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Park offers field trips tied to state’s Standards of Learning (SOLs)
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Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is offering a series of eight new field trips in its James River Park System that will help public schools and their students meet the state’s Standards of Learning (SOLs).
Virginia’s SOLs describe in detail what schools should teach and students should learn in various subject areas and are used as benchmark measurements for the schools.
The department’s new field trips are designed for kindergarten through fourth grade classes to help students meet specific SOL requirements in the areas of Science and History/Social Science.
Developed by the park system’s Lorne Field, each trip takes approximately one hour and provides hands-on learning experiences for the children. For example, students in kindergarten classes taking a science field trip called “The Basics” are introduced to fundamental concepts about life along the river, will explore the forest and riverside trails to find plants and animals, and use their five senses to describe them. These and other activities during the field trip will address the K.1, K.2, K.5, K.6, K.7, K.8, K.9, and K.10 SOLs.
On a history and social science field trip for second and third grade classes called “Exploring the James,” the students will learn about the early exploration of Virginia, discover a variety of resources that helped Native Americans and early settlers survive, and participate in the construction of a dugout canoe. The SOLs addressed are 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.7, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, and 3.8.
Field came up with the idea for the field trips as a way to bring more children into the park and to teach them about the environment. Previous feedback had told the park staff that their programs needed to be relevant to the topics the children are studying in school.
“We are very excited about this new endeavor,” said the department’s Director J.R. Pope. “We have always known how much children can learn from visiting our James River Park System and exploring nature and natural settings. Now we’ve formalized some of these learning opportunities into programs that will be fun for the children as well as help the city and the state to meet their educational goals,” Pope said.
The following field trips are being offered (click on the link for the handout):
The Basics – supports Science SOLs for kindergarten classes
Wet n’ Wild Animals – supports Science SOLs for first grade classes
Animal Neighborhoods – supports Science SOLs for second grade classes
Surviving the Wild – supports Science SOLs for third grade classes
Virginia Gems – supports Science SOLs for fourth grade classes
Flowing Through Time – supports History/Social Science SOLs for kindergarten and first grade classes
Exploring the James - supports History/Social Science SOLs for second and third grade classes
Virginia Journeys – supports History/Social Science SOLs for Virginia Studies (fourth grade classes)
For the specific activities and SOLs addressed by each trip call 646-8911.
The fee for each field trip is $2 per student, but scholarships are available so that no child will be excluded. Teachers are encouraged to visit the department’s website for more information and to call the park at 646-8911 to schedule a field trip.
Richmond Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities programs and activities are available to person regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, physical impairement or political affiliation.
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