Animal and plant species identification is often emphasized as a basic prerequisite for an understanding of ecology and training identification skills seems a worthwhile task in biology education. Such identification tasks could be embedded into hands-on, group-based and self-determined learning: a) Teaching and learning should make use of a small…

In Minnesota, supplemental K-12 programs like Environmental Field Days require significant investment and educate over 10,000 4th-6th graders about issues related to our natural resources, environment, and conservation. The key to success is collaboration between outside organizations like state and federal agencies, and nonprofits along with the…

The use of interactive virtual expeditions in classroom learning environments is an effective means to engage learners in understanding science as an inquiry process, infusing current research and relevant science into the classroom, and positively affecting learner attitudes towards science as a process and a career. A comparative analysis of the…

Museums and cultural institutions have long provided a crucial resource for students and teachers in science classes. Many of those institutions consider working with schools to be a core part of their missions. This article describes Urban Advantage, one of the largest and most coordinated programs in the country which goes further than many…

This article briefly discusses a seminar that will focus on the fifth annual Folk Art Festival at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, with additional emphasis on Georgia O'Keeffe's life and art in New Mexico, and Hispanic and Native American cultural traditions. Activities include museum visits, field trips, invited speakers,…

TheatreWorks is the third largest theatre in the San Francisco bay area. Through the usual educational programs that $6 million companies tend to offer, it has reached over 100,000 students of all ages in the past 8 years. The TheatreWorks Bridges Projects, however, are special. They are intricate and expansive, work with multiple community…

In this article, the author describes the experiences middle school students on a field trip to the new Constitution in Action Learning Lab in the Boeing Learning Center at the National Archives can expect. There, middle school students take on the roles of archivists and researchers collecting and analyzing primary sources from the holdings of…

Across the country, environmental education schools and the growing movement to get children outdoors are challenging the current "indoor generation" of kids. Martin LeBlanc, Sierra Club national youth education director, says the interest has never been greater. People have never been more aware of the fact that children are not getting…

The convenient format, delivery, and accessibility of information offered by podcasting has made it a hot new trend. One of its limitations in educational applications, however, is its implementation primarily as a push technology--one that simply feeds users information. Podcasts tend to focus listeners inward and rarely encourage human…

Excursions are extremely important to the education of students in the geography curriculum. However, personal observations demonstrated a lack of readiness to conduct excursions in secondary schools. This apprehension of the teachers in this school to implement excursions in geography education was the basis for this study. The study addresses…

Field trip activities designed for use on Maine's coast are provided, with brief definitions of the major physical zones to be found in this area. An introduction to the study of zonation of plants and animals living on the rocky shore is presented along with a list of the materials needed and the procedures to be followed when making a study of…

In university level geography education, both a market and a need exist for "learning trips" combining the elements of a field trip with those of a commercial tour. Planning such trips involves four steps. The first of these is to establish the conditions of the tour, including identification of the topical focus, specific destinations and sites…

Speleology - the study of caves - was the focus of this article in which students visited caves and learned the necessary skills needed for their excursion. (Author/RK)

Presents some practical advice for faculty on how to get the most out of traveling with their families in foreign countries. Article covers: planning ahead, paying, whether to take children, and where to go. (PG)