There was great excitement as the first graders came into the classroom today. It was finally time for our field trip to Historic Wagner Farm! The Question of the Day was: Is being a farmer hard work?
We did have some other business to attend to before heading out to the farm. Morning work was a phonics assignment about vowel sounds. There was also the business of getting our lunches ready to go. I had forgotten that this was our first field trip that involved lunches and small group time. Whenever we take lunches on trips, the lunches should only contain items that can be eaten, recycled, or thrown away. This streamlines the experience for everyone, especially the parents who would otherwise be carrying lunch boxes, leftovers, etc.
After meeting our chaperones, we boarded the bus for the ride out to the wilds of suburbia. The students participated in two workshop classes, one about chickens and eggs, the other about cows and milking. There were eggs from the Wagner Farm chickens and a calf from the barn to add to the experiences. After this, the boys and girls used what they had learned to shop for items in the country store. Finally, we walked outside to visit the chickens, cows, and horses outside. We even saw (and practically mobbed) an incredibly patient barn cat.
Following a successful sleeping contest, we returned to Bell. We read Barn Cat and On the Farm to settle ourselves back into school. Then, we reflected on what we had seen, done, smelled, heard, and learned while at Wagner Farm. The boys and girls shared some ideas, and with the help of their group members, began writing details about the trip onto graphic organizers. We will keep working on this tomorrow to create the next chapter in our Fantastic First Grade Field Trip Books. Ask your child for details!
The school day ended in the art room.
We did have some other business to attend to before heading out to the farm. Morning work was a phonics assignment about vowel sounds. There was also the business of getting our lunches ready to go. I had forgotten that this was our first field trip that involved lunches and small group time. Whenever we take lunches on trips, the lunches should only contain items that can be eaten, recycled, or thrown away. This streamlines the experience for everyone, especially the parents who would otherwise be carrying lunch boxes, leftovers, etc.
After meeting our chaperones, we boarded the bus for the ride out to the wilds of suburbia. The students participated in two workshop classes, one about chickens and eggs, the other about cows and milking. There were eggs from the Wagner Farm chickens and a calf from the barn to add to the experiences. After this, the boys and girls used what they had learned to shop for items in the country store. Finally, we walked outside to visit the chickens, cows, and horses outside. We even saw (and practically mobbed) an incredibly patient barn cat.
Following a successful sleeping contest, we returned to Bell. We read Barn Cat and On the Farm to settle ourselves back into school. Then, we reflected on what we had seen, done, smelled, heard, and learned while at Wagner Farm. The boys and girls shared some ideas, and with the help of their group members, began writing details about the trip onto graphic organizers. We will keep working on this tomorrow to create the next chapter in our Fantastic First Grade Field Trip Books. Ask your child for details!
The school day ended in the art room.