My science methods class for our Elementary Education degree visited our local Challenger Center and completed the hands-on learning simulation that my 5th grade daughter will go do on a field trip in a couple of weeks, and it was a lot of fun! I think that having your students do field trips like this one helps to make them way more interested in the subject, as well as bringing it to a completely different level of understanding. My daughter's class has been learning and working all year in a binder on related materials that will help them to grasp the concepts even further (while building excitement). They also had to complete their top three " job application" writing assignments, which I think was a really cool way to incorporate a persuasive writing piece while allowing them to voice their interest in the positions that the teacher will ultimately select when placing them in teams. I highly recommend taking your class to one of these centers. I also take my Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and my children attend summer camps there, as well. Find your local Challenger center: http://www.challenger.org/
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Thank you for your suggestion and for posting the link. I can not wait to look into it. I agree, field trips are a way of making students become more interested in the subject.
The job application piece is brilliant! Students need to see the importance of written communication in science.
I agree! I also think it will make the "job" (Space weather consultant, doctor, etc.) feel even more real to them after going through this process.
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