Field Trips at Mt Baldy School

Field trips are an integral part of our school year. These valuable, common experiences can be used in the classroom and beyond to extend student’s learning and understanding about the world. After all, what’s inside the four walls of a classroom are just a fragment of their education.

From visits to Jet Propulsion Laboratory to hikes around our mountain, from Southwest Museum to Riley’s Farm, we value our ability to share  how much we can learn from different people and places. Together, teachers, parents and community ensure that Mt Baldy School classrooms enjoy many field trips per year.

Field trips help students make new connections, find relevance and enjoy learning.

make connections

Field trips help students connect what they know to what is new to them. For instance, they know the stream flows quickly in some parts and slowly in others.  When students understand water movement, they can better understand something like our state's aqueduct system. 

Find relevance

When content is  relevant to students, there's a positive domino effect. Learning and meaning is amplified. Meaning ignites motivation and purpose for learning, which leads to greater levels of perseverance.  The result is that students work hard to accomplish their goals when these factors are present.  

enjoy learning 

Neuroscience informs our teaching and learning.  One concept from neuroscience that field trips foster is how joy benefits learning. Whether it is due to the novelty of travel during school, meeting new people, or the positive emotions that new learning brings  - field trips foster joy.