Field Trip Curriculum Design
Resource List

Mathers Museum of World Cultures
Workshop, summer 2006

Instructor: Abbie Anderson (Curator of Education)

Readings appear here in intended reading order, and in priority for reading.
N.B. Links to readings have been removed from this page in respect of copyright, with the exception of two IMLS reports.
Navigate:   1. Learning in Museums 2. Research and Practice 3. Sample Programs and Ideas
Additional workshop documents: Useful links:
  • The Institute for Learning Innovation
    (Falk & Dierking's free-choice learning site)
  • infed
    (the informal education wiki, an online encyclopedia and archive based in the UK; use the navigation tools on the left to find your way!)
  • "Going to a Museum? Resources for Educators
    (a collaborative project by Virginia teachers) --Sadly, these materials are no longer freely available from the Curry School of Education web site.
  • Smithsonian Institution
    Field Trip Curricula Models --Sadly, this resource apparently no longer exists either. As of August 2010, the Smithsonian maintains a web section of classroom lesson plans. In the Field Trips section they now offer a few work-sheets to use during a museum visit ("Ask Yourself Field Trip Guide").

1. Learning in Museums
(for workshop session 2, 6/24/06)

  1. Falk & Dierking (2000), Chapters One and Eight
  2. Hein (1995), "The constructivist museum"
  3. Wolins (1993), "Learning theories in the museum setting"
  4. Spock (1999), "Elegant programs and conversations"
  5. Leinhardt (2004), Chapter Five

2. Field Trip Research and Practice

  1. Krishnaswami (2002), Chapter One and Appendix Two
  2. Kisiel (2003), "Teachers, museums, and worksheets"
  3. Griffin (2004), "Research on students and museums"
  4. Pitman-Gelles (1981), Chapter Four
  5. Schneider (2004), Making the informal formal (doctoral thesis: pick and choose your chapters!)
  6. Bailey (2003), "Meeting standards without sacrificing quality curriculum in the middle school"
  7. Hannon (1999), Collaborations between museum educators and classroom teachers (ERIC report: pick and choose your chapters!)

3. Additional Resources: Sample Programs and Ideas

  1. Hirzy (1996), True Needs, True Partners (IMLS grant program report: offers outstanding, practical collaboration guidelines as well as inspiring examples)
    If you read nothing else for this workshop, read section 3 of True Needs, True Partners ("Conditions for Partnership"), and browse some of the profiled programs.
  2. McLoughlin (2004), "Engineering active and effective field trips"
  3. Hobart (2005), "Authentic Learning beyond the classroom" (analysis done in Australian schools, but good material for the US as well)
  4. Messenger (2000), A model system linking formal and informal education (Master's thesis: pick and choose your chapters!)
  5. Morris (2003), "The nation's capitol and first graders"
  6. Rapp (2005), "Inquiry-based environments for the inclusion of students with exceptional learning needs"
  7. Sturgeon (2006), "A new twist on field trips"
  8. Brusic (2006), "Planet Earth field trip" (book review with tips for using children's literature to reinforce field trip activities)
  9. Carlson (2005), Charting the landscape (IMLS report on the results of a conference brainstorming the future of partnerships between schools, museums, and libraries)
  
Copyright ©2006
Last updated: September 9, 2010