Field Trip Offers First Graders Hands-On Learning- and Fun!

Union School’s first graders took a field trip yesterday to Westmoor Park, an environmental, agricultural, and horticultural education center in West Hartford dedicated to generating awareness and appreciation for the natural world.   This field trip relates to the first grade’s integrated science unit on organisms.  

It was hands-on fun!  At Westmoor Park, the students saw freshwater and woodland habitats and observed life in both, reinforcing what they had learned in the classroom about the structures and functions that help organisms to survive.  Students used nets in the pond to scoop up organisms like snails, damselfly nymphs, mayflies, tadpoles, and more.  They also used nets and bug catchers in the field to catch flying and crawling organisms like beetles, butterflies, spiders, and more.  They took a woodland walk to observe other organisms that make their homes in that habitat, like turtles, ducks, birds, decomposers- pill bugs, centipedes and worms- hiding under logs and the like.  Students learned that soil is made of rocks, leaves, bugs, and roots.

The educators at Westmoor Park talked about life on the farm beginning with seeds that  produce food for animals and people.  Then the students planted "silver choice" corn seeds in the garden.  Produce grown in Westmoor’s garden is donated to the House of Bread in Hartford to help feed those who may not have access to fresh vegetables.

First graders have been reading and writing about all different kind organisms and writing non-fiction books about them.  They will have a lot more to write about now!

Union School’s PTO contributed funds to the cost of transportation.