea Simone Kaitlen Mayszak

6. 3rd Grade Morton Arboretum Field Trip Itinerary​ • Wednesday, May 9th 2012 • 8:15 AM School begins • 8:15-8:30 AM Bell work • 8:30-9:00 AM Religion prayer and intentions​ • 9:00-10:00 AM Pre-field trip lesson • Vocabulary • Food web activity • 10:00-10:20 AM Line up for field trip. Rules and expectations announced. • 10:20-10:30 AM Board bus and head count • 10:35 AM Depart from St. Raymond’s • 11:15 AM Arrive at Morton Arboretum • 11:15-11:40 AM Picnic lunch in the Children’s Garden @ Morton Arboretum. • 11:40 AM Pack up/clean up lunch • 11:45 AM- 1:15 PM Guided Program Eco Explorers • 1:15-1:30 PM Board bus and take head count • 1:30 PM Depart Morton Arboretum • 2:10 PM Arrive back at St. Raymond’s • 2:15-2:50 PM Follow-up activity • Compare and contrast activity on different ecosystems observed at Morton Arboretum: woodland, aquatic, and meadow. • 2:50–3:05 PM Dismissal routine • 3:05 PM End of school day

7. Field Trip Grouping(2) 3rd grade classrooms at St. Raymond’s w/ 28 students each = 56 students total2 Teachers4 Parent chaperones (2 per classroom) Services Provided Picnic lunch space in the Children’s Garden Eco Explorers 1.5 hours
Plants and trees are an important part of the food web in all ecosystems.  In this popular and engaging program, students hunt for producers, consumers and decomposers in three different ecosystems: woodland, aquatic and meadow. Through hands-on activities, students compare the unique characteristics of living things in each ecosystem. 

8. Miss Mayszak’s Class

9. Miss Simone’s Class

10. Parent Communication

12. Reminder Dear Parents, This is a reminder that the third graders will be taking a field trip to Morton Arboretum on May 9, 2012. Please do not forget to send your child with a sack lunch. We also ask that the students come dressed appropriately. We will be outside for the duration of the field trip. We ask that the students wear gym shoes and comfortable clothes. We will be going on the trip rain or shine. If weather circumstances are too severe we will not go. You will be notified of any cancelations. Thank you for allowing your child to share this wonderful opportunity with us. We are looking forward to the field trip! Sincerely, The Third Grade Team Andrea Simone Kaitlen Mayszak

13. Pre-Trip Activities • Introduce Vocabulary • Worksheets Provided by Morton Arboretum • *Students will need to know key vocabulary terms • for the lesson Morton Arboretum will give to students. • 2. Create Human Food Food Webs • *Each student will represent a different part of a food chain and use long pieces of yarn to connect to other consumers and predators in the web. • 3. Food Chain Blocks Demonstration/Activity • * Teacher will build a food chain represented in a pyramid using blocks. Teacher will demonstrate how food chains fall apart when one of the rows is taken out.

14. The Morton Arboretum Pre-Trip Activity for “Eco Explorers” Vocabulary List To maximize the effectiveness of your “Eco Explorers” program at The Morton Arboretum, please familiarize your students with the following vocabulary words. This will be most effective just before the program. Adaptation – the slow process of change in the physical or behavioral traits of a plant or animal due to some environmental pressure Consumer – an animal or plant that eats other living things to survive Decomposer – an animal or plant that digests and breaks down dead material, converting it to a nutrient for other plants or animals Decomposition – the process where dead material is broken down into simple elements that can be returned to the soil and atmosphere Ecosystem – a community of living (biotic) organisms and non-living (abiotic) environmental factors working together as a unit Food Web – all of the interactions between predators and prey, in which plants and animals obtain food, within a community or ecosystem Producer – a plant that produces its own food, some of which will be passed through the food web when the plant is eaten or decomposes

16. Follow Up Activity Following the fieldtrip students will return back to class and complete a follow up activity. Students will make a venn diagram that compares and contrasts the different ecosystems they learned about while on the trip. Each student will work independently on this activity. We feel having them do it independently is the best way to assess each child’s understanding of what they learned. Students will then discuss their venn diagrams with their groups. Students will discuss what they put on their venn diagram and why they think that. The groups will be the same groups that they were placed in for the trip. While the students are discussing with their groups the teachers will walk around and observe.

17. Illinois State Learning Standards State Goal 1: Read and understanding and fluency. A. Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections. 1.A.1b Comprehend unfamiliar words using context clues and prior knowledge, verify meaning with resource materials.

18. Illinois State Learning Standards State Goal 10: Collect, organize, and analyze data using statistical methods; predict results; interpret uncertainty using concepts of probability. B. Formulate questions, design data collection methods, gather and analyze data and communicate findings. 10. B.2b Collect, organize and display data using tables, charts, bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, line plots and steam and leaf graphs.

19.  Illinois State Learning Standards State Goal 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions conduct experiments and solve problems. A. Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry. 11.A.11 Compare observations of individual and group results.

20. Illinois State Learning Standards State Goal 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences. B. Know and apply the concepts that describe how living thing interact with each other and their environment. 12. B. 1a Describe and compare the characteristics of living things in their environments. 12.B. 1b Describe how living things depend on one another for survival. 12.B. 2a Describe relationships among various organisms in their environments (e.g. predator/pray, parasites/ hosts, food chains and food webs.

21. Andrea’s Reflection Overall I really liked this project. I never realized how much work goes into planning for a field trip. The part I found most difficult was all the calculations. There are a lot of costs that go into it that you have to be very careful about. I really enjoyed coming to the realization that there is a meaning behind fieldtrips. Growing up I never saw the academic side of them. I think it is important for teacher to explain to their students why they are going on the trip. The students need to understand that while the trips are fun, they are also a learning experience. I would consider taking my students to Morton Arboretum in the future. I find that it has a great deal to offer for every grade level. There are programs already designed for each different grade level. The younger students do more exploring and understanding of basic concepts, while the older students do more research and analysis. This project has showed me how much work goes into planning a field trip. I am happy that we were able to do this because I think it will be beneficial in the long run.

22. Kait’s Reflection I thought this project was a fun opportunity to see what it is like to plan a field trip for students. This project proved that planning a field trip involves a great deal of careful and thoughtful planning. Teacher must calculate a budget, schedule out the entire day, win the principle’s approval for the trip, and then organize the student’s groups and their permission slips and payments. I believe it is very important that a teacher stays organized through this entire process. The most important task of teacher, in my opinion, is the connection the teacher makes between the field trip and what is being taught in the classroom. The field trip should be planned to enrich the lesson or unit being taught in the classroom. The field trip should be in place to teach students something that they will be expanding on during a lesson, or to reinforce what has already been taught to the student and give them an experience that can further their understanding of the topic. How a field trip ties into the curriculum is something that I have never took the time to think about until completing this project. If a class is covering a topic in environmental science, I believe Morton Arboretum is a great nature center to use to reinforce your lesson. The students will learn from knowledgeable and experienced guides and provide the student with hands-on discovery learning activities. Morton Arboretum offers many field trip possibilities. They have programs to teach preschoolers to high school students. The also have the option of not having a guide during the visit. Teachers can then teach their own lesson at the arboretum. For the cold winter months, teachers can n arrange for a guide from Morton Arboretum to come to the school and teach in their own classroom. I enjoy learning about nature, so this is a field trip that I would love to take my future class on one day!