Field trips, a rite of passage for most elementary students, often focus on nature or other aspects of science. They can be valuable opportunities for children to experience science in a way that is impossible inside the four walls of a classroom.
For many years, students enrolled in Ed 354 and 364, the Teaching Science methods courses for Early Childhood and Elementary Education majors, respectively, have participated in local science field trips. In these outings, they not only experience the hands-on learning from a student’s perspective, but must also consider the role a teacher would play in organizing and capitalizing on these learning opportunities. In years past, Paris Mountain State Park was a regular destination.
Both semesters this year, our candidates had the opportunity to visit Roper Mountain Science Center (RMSC), a facility owned and operated by the Greenville County School District. After an opening presentation by Assistant Director Thomas Riddle, they split into smaller groups to watch presentations by RMSC educators for local classes visiting. Our students also had the opportunity to tour other spaces at the facility to see the animal exhibits.
In the spring semester, several students went on a six-mile hike at the Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve near Landrum, SC, with class instructor Brad Batdorf and his wife, Cheryl. Abundant butterflies and late spring wildflowers were highlights enjoyed in this 2200-acre wildlife sanctuary filled with diverse habitats.
In all of these experiences, our candidates discover how the same experiential learning they enjoy, both on and off campus, can promote the learning of their own students.
