Mastodons, Fifth Graders, and the Dining Hall #SOL19

What happens when you put 72 fifth graders on a college campus, add some mastodon bones, two snakes, an iguana, a mummy, and of course, the dining hall? A group of incredibly happy (and full) kiddos who all now have dreams of attending “such a cool college!”

Our school has created exemplars for grades K-12 that require a visit each year to a college campus.  My grade level decided to attend a local private college that also houses a natural history museum.

Throughout the day, there were lots of “oooohs” and “aaaaahs” as we toured the campus.  Eyes grew wide when we entered the specific academic buildings that appealed to their interests.  My aspiring artists eagerly peeked into classroom windows in hopes that they would see art in creation, future scientists loved the hallway displays of the artifacts of the various schools of science, and my mathematicians chattered excitedly when they realized they had entered the building where numbers reign supreme.

The museum, campus library, and the dining hall rounded out our trip.  Old dinosaur bones, a mummy, and the reptile room sparked curiosity, and the dining hall was naturally a huge hit.  The students were in awe of the incredible number of choices, and they ate without reserve.  They walked back to the buses with grand smiles on their faces and words of sincere thanks to our awesome tour guides.  It was a successful field trip!

 

20 thoughts on “Mastodons, Fifth Graders, and the Dining Hall #SOL19

  1. Such a terrific experience for these 10- and 11-year-olds. I’m impressed by your district’s commitment to these college campus experiences.

  2. This is a great way to help kids keep their eyes on the prize of going to college. Your writing captures their excitement and engagement perfectly.

  3. What an amazing trip to take the students on! I would have loved to go to a college campus when I was in school. The first visit I had was my senior year of high school. You will need some sleep after that trip!

    • Me, too, Tammy. I am so glad the younger kids are going. You’re so right about the sleep. I was exhausted!

  4. What a cool commitment to aspirations. I had never set foot on a college campus until high school when I went to a sports camp. I wonder what they were thinking, wondering, feeling as they rode those buses back to school.

    • I was in high school, too. I’m so glad the younger kiddos are getting this experience. I wonder about their thoughts, too, Paula. They were practically floating back to school. 😀

  5. Sounds like such a neat opportunity! I thought that it was particularly wonderful that the students were able to see so many different facets of the college and were able to recognize and appreciate the parts that related to their specific areas of interest.

    • The college was so accommodating. They provided wonderful tour guides who interacted beautifully with the students and took us all over campus. My students were surprised by the many different places there are on the campus.

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