4th Grade History 2004

Fourth Grade Field Trip

Notes to the Teacher

There are many ways to tap into the treasures of a museum:

• The teacher knows the class curriculum and is familiar with the students’ abilities.
• The staff of the museum, whether they are paid staff or trained volunteer/docents, knows the objects and stories told by the exhibits.

The exhibits selected for your fourth graders lead to the understanding of Standard 1 of the state’s Social Studies Curriculum. Specifically, the questions and character lead to increased understanding of the various cultural and ethnic groups found in the Casa Grande Valley, the social and economic issues that affected these people, and help students understand how politics and religion provide a framework for Arizona. Objective 1.4.3 is the strategy we use. The boys and girls build stories about fictitious people who bring the cultural, ethnic and economic contributions of settlers of the Casa Grande Valley to life.

Why we group fourth graders who visit the Museum

We know that 9-12 year olds are curious and exuberant, understand how to work in small groups and enjoy team effort, and love to talk about their personal experiences. Their attention span is longer than that of younger children so they can stay on task better.

Because children at this age tend to be competitive, it is important to set up their learning experience so that each group tries to be as good as they can. At the end, each group has a piece of the puzzle. The groups are able to see how each story helps to make a whole community.

Using this model, the fourth graders work in small groups (3-4 people). Each group is given a specific character and a series of questions. By carefully observing specific exhibits and reading text on photographs and objects, the children answer the questions. The teacher, parent chaperones, and docents are present to assist the groups and to assure that they stay on task and well behaved.

Areas of the Museum to be covered

Topographical map of Arizona
Hohokam and Native peoples
Father Kino and other early arrivals
Agriculture
Railroads
Mines
Homes
Stores, Schools, and Medical Practices
Farm/Ranch Life

FOURTH GRADE VISIT – AGENDA

First ten minutes of the visit

After arriving in the Dallis Schoolhouse, the children are introduced to the Museum Administrator who provides an overview of purpose of this museum, explains the rules of behavior in the Museum, and introduces the docents who will help with the visit. The students are divided into groups of 3 or 4. The children in each group have jobs. One is the storyteller selected to tell the story when everyone returns to the Dallis Schoolhouse. One is the reader, the person who reads the description of the character and the questions that follow. One (or two) are the writer(s).

Meanwhile, another docent takes the teacher and each adult chaperone aside. Each person receives a packet for use with the children and a clipboard. The story-building activity is shared. Learning from Exhibits is explained. The responsibility of the adult is to guide and assist the group. He/she remains with those children throughout the exercise. The group number on the packet corresponds to a location in the Museum. It tells the guide where to begin.

Second ten-fifteen minutes of the visit

An overview or brief tour of the Museum comes first. Starting in the Dallis Schoolhouse, a docent leads everyone into the Museum and walks through it as she describes the main purpose of each area. They are then taken to the Trekell Barn so they can see the subject of the exhibits there. With this basic understanding of the layout of the Museum, the adult and children in each group will be able to find the exhibits where the answers to their questions are located.

Third five minutes of the visit

Each adult now leads his/her group of students to the number/location where that group begins. Using Learning from Exhibits, the adult models the questioning behaviors that will help the children look more carefully at exhibits as they search for information.

Next twenty-thirty minutes of the visit

The reader is given the first card describing the character. He/she reads the first question. The children try to answer the question as best they can. The adult helps but does not “give” the answers. The writer(s) put the information on the question card. They move about the Museum until they have answered all the questions or the time allowed is up.

Last thirty minutes of the visit

Each group sits at its table and works on preparing their storyteller. When their group is called upon, the reader reads the description of their person for everyone. The writer(s) help by making sure the storyteller can read what has been written. Everyone is responsible for assuring the story is told correctly. The adult stays with his/her group as they create their story and acts as timekeeper and dispute arbitrator if necessary.

Each group gets 3-5 minutes to share their story with the class. The group may be asked questions by their fellow students or the adults if their story is unclear or not understood. Time permitting, the docents or adults ask questions to bring out similarities or differences between the experiences of the characters or point out interesting or valuable points.

What’s in this packet?

This focused field trip was created to help meet Standard 1: History of the Casa Grande Elementary School District Social Studies Curriculum—“analyze human experience through time”…specifically 1.2.4.
The distinctive culture of the Hohokam, where they lived, their agriculture, housing, decorative arts, and trade networks.