It is helpful for children to take notes while on a field trip. Carrying a large book can be cumbersome. Instead, it is helpful to make a small booklet that can be carried in a pocket. Create such a field trip booklet for the excursion to Hartman Reserve.

Do the following:

1. Fold five (5) 8 1/2 by 11 inch sheets of paper into four parts.

2. Attach a short pencil to it with a string.

Here are ideas to include in the book.

Cover

My Trip Book

Name:

Table of Contents

My Own Maps or Map Words

Map of Place We Will Visit

Rules for the Trip

Names of People to Remember

My Questions

Answers

Facts I Learned

A Web or Cognitive Map

Sounds

Smells

Sights

Pictures

Touch

Taste

Time Words

Time Lines

A Trip Diary

My Feelings or Opinions - Learn about a simile or metaphor

Description

Story

Essay or Editorial

News Item

Letter

Report

How To ...

A Riddle

Limerick

Poetry

Cinquain

Many language arts skills are used in social studies. Children write best when they know their subject. A hands-on experience such as a field trip to Hartman Reserve will provide abundant material for learning about functional and creative writing. An alert teacher will help children learn labels for different types of writing and actually create examples. The creation of a field trip book provides such opportunities.

Relate the cover to the theme of the trip. Writing the student's name on the book helps children keep track of their materials.

Learning how to make or use a table of contents helps students learn important organizational skills.

This type of page alerts children to what they are about to learn in a practical way. A map of Hartman Reserve is on the web. Maps of the route to be taken could be provided by the teacher. Some of the words previously listed could be written on such a page. Definitions could be written as students begin to understand them.

See the map on the web site for Hartman Reserve

Together with the children rules can be made for the following:

1. Riding in vehicles

2. Being on time

3. Respect for people

4. Respect for property

5. Working with others

6. Places to go or not to go

7. Things to touch or eat or not to touch or eat

Make some potential rules for these categories for an age you would like to teach.

(A page for this information is helpful because children need to write thank you notes upon return from the trip. Correct spelling and information will be helpful.)

Name Address Telephone

Children can make a list of questions they would like to have answered. Knowing what we want to learn helps us learn. Make a list of questions you would like to have answered.

Experiences on the trip, brochures, as well as special guides might be sources of answers. (Write answers to questions on the "answer" page.)

As information is learned it can be written on this page. Items can also be written here after the trip.

(Disciplines of social studies and related areas surrounding the center word - History, geography, economics, political science, anthropology, archaeology, art, music)

Children live in a sound rich environment. They need the help of a perceptive teacher to separate, identify, and relate sounds to their sources.

Sounds of birds, mammals, amphibians, people, machinery or swishing of wind or water can be heard and described or recorded on a tape recorder. Experienced naturalists often identify the presence of a bird, mammal, or amphibian by its sound long before they see it.

Students can learn about writing which includes the following:

Alliteration - Repetition of initial sound

Onomatopoeia - Sound effect words - words that sound like what they mean (Buzz, hummmm, swish) Perhaps you will hear the "swish" of the wings of turkey vultures flying through the branches of the tree tops.

Children can be made aware of smells of the earth, wet or dry leaves, or fragrant flowers. Sometimes these will be missed if a teacher does not work to create awareness.

Awareness of what might be seen is important. Talk about what could be seen, look at pictures, listen to sounds, and remember what has been seen on similar excursions. Help children "see" the geographic formations related to the geographic terms. Help them "see" parts of plants, trails and tracks of animals, changes related to seasons, or clues to events which have occurred in the environment. Help them be "environmental detectives" on the trip.

Very young children may draw what they see or feel. Older children may want to make detailed sketches of particular items they want to remember.

Guidance can be given concerning what not to touch. It will also be possible to feel various types of surfaces and use words such as rough, smooth, slippery, soft, hard, dry, wet, etc. Descriptive words help us express feelings and communicate specific ideas about experiences. While on the trip make a list of words describing what you touched.

Sometimes field trips to Hartman Reserve involve the making of maple syrup or apple sauce. In such cases the sense of taste will be involved. Otherwise it will be important to caution children not to taste unknown plants they may see along the way unless a guide specifically instructs them to do so.

Time words related to seasonal changes or history of Hartman Reserve may be encountered.

Order of events on the trip

Rate of growth or change in plants or animals seen

History of Hartman Reserve

Geographic changes from glacial times to the present

Students may make a record of their experiences on the trip

Sentences or paragraphs which describe feelings such as the following might be written:

Anticipation

Appreciation

Apprehension

Excitement

Happiness

Joy

Sadness

Students can learn the meaning of "simile" and "metaphor" and write their feelings in either form.

Similes

The moss was as soft as a pillow.

Her voice was like silver.

Metaphors

The deer was lightning.

The cloud was a pillow.

Much writing we encounter describes characteristics and helps us identify or relate to an item or event. Children can practice describing experiences in a way which will help others clearly understand an event or idea.

This can be real or fictitious. See the section on "storytelling" in the text to help you know what kinds of stories children might want to relate and which form they may want to use. Help them understand words such as introduction, sequence, or plot.

Examine essays or editorials in newspapers. Note how writers use information and ideas to express a particular viewpoint.

Help students learn how to include the five W's in the writing of a news article.

Provide samples of the parts of a letter they may write as a note of thanks to the guide.

Use an outline form to help children identify main and supporting ideas so that they can write or orally share a report of experiences.

Illustrations and step-by-step directions can be created to help someone repeat an experience.

These may start with phrases such as the following:

How many ...

If ... then ...

Why ...

The following form may be used:

There once was a ...

Who ...

When ...

That ...

(Couplet - A pair of verses that rhyme)

(Triplet - Three verses that often rhyme)

(Concrete poetry - Words arranged in picture form)

A type of poetry which follows this form:

Title - One Word

Words describing the title - Two words

Words expressing an action - Three words

Words expressing a feeling - Four words

Synonym for the Title - One Word