Field Trip Notes: Teaching Nine Subjects on One Farm and Garden Site
The best field trips leave students with a physical memory of the lesson. Rockome Gardens built its education program around that idea, and its program list is a useful model even if you are planning a trip somewhere else.
Learning by doing
The education pages of the site opened with a Native American proverb: tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand. The programs that followed were built to match. They were offered to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, tailored to the age of the group, and run on weekdays with a mix of classroom time and hands-on work. Programs were designed to meet the Illinois State Standards and had been approved through the regional superintendent's office, which is the kind of detail teachers need when they write a permission slip.
A sample of the programs
History and culture
The introductory program on the Amish and Mennonites in Illinois takes about an hour and covers history and lifestyle. A companion talk on the French in Illinois, thirty minutes long, uses narratives, timelines and maps to introduce the fur traders who arrived in the 1600s. Both work well as a lead-in to a day of walking around.
The school-house program recreates a late nineteenth-century school day. Students practice lessons from McGuffey readers with dip pens and slates, follow the discipline rules of the time in a role-play, and take a recess with games of the period. Teachers receive a reading list ahead of time, and children are encouraged to wear clothing that looks like the era.
The longest program is a day on an 1845 farm designed for fifth graders. It runs about three hours and is built around chores, games and a simple introduction to how a family lived. It is especially valuable for children who have never spent time on a farm.
Nature and science
- Animals Everywhere uses the petting zoo to talk about diets, habitats and body coverings.
- Birds, Birds, Birds sends students outdoors with worksheets to identify local species and to discuss endangered ones.
- Incredible Insects combines shadow boxes, a nature hike and worksheets to show how much biodiversity is right under our feet.
- Sensing Nature asks students to listen, smell and touch instead of only looking.
- Take a Hike follows the nature trail and looks at bark, leaves and the ways trees affect the environment.
Crafts with a purpose
Broom Making Basics starts with a surprising history lesson: household brooms were made from broomcorn, a plant closely tied to central Illinois, and students learn how a broom is made from start to finish. A separate program on natural dyes lets children experiment with plant colors. Both cost a few dollars per student for materials.
Practical advice for teachers
- Reserve at least two weeks in advance. Programs were booked by reservation only.
- Tell the staff about any student who needs extra support so that the day can be adjusted for everyone.
- Ask about meals early. The on-site restaurant offered kid-friendly choices, and pre-payment or a deposit was required for some programs and for lunch.
- Check the cancellation window. Refunds for pre-paid programs required notice 72 hours before the visit.
- Send families a short packing list: closed-toe shoes, hats, water bottles and a jacket in spring and fall.
Why a mixed site works
A single location that combines history, animals, crafts and gardens gives teachers room to pick a theme and go deep, or to mix two or three subjects into one visit. Students who spend the morning at a slate and dip pen in the school house and the afternoon feeding animals at the petting zoo often connect the two in unexpected ways. They talk about who did the chores in 1845 and what they ate, then compare it with their own week.
Whatever site you choose, the principle is the same. Give students something to touch, something to make and something to ask about, and the lesson stays with them long after the bus ride home.
Turning a trip into a unit
The strongest trips are not one-day events; they are the middle of a unit. Before the visit, ask students to write three questions they hope to answer. After the visit, ask them to compare their questions with what they learned and to write a short piece from the point of view of a person who lived in the period they saw. A student who has swung a dip pen for an hour will write about it in a completely different voice.
Teachers of younger children can use the animal and insect programs as a starting point for a class chart, listing what each animal eats and how it is covered. Teachers of older students may prefer the history programs, then ask for a short research task on the Amish, the French fur trade or the history of broomcorn in Illinois.
Groups outside school
The same programs suit scout troops working toward badges and homeschool cooperatives. Leaders should call ahead, describe the requirements for the badge and ask which activities match. Staff are usually happy to add or shorten a segment to fit the group.