This month a few teachers are giving their students a chance to connect their curriculum to real life experiences through field trips.
Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum
An open-air theater stands in the midst of Topanga Canyon, bustling with people as they prepare for the arrival of the students of English teachers Ms. Vanessa Hadikusumah and Ms. Kendra Miller. The canyon will be their last destination during their field trip to Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum on April 29.
The English students will begin the trip by learning about Elizabethan England and the Shakespearean stage. This will be followed by a drama workshop and then a full length-performance of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The experience is possible because of Ms. Hadikusumah, who received a grant that covered much of the field trip’s cost.
“This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to experience live theater and bring relevance to the school curriculum,” Ms. Hadikusumah said. “It wil bring the Shakespearean text we read in class alive and students are better able to connect to the language, characters and themes.”
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
The costumes from “Anna Karenina,” winner of last year’s Academy Award for Best Costume Design, stand out in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s 22nd Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition. The Illustration, Creative Clothing and Advanced Art students of Art teacher Ms. Diane Chang Ho and Creative Clothing teacher Ms. Kim Allen toured FIDM on April 24.
Ms. Chang Ho applied for and received a grant from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, which covered all of the trip’s expenses. She also invited Ms. Allen to bring her class along.
The students of both classes met with a color trend analyst during the field trip. This meeting, a tour around the school and a visit to the museum and exhibition gave students a chance to broaden their horizons and have a look at professional designs.
Both teachers also took their classes shopping in downtown LA’s fashion district afterwards, with Ms. Allen showing her students the many fabrics available.
“There are so many more textiles available downtown than at any local fabric store, and they can see the prices of what they would cost if they were at a professional shop,” Ms. Allen said. “It’s more of a professional experience as well.”
Los Angeles Zoo
A long trumpeting sound erupts from the Los Angeles Zoo’s Elephants of Asia exhibit, where the students of Ms. Hadikusumah and Biology teacher Ms. Janny Wong are gathered. They explored the zoo to learn about ecology and to enhance their English skills on April 1.
This field trip was organized by Ms. Hadikusumah, who wanted her ELD3 students to learn to interact more in English. Since she shared many students with Ms. Wong, the two teachers decided to bring their overlapping students to the zoo, a feat largely possible thanks to donations from parents.
During the trip, the students were allowed to roam freely around the zoo in their desired groups. They each had a worksheet to complete, which included asking a zookeeper a minimum of two questions and recording their experiences. Afterwards, Ms. Wong assigned projects to these students, where they had to make either a video, PowerPoint, storybook or album summarizing their worksheets.
“I think that this was very successful,” Ms. Wong said. “They all liked it overall and I’m very happy with the results. They did very well.”