4 Strategies to Maximize the Field Trip Experience

“All students love field trips in the same way; each teacher who dislikes them dislikes them for their own reasons.” This quote, adapted from the first line of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, sums up the feelings of many when it comes to field trips.

Field trips are a time-honored part of most people’s K–12 experience, and chances are you have positive memories of field trips from your days as a student. It’s a fair bet that those happy memories were from the opportunity for enrichment, getting a deeper understanding of content, or being able to access an otherwise inaccessible resource by leaving the confines of the classroom. You most likely remember them fondly because they were fun, almost like they were a treat and an opportunity to not have to do work. At least that’s what I remember about many of the ones that I went on—and I’m assuming that many students feel the same way even today.

The Pros and Cons of Field Trips for Teachers

As for the variety of reasons why many teachers may harbor negative feelings, some would say that when compared with other parts of the curriculum, field trips don’t have the same amount of impact or rigor as other academic experiences. Another reason may be the large amount of time and effort that it takes to plan and execute field trips, to say nothing of the expense. There’s also the anxiety caused by the potential for poor student behavior or the fact that field trips can often be seen as distractions from learning rather than extensions of learning.

While many of these things can be true, they aren’t always the case. There are plenty of educators out there who regard field trips as a serious part of the classroom curriculum rather than just a reward or treat. Field trips can be opportunities to have experiences that are impossible inside of the classroom, an opportunity for enrichment that opens doors to future inquiry or even possible career paths. Field trips can provide resources that students might not otherwise have access to if they only stay within the four walls of their classroom.

Having had the opportunity to work with teachers who have strong views both for and against field trips, I’ve noticed that there’s one big difference between these two mindsets: the approach to structure. Think about what you want everyone to get out of the experience, and make plans that go  beyond a simple packet or worksheet. This seems to correlate to much more enjoyment for students and teachers. 

If you’re looking to turn the traditional “see everything, learn nothing” experience on its head in a way that leads to better learning and deeper student engagement, here are some strategies for improving field trips that you can try.

1. Give them a quest or a role

The way that a task is designed or framed can make the difference between students’ interest or apathy. Turn your students into “curators” where they explore parts of the museum. They can look for information, objects, or exhibits that correspond to a guiding question you’ve written that is focused on the current unit of study.

For example, you might take your elementary learners to a science museum looking for evidence to answer this question: “Why don’t all plants and animals look the same, even when they live in the same environment?”

2. Utilize a workshop model in the museum

In my previous article on field trips, I discussed how gradual release can lead to independence and an easier management task for you as the teacher—provided you use the right approach. The more you can use structures that are familiar to students, the better. If you already implement the workshop model, use it to structure your field trip. You can begin with a mini-lesson outlining the focus of the day. Highlight an important section of the museum and go over expectations for conduct.

When you move into student work time, you can utilize the gradual release approach and then find a location where you can post up and meet with groups. For the reconnect phase, require groups to come and check in with you to confirm that they’re getting work done and so that you can provide guidance before allowing them to return to their independent exploration. Then, maybe on the bus ride home, you can assess their learning so that you can move right into whatever comes next.

3. Integrate digital tools to support management

Moving beyond paper-and-pencil tasks can bring potential distractions, but there are also benefits to both management and learning. Students with iPads or other digital devices with cameras can document their trip by taking photos for later analysis or recording video responses to larger questions.

If your students have access to social media, create a special hashtag for your trip or use an existing account and have them post their answers, reactions, or discoveries in real time. Even if not all your students have their own accounts, they could be paired with those who do, so that they can participate in a collaborative back channel during the trip and allows you to monitor if students are staying on task.

4. Use inquiry mapping to create an itinerary

Teachers often mention that it’s a challenge to ensure, as students and groups work semi-independently, that enough time is spent at locations with information that is key to the learning goals of the field trip.

For example, if you head to a historic site wanting your learners to better understand the daily life of a Civil War soldier—but they spend all their time at the display of cannon and arms (because swords are cool)—there’s no way to re-create that missed opportunity. A possible solution is to break down your larger essential question into smaller ones. Then, get a museum map and write them directly on the galleries/exhibits that answer them. That way, learners know where they should visit, and they can also use the smaller questions as scaffolds for the large one.