“A Day in the Country” Field Days Program

This program highlights alternative learning environments (outside of the classroom) primarily through organized and focused field trips. Built into each field trip are components of math, science, art, music, history, social development, and/or communication. Collaborative learning groups and team work are a hallmark of such excursions into alternative learning environments as are summarizing, assessing, drawing conclusions, and clearly articulating what they have learned about their experience.

Since 2005, JSQ has sponsored numerous “A Day in the Country” Field Days
as part of its Expand Your Horizons Program. On each of these Field Days, fifth grade student and a select group of special needs students were able to explore a totally new environment of just under four acres, with all its mysteries and possibilities, and learned about it. Organized activities and experiences were offered such as the following:

• Measured to see what an acre actually looks like


• Climbed in and around a real tree house


• Explored its construction and dimension


• Enjoyed the antics of Flutterby the silent clown


• Flew through the woods on a skyline trolley


• Played endlessly in a bounce house


• Played games in the wide open spaces


• Engaged in individual and team races


• Created finger paint and play dough masterpieces


• Found new ways of looking at bubbles
  
• Had lunch in the wide open spaces


• Identified and noted in their journals, many botanical specimens, i.e., plants, shrubs, herbs, trees and flowers, etc.


• Enjoyed a totally new alternative learning experience in a safe, open, non-threatening environment under close supervision


• Won prizes at an open raffle table


• Met and played with a yellow Labrador dog, Miss Hannah


• Rode a large coach to and from the event with movies


• Took home mementos of the day

At the end of the day, the children wrote in their journals about their day, recounted their activities, evaluated their own experiences, and articulated what they learned from them. Classroom follow-ups ensued in the following days and weeks at school so that the experience was processed appropriately and became a point of reference in their learning. Children also sent thank you letters to their hosts – yet another learning experience.

In June of 2006 both groups were invited back for similar activities, but because of the weather and unalterable schedules, they were entertained on separate days. Each had its own program – one inside and one outside – but the new experiences were numerous and a good time was had by all.

Future plans for the "Expand Your Horizons Program" are being made to include other field trips, to other venues, as well as providing other alternative learning events, such as sponsoring assemblies.

JSQ Foundation
P.O. Box 1784, Derry NH 03038