Traveling and Field Trips

The opportunity to travel anytime of the year is one of the best benefits about homeschooling.  Homeschoolers can participate in field trips or just bring books to the beach or park and study as they observe nature. Field trips are an effective educational tool, which could be even more rewarding than a formal educational setting.

When learning your state history, a textbook should be used as a reference only. Traveling and stopping at famous landmarks is the most efficient and worthwhile way to learn about your state. Research about your local Historical landmarks and plan a trip to visit the your local City Hall or attend a City Council's  meeting.

Here are examples of Florida's Historical Landmarks we visited.

•  St. Augustine: charming   city founded in 1585
•  Ocala Historic District: includes 200 of the most beautiful structures in America
•  Harry Truman Little White House State Heritage Landmark
• The Bonnet House: Historic museum and gardens 

We participated in many field trips over the years, including Zoo Miami, St. Augustine, Disney World, Universal Studios, Cape Canaveral, Florida's state parks, beaches, museums, theaters, and mining for precious stones in North Carolina.

Field Trips and Learning Opportunities

Solid Waste Management

Solid State Management is a trash and recycling facility that generates renewable energy. Solid Waste Management is a trash and recycling facility that generates renewable energy. The tour shows what happens to trash and recyclables from your house. The bio solids facility takes solid waste residue from wastewater treatment plant, dries it to kill the pathogens, and creates fertilizer for plants. After visiting the site, my sons wrote a composition based on what they learned. After doing some additional research and watching the educational YouTube videos created by SWM, my sons wrote a report about the facility. 

Cross country Trip

I am a true believer in learning on the road. Is there a better way to learn American History than by visiting sites where historical events took place? Our trip from Florida to Canada lasted three months. We covered 17 states and visited every Civil and Revolutionary War site.   We camped at state and municipal parks where rangers, who are mostly historians, talked about the events as if they lived in that time period.  The Civil War reenactment in Gettysburg included Union and Confederate infantry, artillery, and cavalry complete with encampments and demonstrations.  

Walt Disney and Universal Studios on a Budget

Do you know anyone who visited the Disney parks and Universal Studios every month? You do now.  We would travel on the last Wednesday of the month for two days. It helped to be four hours away and as Florida residents we were able to buy the yearly weekday Florida pass, which cost a fraction of the regular price.  

There are learning opportunities anywhere you go, and Disney is no different. We learning facts about eleven countries when visiting Epcot Center; scientific principles when riding roller coasters; all about friction on a Disney Cruise ship where the hull is designed to reduce drag; about magnetism and magnets used on audio speakers everywhere. Borrow books from the library to learn about these concepts before visiting the park.  

Zoo and parks

Going to a zoo or park is fun and educational.  Learn about animals, their environment, nature, ecology, biodiversity, and adaptations. Create lessons to understand the differences between mammals, reptiles, and insects. Animals come from different parts of the world, which gives students the opportunity to learn geography and understand why certain animals can only be found in certain regions. After visiting the zoo, my sons would do some research and incorporate all they learned from zookeepers into a presentation.  

Building a rocket

Learning can take place anywhere, so why not in your own backyard.  Students can learn about Newton's Third Law of Motion by launching a simple rocket with baking soda and vinegar. By mixing these items, you can observe different kinds of chemical reactions imitating a spacecraft launch; this pretty neat simulation imitates the chemical reaction used to send a spacecraft into space. Here’s how it works: By creating an acid and base reaction, using vinegar and baking soda, you create bubbles of carbon dioxide gas with enough pressure to launch the rocket. Newton’s Third Law of Motion says that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.