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I found this field trip idea from a mom who homeschool's her children and like to take them out and about to explore and learn. She was giving this as an idea for other homeschool moms, but I think that it would be awesome to do even with classroom students. The students would learn all about how science is everywhere! Especially relating to trees and how some of my kids may not realize that we get syrup from them! It may or may not just blow their minds! We would study up on it in the classroom but then we would take a field trip to go see how the sap is collected from the tree and turned into syrup. I would use this in a third, fourth, or fifth grade classroom. I would love to take a field trip to expose my students to the visuals and hands on experience. I just think this is something that is outside of the box and not a typical science lesson or trip. I think it could really help encourage some of my students who aren't fans of science. It will just be a way to spark their interest and help them have fun with science.

This is the St. Louis Zoo's website. It contains all the events it holds along with information about some of the animals. I chose this website as a source for a field trip. It is a good place to take students to because it is fun, but they are also learning about animals. I would take my students to the zoo after the lesson on food chains. They would have knowledge about what animals eat in terms of other animals. I would have them create their own food chains on the animals they saw at the zoo.

This is a resource for a field trip to the St. Louis Zoo. I selected this resource because it fit right in to my standard, 2-LS4-1 because the students will be able to make observations about the plants and animals that they see at the zoo as well as make observations about the types of habitats that the animals are in. I would use this resource to take my students on a field trip to the zoo to show them all of the different types of animals and most of the different types of plants.

This is the type of lesson I would do with my students before we take a field trip to the zoo. I would have them describe different animals. Do they have two or four feet, do they fly, and do they prefer cold or warm weather. I would have my students have group discussions and write down our thoughts. After our field trip, we would come back to the thoughts we wrote down and compare them to what we thought. We can then go deeper into the study and find if certain animals are carnivores or herbivores and where animals such as a zebra or giraffe might be found.

This is a link to the field trip page on James S. McDonnell Planetarium's website. The planetarium is connected to the Science Center in St. Louis.  They offer planetarium shows followed by a Q&A that would be great for a 4th or 5th grade class to experience.

St. Louis Science Center's reconstruction of a dig site in the Badlands, of Montana. The fossils at the "dig site" are casts made from the real fossils that can be seen on display in the Prep lab. The Prep Lab features interactive tables where real dinosaur fossils are displayed. Students are also encouraged to ask the workers and volunteers questions. There are also many other interactive exhibits at the St. Louis Science Center that deal with fossils and how they are made, and beginning March 7, there will be a special traveling dinosaur exhibit to visit. I can't think of a better place to take a field trip when teaching about biological evolution (3-LS4) than the Science Center. A large majority of their interactive displays fit right in with what the students are learning, and having the hands-on experience will only enhance the students learning and make it more meaningful. I would take the field trip somewhere in the middle of teaching the material, that way I could reference what the students have already learned in class when we're on the field trip but they would find that there is still more to learn.

The St. Louis Science Center is a great place for children of all places to explore. It has free general admission with lots of science to explore. There are also on-site science demonstrations that cost anywhere from $40 per participant to $50-250 per 100 person group. This is a great field trip that can be free for all students or one that can become more exciting with demonstrations for a fee. In my classroom I would utilize the St. Louis Science Center as a hands on resource to cover different aspects of science taught throughout the school year. This would be an end of the year field trip. Depending on funding I would use the free aspects and have my students participate in one of the demonstrations.

This dairy farm is located in Trenton, IL and would be an excellent learning experience for children. You can set up a tour with the dairy by calling the number listed on the website. I envision taking this field trip during a unit on the food groups. It could also be used as a single, more specific, lesson about the process of creating yogurt, cheese, and milk. Students would also have the opportunity to taste a free sample of the yogurt after the tour. I can remember going on a field trip similar to this one when I was in the second or third grade. I would probably also use it for that grade level. It does not say the cost of the tour on the website but I was told that it is inexpensive.

This activity is used in conjunction with a field trip to the zoo. Before going on the trip, students are given a clipboard with pictures of different animals on them. Once arriving at the zoo, the students are responsible for locating each animal on the list. I chose this activity because I believe that all field trips should be executed with a specific purpose in mind. This scavenger hunt provides structure and classroom connection to the trip. I also chose it because it can be modified depending on the grade level. For older students, the pictures can be replaced with specific animal facts or attributes. I would use this activity when going on a field trip to the zoo or aquarium, making sure that the animals presented on the list were ones that had been previously studied in class.

This field trip is a wonderful opportunity for students wishing to pursue a career in the medical field. Students will have the opportunity to see a cadaver used for medical research. This would not be a field trip for general science classes, but more geared toward AP or human anatomy classes.

Also look at the descriptions of distance learning and dissection options hosted at the university instead of in your own classroom, if you don't have the facilities to conduct dissections yourself.

Although this field trip would only work for a school in Chicago, I found that the Adler Planetarium has an amazing exhibit about the solar system. Besides extensive information about each planet, students can participate in a space walk where they have the chance to explore the different terrain and atmospheres on the other planets. My favorite thing about this exhibit is that is gives the students the opportunity to touch a piece of Mars and the moon! I think the students would find this field trip very interesting and it would be much more entertaining to them than staying in the classroom and watching videos of the solar system!

This site provides a source to apply for a field trip for the students to enhance their knowledge in nutrition. They will learn in the classroom the basics about nutrition and eating with a wide variety of colors. Once they gain that knowledge, they can explore the 25 acre UCSC Farm and their organic and seasonal food. I like this option because it is a way to learn outside of the classroom. They can also learn to eat a variety of colors, so it could be connected to an art lesson and being able to make paint with food.

This page is not for student use, it is simply ideas for field trips dealing with weather. I personally like the visiting a new station one. It is practical application

This source has a collection of questions and observations students can make while visiting the Botanical Garden. A field trip to the garden is very realistic in the St. Louis area since there is one in the city. The questions could be previewed in class before the day of the trip, so the students are alert and focused on those topics. This is a great lesson to improve the field trip experience and to get students thinking about the fascinating world of plants. Going on a trip like this is great, because many students will not get a chance to see a wide variety of plant life otherwise.

This would be a great field trip idea to the St Louis Science Center for students of all ages. The general admission is free but it is 4.00 per child to see the planetarium show. The planetarium includes the SBC Learning Center, that give visitors a glimpse of what it's like to live and work on the International Space Station. In the Crew Quarters, students can see how astronauts eat, exercise, sleep and dress in space, as well as how medical needs and the stations internal and external environments are maintained. The planetarium show features more than 9,000 stars onto an 80 foot dome and includes special effects such as eclipses, meteor showers. The show lasts roughly 25 minutes and each session is designated for certain age groups. I would love to someday take my class to this planetarium because I think it would be an amazing opportunity and a great learning experience.

I found this while searching for field trip ideas. The author of this summary visited the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, which features many "hands-on" exhibits. He speaks mainly of the "Newton's Alley" exhibit, where he spoke of the ability to lift himself using pulleys. However, of particular note to me was the fourth paragraph, where he talked about playing the "harp with invisible strings," which was actually powered by laser technology. I selected this resource both out of a desire to find a fun and relevant field trip as well as my own healthy respect for Isaac Newton and his discoveries. I would use this as a basis for planning a field trip to the actual Maryland Science Center facility.

This field trip opportunity takes us to the St. Louis Science Center! Students will be engaged in a live science (weather) demonstration given by Ira and Judy Gall. After enjoying the demonstration, students can explore the rest of the science center and all it has to offer. Other opportunities to learn about weather include an erosion table and tornado formation exhibit. I chose this as a field trip because the Science Center has so much to offer. It's definitely an opportunity to expand upon what we have learned in the classroom.

Take your students on an exciting adventure to the Saint Louis Science Center Planetarium to experience hands-on and visual learning. This resource allows students to take part in a self-guided or small group exploration of not only our galaxies stars, but also its many planets. I chose this website because of it wealth of factual knowledge and easily accesible tools. This field trip could take part during a planet lesson, and/or an astronomy lesson.

The Touch of Nature environmental program offers both land-based activities and water-based activities for students. The best way to experience Touch of Nature is to spend three-five days in their camp program. Students are set up in cabins for the night while during the day they can go on field trips to the local lake, ponds, or night trips looking for owls. This extended field trip is more specified to students grades 6 to 12. It gives students the opportunity to learn about their surrounding environment and how they can use ways to conserve it. "Your Touch of Nature experience can be designed to supplement and enrich classroom curricula or enhance youth group experiences. With nature as your classroom, it can provide insight to groups of all ages and backgrounds. You are encouraged to request a program that serves your specific needs (SIU Touch of Nature)

This resource is a field trip to Cahokia Mounds. I think that this fits with my standard, 5-ESS3-1 because it shows how the community preserves a historical landmark, and it shows how something can last for a long time if people take care of the environment.

Located in Makanda, Illinois, Touch of Nature has an Environmental Education program that, "offers exciting outdoor learning experiences in natural resource education, nature interpretation and resource management. Courses are designed to increase environment awareness, appreciation and stewardship. The do offer lodging (for a fee) to take older students for a fun learning experience. I don't think it's ever too early to get kids thinking about how they effect the environment so if I were in a school close to Makanda, I would take students as early as 3rd grade, however this would be an extremely cool field trip for grades 8 and up.