Field trips are an important element in learning. They provide a shared social experience that allows the opportunity for students to encounter and explore novel things in an authentic and engaging setting. Their importance is supported by professional organizations such as the National Science Teachers Association which asserts field trips can “deepen and enhance” classroom study (NSTA 1999) and the National Research Council who assert a quality science curriculum is one that extends beyond the walls of the classroom (1996).
Below is information about the core field trips we embark on during your child's fifth grade year. All field trips are tentative and may change due to curriculum and/or scheduling needs. Take a moment to read about these exciting and educational experiences.
The mission of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is to create extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. The museum houses over 130,000 artifacts and specimens of all shapes and sizes! Used to create extraordinary visitor experiences, the items come from all corners of the Earth. During our trip to the museum, we will see a show in the Planetarium and view the Beyond Spaceship Earth exhibit.
This magnificent building has three main floors. On the upper level is the breathtaking Shrine Room. The Shrine Room, symbolizing peace and unity is made of materials from all over the world, symbolic of the world wide nature of the "Great War." The main floor houses exhibit space, the administrative offices, two meeting rooms, and the Pershing Auditorium. Listed on this level are the names of all Hoosiers who participated in WW I and all Hoosiers killed or missing in action from WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. The building also contains a military museum that portrays the history of Indiana's gallant veterans from the Battle of Tippecanoe, through the several wars in which we have been engaged, to the present.
The IRT will be presenting The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, a play based on the book by Christopher Paul Curtis and adapted by Cheryl L. West. When the Watsons load their young children into the car for the long drive from Michigan to visit family in the Deep South, they take their Green Book to help plan for the prejudice encountered by black people traveling in Jim Crow America. What they don’t expect is to find themselves caught up in an act of violence that will go down in Civil Rights history. Strength and love help them face their struggles and find a path forward in this powerful drama for the whole family. This is a part of IRT's INclusion Series: Celebrating Diverse Storytelling.
Doubling as an outdoor classroom, Kings Island brings learning to life! Students have the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the basics of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a fun and interactive setting. Students then use the knowledge gained from this field trip to design, develop, and build a roller coaster of their own in the classroom.