Field trips provide educational benefits but require planning. Community resources like museums, zoos, and parks can be destinations that are more affordable than traditional field trips. Effective planning includes preparing students, coordinating with guides, having a schedule and safety plan, and documenting the experience through notes. Field trips allow students to learn outside the classroom through hands-on experiences, but they require time, money, and logistical coordination. Evaluating the trip afterward can determine if the benefits outweighed the costs.

1. MAKING THE MOST OF
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
AND FIELDTRIPS
By: Gessamaine M. Apolinario
BEED II-A

2.  Fieldtrips are expensive. They require much time to
preparation and planning.
 Community resources like historical and scenic spots,
museums, zoos, botanical gardens, places of exhibits can be
destinations for fieldtrips. Other community resources can be
people themselves such as parents, senior citizens and other
members of the community.

3.  List specific objects to be seen on their way to the site, on the site
of fieldtrip an on their way home from the site.
 Discuss appropriate dress. Comfortable shoes for walking are
important.
 Before the trip, use a variety of learning materials in order to give
each student a background for the trip.

4. PREPLANNING WITH
OTHERS JOINING THE TRIP
 Other people accompanying the group need to be oriented on the
objectives, route, behavior standards required of everyone so they can
help enforce these standards. These may be parents who will assists
teacher, other teachers and/or school administrator staff.

5. TAKING THE FIELD TRIP
 Distribute route map of places be observed.
 Upon arriving at the destination, teacher should check the group and introduce
the guide.
 Special effort should be made to ensure that:
•
The trip keeps to the time schedule
•
The students have the opportunity to obtain answers to questions.
•
The group participates courteously in the entire trip.
•
The guide sticks closely to the list questions.

6.  Were there any unexpected problems which could be
foreseen another time? Where these due to guides, students,
poor planning, or unexpected trip condition?
 Were new interests developed?
 Should the trip be recommended to other classes studying
similar topics?

7. EVALUATING FIELDTRIP
These are questions we ask after the fieldtrip to evaluate
the fieldtrip we just had.
 Could the same benefits be achieved be other materials?
Was it worth the time, effort, and perhaps, extra money?

8. E D U C AT I O N A L B E N E F I T S
D E R I V E D F RO M A F I E L D T R I P
Field trips can be fun and educational when they are well
executed. They offer us a number of educational benefits:
 The acquisition of lasting concepts and change in attitudes are
rooted on concrete and rich experiences. Fieldtrips are
opportunities for rich and memorable experiences which are
fundamental to learning that lasts.

9.  Field trips bring us to the world beyond the classroom. The realworld connection is more work but the benefits of broadening
teaching beyond textbooks far outweigh the little bit of time takes
from a teacher’s schedule.
 Field trips have a range of application. It is not meant only for
children. It is for adults also. It is not only meant for the social science
subjects. It is for all other subjects as well.

10.  It can bring about a lot of realizations which may lead to changes
in attitudes and insights. The field trip “can nurture curiosity; build a
zest for new experience, and a sense of wonder.” (Dale, 1969).

11. Here are some realizations students had after joining a field trip to the
following places.
 Prepare a list of questions to send ahead to guide of the study trip.
 Define safety and behavior standards for the journey there and for
the field trip site itself.
 Discuss and decide on ways to document the trip. Everyone is
expected to take notes.

12. DISADVANTAGES OF
FIELDTRIPS
1. It is costly
2. It involves logistics
3. It is extravagant with time
4. It contains an element of uncertainty

13. COMMUNITY RESOURCES
 A fieldtrip may be a visit to a scenic spot or to a historical place.
 This can be persons and places in the community. There are other
people in the community who can be excellent resource speakers.
 As to places to visit, popular destinations are museum, zoos,
botanical garden, historical places, places of exhibit, scenic spots.
 Performances like play, concert and dance presentations also form
part of community resources.