Those of you who have already returned to school, EARMUFFS…
We don’t want to rub anything in or make anyone feel bad in any way whatsoever. So, the following post is not intended to boast or brag that we are still off school. And, we would not at all hold it against you if you stomp all over us do a little happy dance come June when you’re two feet into Summer and we’re still giving spelling tests. Really!
Okay, now that we’ve got that all cleared up….
LOOK!!!
Yesterday, we got to see the space shuttle Endeavour up close and personal! It was AMAZING!
A few months back, this little shuttle made its way through the streets of Los Angeles, and it was all we could do to avoid Drool-a-vision as we watched all the Lucky Ducks on TV who ditched took the day off work and school to watch history in the making. We had a class Halloween Party that day…we don’t really want to discuss it. No offense…it just still hurts. A little…
BUT, that all changed yesterday because we saw it up close and personal! It was AMAZING!
It was our first trip to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
What a place! First of all, it was free! As in, walk right in and science away! There are special exhibits and an IMAX Theatre which cost extra, but the general exhibits are cost free. AMAZING!
We booked our timed entrance to see the Endeavour Exhibit online {here} after lunch.
OK, truth?
After the field trip buses were gone.
We’re teachers.
On Winter Break.
We know this drill.
As we walked around, we saw lots of school kids boarding the buses on their way out (Seeeee), and
though we had a twinkle in our eye that we needed only one hand for each
of our own kiddos that day, we did not rub it in.
For a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids), online reservations (yes, you need reservations!) cost us a whopping $8 to see the Endeavour. Yes, e-i-g-h-t.
Let’s just stop here a moment.
NOTHING in Los Angeles costs $8 for a family of 4...
N-O-T-H-I-N-G.
Typically when we pay such a small price for an exhibit, us parents would expect to be nickeled and dimed the whole trip, but we were pleasantly surprised from start to finish. Between parking for $10 and the Endeavor surcharge for online reservations (of $8), we made out pretty darn great! There was an optional flight simulator experience that cost $5 extra per person, which was also reasonable…especially considering it was about as close to space as any of us will ever get! HA!
But, of all the AMAZING things we saw, this was by far the most crowded exhibit and the highlight of the trip…
The Space Potty
Don’t ask us to explain.
There was a full video.
We watched it twice.
Our kids were enthralled.
We could give them a quiz.
They’d get 100%, plus extra credit.
But, don’t ask us to explain.
Google it or something.
We don’t really want to take this post into the gutter…
Can you tell?
Confession Time…
Since we got there so late in the afternoon (You know because we needed to eat lunch and all), we only had time to see the Endeavour.
That was hard.
We kept our teacher hats tucked away.
We resisted with all our might.
But, there were rooms full of learning all over the California Science Center! Tons of habitats and ecosystem exhibits waiting for our teacher hands!
It was tough.
We tried not to drool.
We told ourselves the hands-on exhibits probably had a lot of germs on them anyways, and we should just come back another time…
Maybe for our own class field trip!
Yes, it was that AMAZING!
We’d go back in a heartbeat.
With 22 kiddos and only 2 hands!
And if when we do, we‘ll pull this little guy back out…
We came up with this Field Trip Record last year as a way for our students to record their experience before and after the trip. Plus, our school buses cannot leave until 45 minutes after the school day starts and have to return 45 minutes before the end of the day, so it‘s the perfect way for us to fill the time before and after our trip. You can only send students to the space potty for so long! Ya know?!?
This could easily be done the day before and day after too. The important part is it gives our students an opportunity to channel some energy draw or write some predictions and reflections about a day away from the classroom.
Have any fun field trips planned with your class this new year? Wherever you might endeavor, click {here} to grab a Field Trip Record for yourself. Enjoy!
