Understanding Blackacre—Planning a Field Study

Planning Blackacre Studies
Members of the Jefferson County Public Schools Center for Environmental Education staff meet with teachers to plan the Field Study Program. In planning the educational experience, it is essential that teachers relate the trip to their curriculum. The day takes shape through a cooperative effort—teachers share the needs of their students, and Blackacre staff share their knowledge of the kind of work that can be done at Blackacre and of the various curricula/materials available to support teachers’ needs. A tailored Field Study Program that enriches or enhances the teachers’ topics of study is created.

How to Use This Information
This online publication of Understanding Blackacre State Nature Preserve is designed to do the following:

Provide assistance to teachers in planning lessons that connect community resources to the classroom curriculum, which increase the depth and breadth of both the teacher’s and the student’s experiences
Increase linkages between disciplines that are Standards-based and focus on student work, resulting in authentic exhibitions of learning
Help design high-performing learning environments that encourage out-of-the-classroom work and allow students to achieve high standards
Provide a focal point for staff development that supports and enhances the work of daily instruction

Scheduling Your Field-Study Day
The Susanne L. Schick Nature Center will be our meeting place for the day. It is here where lunches are stored, Blackacre staff are introduced, and an orientation to the day are given. The following is a common schedule for a class of 45 students:

10 to 10:30 a.m.	Orientation
	Pond Study	History Hike	Nature Journaling
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.	Team 1	Team 2	Team 3
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.	Team 2	Team 3	Team 1
12:30 to 1 p.m.	Lunch and Recycling
1 to 2 p.m.	Team 3	Team 1	Team 2
2 to 2:30 p.m.	Reflect and Review

A typical field study lasts four and one-half hours.

Ideally, groups consist of 15 students and two adults. Blackacre provides a minimum of one instructor for an activity session during the day. In addition, Blackacre provides a staff person to lead the morning orientation, to help facilitate lunch, and to debrief your day. The second and/or third activity session will be led by your staff. It is suggested that student teams rotate through the schedule while the staff present the same activity three times. All students experience three different activities. At the end of the day, as a part of a summary discussion, the students identify future learning extensions.

Another staffing possibility might include inviting a community resource person or a parent to lead an activity strand. This option allows the teacher freedom to investigate the other sessions.

Our goal is to develop classroom connections for your classroom program of study. We help you to develop your teacher-led activities. The teacher-led activities should introduce, reinforce, or serve as a culminating experience for your curriculum. The activities listed in this publication are a sampling. Please feel free to use you own.

Before You Come
Advance preparation allows this learning experience to play an integral part in your curriculum. Our programs focus on enhancing positive attitudes toward self and the environment through hands-on, interdisciplinary activities designed to meet your curriculum goals.

Schedule a bus that will allow you to stay for the entire four and one-half hour program.
Develop goals and objectives embedded in standards.
Examine your students’ needs, and provide new learning experiences. Build upon and expand prior knowledge and experiences.
Identify and implement pre-trip activities.
Plan the activities you will lead during your visit. Have backup activities in case of rain! Rainy-day activity locations include the Nature Center, the barn, and the Carriage House.
Prepare your chaperones; photocopy the roles of adult chaperones (Appendix 5).
Student/Adult Ratio: JCPS field-trip policy requires a ratio of one (1) adult per ten (10) students. Parents should not bring younger siblings!
Divide students into three (3) study teams and provide name tags.
Have your students bring their writer’s notebooks and pencils.
Be aware of medical conditions, especially bee-sting allergies and asthma, which should be indicated on the Permission slips.
Have students read and discuss the following:
- “Guidelines of Blackacre” and “State Nature Preserves,” Appendix 3
- Commonly Asked Questions, Appendix 2
- How to Dress, Appendix 4
Discuss with students behavior expectations and the academic goals of the visit.
Visit our Web site with your students:
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/blackacre/
Do not assume bus drivers know where they are going. Photocopy the directions from Appendix 6, and give the driver a copy.
Make sure you have homeroom lists in case of an emergency.

During Your Visit

Teachers and other adults are expected to participate actively and to be role models during all sessions. Please assist us in behavior management and in making connections from the classroom to Blackacre lessons.
Assist in the stewardship of Blackacre by taking care of all equipment and facilities.
In the event of an accident or injury, notify the Blackacre staff immediately.

Parking
Buses and visitor vehicles, except those for the disabled, are not allowed past the parking lot. The walk into Blackacre effectively separates the homestead from the rushed pace of automobiles and highways. It also serves as a pleasant introduction to a refreshingly different school day.

Lunches
Students bring their own sack lunches and drinks. In addition to lunch drinks, students may bring an extra drink or drinking water and cups. We do not have access to purified water. We recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

What to Wear
Blackacre is a Nature Preserve and farm. Have your students wear old clothing and shoes. Dress appropriately for the weather. Photocopy Appendix 4, “How to Dress in Cold Weather,” and send it home with your students.

Field Study Follow-Up
This field trip should be an enrichment of your classroom curriculum. Your experiences of the trip should not end when the trip is over; students should be encouraged to reflect upon experiences in the following ways:

Discuss with students what they learned and liked.
Write portfolio entries, letters of appreciation, articles in school newspapers, journal entries, booklets, or short stories—use the Blackacre Journal!
Build vocabulary lists with discussions of new words, meanings, and spellings.
Have students utilize murals, sketches, exhibits, scale models, songs, and drawings to personalize their experience.
Use recommendations in the Graphic Organizer to extend connections.

Evaluation
We send you an Evaluation Form shortly after your field trip. We appreciate all feedback we get; it helps us to develop better programs.

Additional Information
If you need any additional assistance or have any questions, please feel free to contact us.