There are many exciting opportunities taking place this year for all K-6 SPPS students through the Strategic Science and Engineering Initiative (SSEI). SSEI is a multi-pronged approach that helps address specific Science and Engineering Standards. As part of this initiative, the 3M Foundation is fully funding the admission and transportation costs associated with grade level specific science and engineering based field trips. Each SSEI field trip or outreach experience focuses on a specific benchmark from the new MN State Science Standards.
More information at: http://thecenter.spps.org/SSEI_Field_Trips.html
Trips by Grade Level
Kindergarten: Ramsey County Historical Society’s Gibbs Museum of Pioneer and Dakotah Life
www.rchs.com
Students will learn about life in MN in the early years of Statehood by exploring several historical dwellings and learning about farm animals.
1st Grade: Como Planetarium, SPPS
www.planetarium.spps.org
Students will be introduced to the phases of the moon during an interactive show in the state-of-the-art planetarium and then will make observations of the moon over time after the trip.
2nd Grade: Minnesota Children’s Museum
www.mcm.org
Students will experience the Amazing Antics Program, which includes exploration of museum exhibits. This trip coincides with the classroom teacher’s use of the district’s “Insect Trunk” available for loan as well as with the EiE kit “Designing Hand Pollinators” typically taught by science specialists, when possible.
3rd Grade: Como Planetarium, SPPS
www.planetarium.spps.org
Students will learn about classification of objects in the Solar System, view a demonstration of how to locate planets in the real sky, and take an imaginary trip into space to see the planets up close.
4th Grade: The Bakken Museum
www.thebakken.org
The fourth grade experience is not a field trip. Rather, educators from the Bakken Museum come to the schools for a two-visit program. The Green Energy Outreach (GEO) program is a classroom-based workshop paired with a science theater-based assembly program that empowers students to think about how they can help solve the energy challenges we face today.
5th Grade: Valley Branch Environmental Learning Center, SPPS
http://valleybranch.spps.org/
Students will learn about adaptations in plants and animals though outdoor experiences that include making observations, analyzing evidence, and developing conclusions about Minnesota’s three different biomes.
6th Grade: The Works: A Hands-on Museum
www.theworks.org
Students will explore the “hands-on, minds-on” engineering exhibits in The Works museum, and participate in the Pasta Bridges workshop to learn about the Engineering Design Process.
Comments (1)
Molly Leifeld said
at 4:39 pm on Sep 3, 2010
In MOST cases, classroom teachers should be scheduling these trips and taking their classes. It would be excellent, however, if science specialists were aware of when the trips were happening so they can leverage learning during related science lessons in the classroom.
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