Planning for Access:

Great Lakes Science Center Field Trip

Christie Ellis
 Site Description
Dike School of the Arts A performing arts-focused
pubic school located in Central Cleveland
362 students enrolled (2015-2016) in Pre-K to
Grade 6, population is 97.6% African American.
Third Grade: 37 students
4 students with IEPs (Specific Learning Disability)
1 student with IEP (vision impairment)
 Potential
Opportunities
Experiential
Opportunities
Playhouse Square
Opportunity: Field trip or
performance
Performing arts theatre
with musicals, ballets, and
plays available.
Contributes to our school-
wide goal of promoting the
fine arts within our
curriculum, and exposing
students towards careers in
the performing arts.
Great Lakes Science
Center
Opportunity: Free field trip
and scientific
demonstration.
An inquiry-based museum
focused on childrens ability
to access and understand
science.
Contributes to school-wide
and classroom big goals of
promoting growth in the
sciences.
Classroom Resources
Junior Achievement
Program
Opportunity: In-class
programming to teach students
about economic decisions.
Wise economic decisions are a
boon in the 21st century for all
scholars as it will increase their
opportunity to function as
capable adults.
Opportunity is free and
available to all students in
Cleveland with contact made
to organization.
Cleveland Botanical
Gardens Resource Kit
Opportunity: Resource kit
to increase productivity of
science inquiry lessons.
Kits are catered to fit with
Clevelands scope and
sequence, and with Ohio
science standards.
Will encourage stronger
lesson plans and inquiry
projects within the
classroom.
 Great Lakes Science
Center

Their mission is simple: to make science, technology, engineering

and math come alive.
 Statement of Purpose
My scholars will experience an inquiry-based field trip at
the Great Lakes Science Center. This trip will focus on
self-guided science inquiry and exploration. Scholars will
leave the science center having learned and prepared to
speak about one topic. Students will practice the habits
of managing impulsivity and gathering data through the
senses.
 Benefits of a Field Trip
Science inquiry: Students will be heavily engaged in
inquiry-based science experimentation both before and after
the field trip, increasing their knowledge of the scientific
process and providing them with vital background
information that will allow them to succeed in science.
Impulse Management: Students will be prepared both
before and after the field trip to manage their impulses in
order to gain responsibility and rewards. The reward of
being able to freely explore the science center can be
majorly impactful for student and teach them lifelong
lessons.
Joy Factor: A field trip is an extrinsic reward that student
can strive for through their performance in-class prior to the
experience. Students will know the field trip is coming and
use it as an external motivator.
 Habits and Mindsets
Managing Impulsivity: Students must learn to manage their
impulses in order to freely engage with inquiry-based projects.
Students will practice managing impulses over a series of inquiry-
based classroom experiments. I will make it a part of our
classroom culture to check our impulses and make wise decisions.
Integrating these habits through daily instruction will ensure that
students are able to fully embody this skill by the end of the field
trip.
Gathering Data Through The Senses: Gathering data through
the senses is the heart of science inquiry, as well as the heart of
the scientific method. Students must learn through inquiry and
exploration, and this field trip (as well as the inquiry experiments
leading up to the field trip) will provide a strong backbone of
learning how to properly gather data and utilize this information.
 Logistics
Admissions: Free for all students and Ohio teachers,
may cost up to $15 for chaperones.
Lunch: Students may either bring lunches or eat at
the school beforehand.
Busing: If field trip is for entire day, buses will need
to be hired for the length of the field trip.
Student Groupings: 37 students total, up to 3
teachers and 4 chaperones. Can do groups of 5-6
students, up to 10 students per teacher.
Action Plan:
Preliminary Stages
Step 1: Make Contact & Step 2: Acquire
Plan Field Trip Chaperones

Weeks 1-2: Make contacts

with parents in order to
obtain chaperones who
Week 1: are potentially willing to
Contact Great Lakes pay for admission for
Science Center, school themselves. Requires 1
admin, and secretary to chaperone per group of 10
plan field trip dates, students (4 total - ~$60).
times, and busing
costs. 2 weeks before field trip:
Reconfirm chaperones and
acquire back up plan.
Action Plan:
Preparing Students &
Families
Step 3: Announce intentions
to students and families Step 4: Inquiry Laboratories
Morning Meeting
announcement to
generate excitement
amongst students.
Newsletter, class dojo
notice, and phone call
(IVR goes to all
parents) to inform about
field trip dates and
potential busing fees.
Perform a science inquiry
laboratory each week (for 4
weeks) leading up to the
field trip. Resources can be
sourced from curriculum
(Science Fusion), Great Lakes
Science Center website, or
ChickQuest curriculum. As
the science center includes
exhibits from all areas of
science, inquiry lessons can
follow scope and sequence
(States of Matter).
Action Plan:
Week of Field Trip
Step 5: Preliminary Visit
and Planning
Visit the museum the
weekend before the field
trip to make a map of the
area and figure out
exactly what resources
will be provided.
Create presentation for
class with photos and
descriptions in order to
help students create a
learning plan.
Step 6: Classroom Visit
Planning
Present topics/exhibits
that students might
experience and ask
students to pick a topic
and generate multiple
questions that they will
answer by the end of
their field trip.
Action Plan:
Week of Field Trip
Step 7: Field Trip
Provide students with the
opportunity to engage in an
inquiry-focused field trip.
Ensure that students are all
grouped with a responsible
chaperone, and are
prepared to engage in
meaningful learning.
Entire class views free
science demonstration by
GLSC staff.
Step 8: Reflection and
Sharing
Provide students with the
opportunity to break into small
groups and present their
knowledge.
Utilize SOLE technique asking
the question What did you learn
on your trip? and providing
students with the freedom to
present knowledge to the best of
their ability.
Plan future curricular
opportunities for students to
engage in.
 Evaluating Success
Student Assessment
Students will share their knowledge about one topic,
including answering three questions that they
generated prior to the trip.

Survey of Students, Colleagues, and Chaperones

I will conduct an anonymous survey of students that
asks them to rate their experience, joy factor, and how
much they were able to learn. I will ensure that all
parties involved have a say in the success of the trip in
order to make motions for the next possible field trip. I
will include a portion of the survey that asks each
party to rate their ability to manage impulses and
gather data through the senses.
 Timeline
By December 23rd GLSC contacted, field trip date
set and busing scheduled.
January 10th Parents and students notified,
permission slips sent home, and chaperones
contacted.
January 10th - February 3rd- Classroom training
including habits & mindsets lessons, science inquiry
lessons and student goal setting.
February 6th February 10th Potential field trip dates
 Additional Resources
Educator Guide 2016-2017. (2016). Retrieved from http://
greatscience.com
/sites/default/files/FINAL%20-%202016%20Educator%20Guide.pd
f
This educator guide contains a wealth of information pertaining to
field trip offerings at the Great Lakes Science Center, including
admissions pricings, program information, and professional
development opportunities for educators.
Field Trip Planning 101 (2014). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rzfuL39FAk

A video that includes information on how to plan a GLSC field trip,

and which gives information on what can be expected at the GLSC.
This resource discusses all of the levels of the science center and
how to solve certain issues that might occur during the field trip.
 Additional Resources
Free Science Demonstrations (2016). Retrieved from
http://greatscience.com/educators/plan-field-trip/activities-grade/grades-3-5-fiel
d-trips
This page contains a list of free science demonstrations that can be scheduled
alongside the field trip. Apart from the main mission of the field trip to promote
freethinking inquiry, these 30-minute science demonstrations fully align with
Ohios Science Standards. Additionally, hands-on workshops are outlined but will
most likely not be utilized on this field trip (cost of $100 per class up to 30
students or $3 per student).
Special Exhibition Activity Guides (2016). Retrieved from
http://greatscience.com/educators/educator-resources

The activity guides provide a wealth of activities for use both before and after
attending the GLSC. Each packet contains lesson plans, resources, and activities
that can be integrated within the classroom and that align to fit Ohios science
standards and provide amazing in-class science laboratories. These packets will be
particularly useful after students have shared their knowledge from the GLSC, and
we are working towards completing additional science inquiry laboratories.