Book Review: Informal Learning and Field Trips: Engaging Students in Standards-Based Experiences Across the K-5 Curriculum

Network News Fall 2008
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Book Review: Informal Learning and Field Trips: Engaging Students in Standards-Based Experiences Across the K – 5 Curriculum, by Leah Melber. 160 pp. Corwin Press, 2007.
By Ron Rohovit, Ed.D. Deputy Director, Education, Amgen Center for Science Learning, California Science Center


Dr. Melber’s new book is a welcome addition to the field and should be on the bookshelf of every school teacher, museum educator, and informal learning educator. Dr. Melber has written a book that gives K - 5 teachers the activities, rationale and resources to design exemplary field trip experiences for their students. For the museum educator, this book provides insight into the classroom teachers’ world, explains the theoretical base that supports informal learning, and suggests ways to shape an on-site field trip experience which best use the dynamic and rich educational experiences and environments our institutions have to offer.

The first chapter provides teachers with useful information on how to pick the right destination, link the field trip to the curriculum and content standards, address logistical items, and deliver relevant on-site field trip activities and supportive classroom activities. The next several chapters focus on specific pre-, post- and on-site explorations in science, language arts, social science, math and fine arts that will make a trip to the science museum, cultural or historic site, art museum or grocery store a meaningful and memorable educational experience. The activities are linked to national content standards, rooted in research, and are easy to understand. They come with activity sheets, and have additional resources listed.

Dr. Melber has also provided information for teachers of special needs students. This information will not only help the classroom teacher, but will help inform museum educators wanting to ensure that their institutions are accessible to everyone. An important chapter provides the rationale and arguments that a teacher can use to justify the field trip to an administrator. This chapter is also useful to the museum educator or informal educator writing a grant to support field trips.

This excellent book provides everything but the bus for teachers designing and planning field trips. For museum educators, this book contains a wealth of on-site activities, research and resources for helping to make our unique environments more educational and accessible to our schools and community groups. At the Science Center, we use Dr. Melber’s book as the text for our teacher and community educator professional development program on designing field trip experiences and provide participants with copies.

Ron Rohovit, Ed.D., oversees the Science Center’s charter elementary school. Prior to this position, Ron was the Director of Education at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He has been in the informal science learning field for over 18 years, managing education departments; researching learning experiences; and developing and delivering programs for educators, school groups and the general public.

The Museum Education Roundtable
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