Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!
Between our two third grade classes we had 51
students and 17 chaperones including two classroom teachers and two literacy
interns. Our student to adult ratio was
3 to 1 which afforded us the luxury of being able to learn from the students as
well as enjoy being in the museum with them.
Having a set itinerary in every adult’s hand was
essential (with a map attached). That
way, everyone knew where to be, when to be there and how long to stay. Even the restroom breaks and gift shopping
were included in the schedule!
The Franklin Institute sent us a confirmation letter with our arrival, lunch and departure times.
We needed
a schedule of free shows that were taking place during our visit. The museum
made our visit effortless as did our chaperones.
We thought
that this was the most successful field trip we had ever taken with
students. The parents were happy because
their children had a purpose for being in the museum. They did not have to chase anyone around. The students were happy because it was
meaningful work for them and they were learning and having fun without even
knowing it. We as teachers were ecstatic
because everyone came to the museum with a purpose for learning and left with
some valuable information. They learned
how athletes really ARE scientists.