The Importance of Field Trips

I just got back from chaperoning a ski trip to Lake Placid, NY. On the bus ride, we watched the movie Miracle, about the 1980 gold medal US Olympic hockey team, and then the students got to see the Herb Brooks Arena, where the games took place. The combination of the historical lesson from the movie and the hands-on experience of the actual location made for a great experience that could not have been replicated in the classroom alone. While the purpose of the trip was to ski at one of the premiere resorts in the East, and not to teach history, it was certainly an added bonus, and it got me thinking about the importance of field trips.

I will be running trips to Vermont and Maine this winter for the school, as well as helping chaperone a trip to see a production of A Tale of Two Cities for the students who read the novel in their English classes this year. Within the constraints of today's school budgets, and with the overemphasis on test scores making class time appear to be at a premium, it can be very difficult to convince school administrators to approve student travel, educational or experiential. Fortunately for us, our district has leadership that seems to appreciate the importance of the field trip. But for those who don't find themselves so lucky, here are a few reasons why teachers should fight to keep field trips.


Developing a better sense of the world around us
Traveling to a different city or country helps students realize that people have different customs, traditions, and ways of doing things. Being told this doesn't leave as long-lasting an impression as experiencing it first hand. Ordering food at a restaurant that serves different foods than a student is accustomed to, speaking a different language, or experiencing a different climate, all teach about life in different environments. Enabling students to interact first-hand with people from diverse backgrounds and locations not only makes them more worldly and understanding of our differences, it helps show them our similarities as well, creating a sense of empathy and compassion.

Building social skills
Students have to develop social skills to interact with their peers and others. Field trips that allow children the opportunity to talk to adults and children from other schools enrich their ability to effectively communicate with others.

Learning hands-on
Students can learn from textbooks and other resources, but actual experiences help them get hands-on learning. Rather than just reading online about the behaviors of fish, students can visit a fish hatchery and see their life cycle first-hand. They would also be able to talk to an actual worker in the field and learn facts not covered in books.

Creating new opportunities
Many students do not get the opportunity to travel to field trip destinations such as major ski resorts or theaters. Perhaps their economic background doesn't allow this, but a group rate for a school trip might, or perhaps it is not a major interest of their family members, so a school field trip is the first time they are introduced to a new opportunity or idea. Field trips give students the chance to go places they would not otherwise be able to attend.

Enhancing the Curriculum
Field trips provide an opportunity to make cross-curricular connections and show students that learning does not have to be an isolated experience.

Making learning more fun
Learning does not have to be a difficult and grueling task. Think about how easy it is to remember your favorite song lyrics, difficult dance steps, or anything you learned because it was fun or important to you. Engagement and a little fun improves our retention abilities. Sometimes a field trip can be a fun diversion from the everyday classroom activities that can leave a lasting impression.

This blog post from eHow helped influence today's post. Click to read more!