Field Trips

Take your students on a field trip!

Most of us have fond memories of field trips as children, but we might not realize how important they can be for our adult learners, as well! Remember: even the most "normal" places can be great learning opportunities for students. Think about all of the things that you take for granted in the store, and remember that your students are learning them all! Consider the resources you have in your church - do you have people who work in these locations who can arrange the tour?

Under each location are some suggested lesson topics.

Grocery store:

• Small talk (with cashier), how to order food (from meat and deli counters), food words, practical skills (expectations of using a cart; payment types; paper, plastic, and reusable bags)

• Consider other stores with unique types of items, such as hardware stores, clothing stores, and technology stores.

Fitness center:

• Fitness equipment types; expectations for using the center (e.g., cleaning off equipment when you're done; how children should behave and where they can play while parents work out)

Local historical sites:

• Teach your students what their children are learning on field trips to the same locations, and help them understand the history of where you live.

Hospital:

• Tour some parts of the hospital; talk about procedures for going to the emergency department, visiting someone, or volunteering

Cultural events:

• What are typical cultural events for each season? (It can be hard to think about these things in your own city when you've always lived there. Look at a tourism site like this one for Roanoke, VA to see what visitors might look for.)

  • Spring festivals, end-of-school events

  • Summer fairs, swimming, hiking

  • Fall festivals, hayrides, apple and pumpkin picking

  • Winter sledding, ice skating, Christmas caroling, Christmas tree lightings. Check out this site from Arrive Ministries in Minnesota for some other winter activity ideas.