Friday, July 11, 2014

6th Graders Explore/Tour UNC-Chapel Hill!

My Alma Mater served as the location of our 6th Grade Trip!

Being a student at UNC-Chapel Hill was one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of my entire life!  I learned so much while I was in college.  Therefore, I devised a field trip that would allow me to expose my 6th Graders to an important aspect of my past (making connections) all while planting the seeds for their future college careers (making preparations).

All year, we discussed college through various thematic units and projects, which provided a strong foundation for the trip.  You can read about these initiatives by visiting these posts:


When we first arrived, we conducted a tour of the campus.  It was actually a comprehensive scavenger hunt.  This aspect of the trip allowed us to utilize various reasoning skills.


After the scavenger hunt, we traveled to The Carolina Basketball Museum.  The students were very excited about this portion due to the renown reputation of Carolina's basketball team.


Next, we went to the Ram's Head Dining Hall for lunch.  We had 100+ individuals in our party so we were not able to all seat together.  I was so proud because the students handled themselves with an enormous amount of grace, and we received a great complement regarding student behavior.  I was told that the food was better than Golden Corral's.


Lastly, we visited the Morehead Planetarium for a show.  My students spent a fortunate at the gift shop.  I should have worked out a deal to have a percentage donated back to our school!  Next time!


All of this was possible for the low price of $20 per student.  I was adamant about keeping the costs reasonable and fair so we could have as many students to attend as possible.  I knew that this trip could/would be a life-altering experience.

A takeaway from this trip is the need to have a student videographer for any field trip.  This approach allows you to capture the field trip from the perspective of a student.  Before you judge the footage, remember my videographer is only a 6th Grader!

Scroll down to check out photos and videos (6-Part Series) from our educational excursion!  Wear your 3-D glasses when watching the videos:)
































In the last video, you may have noticed that I was winded behind the camera.  I had to temporarily leave the group in order to retrieve a tablet that one of my students had left in the Student Union.  When I went back over 3 hours later, the tablet was still in the same spot!  Thank goodness, and there is still good in humanity! I was out of breath because I was trying to catch up with everyone who had zoomed off in a bus while I had to trek across campus on foot...just like old times!

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