Editing Field trip (section)

==Overview==
The purpose of the field trip is usually ''[[observation]]'' for [[education]], non-experimental [[research]] or to provide students with experiences outside their everyday activities, such as going camping with teachers and their classmates. The aim of this research is to observe the subject in its natural state and possibly collect samples. It is seen that more-advantaged children may have already experienced cultural institutions outside of school, and field trips provide common ground between more-advantaged and less-advantaged children to share the same cultural experiences.<ref name="GreeneKisidaBowen">{{cite magazine |last1=Greene |first1=Jay P. |author-link1=Jay P. Greene |last2=Kisida |first2=Brian |last3=Bowen |first3=Daniel H. |date=2014 |title=The Educational Value of Field Trips |url=https://www.educationnext.org/the-educational-value-of-field-trips/ |department=Research |magazine=[[Education Next]] |publisher=Hoover Institution |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=78–86 |issn=1539-9672 |access-date=4 May 2015}}</ref>

Field trips often involve three steps: preparation, activities and follow-up activity. Preparation applies to both the students and the teachers. Teachers often take the time to learn about the destination and the subject before the trip. Activities on the field trips often include: [[lecture]]s, [[Guided tour|tours]], [[worksheet]]s, videos and demonstrations. Follow-up activities are generally discussions in the classroom once the field trip is completed.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bitgood|first1=Stephen|title=School Field Trips: An Overview|journal=Visitor Behavior|date=1989|pages=3–6|volume=4|issue=2|publisher=Center for Social Design; Visitor Studies Association|url=http://kora.matrix.msu.edu/files/31/173/1F-AD-10E-8-VSA-a0a2f0-a_5730.pdf|issn=0892-4996|editor-first=Stephen|editor-last=Bitgood}}</ref>

In [[Western culture]] people first come across this method during school years when classes are taken on school trips to visit a [[geological]] or [[geographical]] feature of the landscape, for example. Much of the early research into the [[natural sciences]] was of this form. [[Charles Darwin]] is an important example of someone who has contributed to science through the use of field trips.{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}}

Popular field trip sites include zoos, [[nature centers]], community agencies such as fire stations and hospitals, [[Government agency|government agencies]], local businesses, [[amusement parks]], [[science museum]]s and factories. Field trips provide alternative educational opportunities for children and can benefit the community if they include some type of community service. Field trips also let students take a break from their normal routine and experience more hands-on learning. Places like zoos and nature centers often have an interactive display that allows children to touch plants or animals.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kulas|first1=Michelle|title=What are the Benefits of Field Trips for Children?|url=http://www.livestrong.com/article/127612-benefits-field-trips-children/|website=How To Adult|publisher=[[Leaf Group]]|access-date=4 March 2015}}</ref>

Today, culturally enriching field trips are in decline. Museums across the United States report a steep drop in school tours. For example, the [[Field Museum of Natural History|Field Museum]] in [[Chicago]] at one time welcomed more than 300,000 students every year. Recently, the number is below 200,000. Between 2002 and 2007, Cincinnati arts organizations saw a 30 percent decrease in student attendance. A survey by the [[American Association of School Administrators]] found that more than half of schools eliminated planned field trips in 2010–11.<ref name="GreeneKisidaBowen" />