With support from the Green Fee Project, UTeach Outreach & partnering student organizations lead over 700 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students from Austin-area schools on field trips through the UT campus. Two additional field trips for adults, community members, and UT students will take place. Led by interns and volunteers, students learn how the scientific method is used in algae research; the importance of conserving resources; different plants' environmental benefits; man-made energy sources, biofuels, and energy transformations. Field trip activities include tours of the Hal C. Weaver Power Plant and the biological green houses, as well as an ecological scavenger hunt at the turtle pond. The field trips are sponsored by UTeach Outreach, the UT Sustainability Office's Green Fee Project.
For Local Teachers:
Taking your students on one of our scientific expeditions allows them to see how the concepts you teach in the classroom work beyond it. If you are interested in organizing a scientific expedition that explores sustainability for your students, please complete the survey. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at UTeach.Outreach@austin.utexas.edu. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade are identified for each field trip.
For UT Students:
If you or your organization is interested in inspiring the next generation of scientists with engaging, hands-on lessons, please volunteer to give a tour. Share your love of UT, and spend the day with an amazing group of kids while you’re at it. For more information, please contact us at UTeach.Outreach@austin.utexas.edu. All training and related materials will be provided by UTeach Outreach. Click here to sign up to volunteer!
Field Trip Schedule for Spring 2013
Wednesday, January 23rd. 3rd & 4th grade. Full
Thursday, January 24th. 3rd & 4th grade. Full
Monday, January 28th. 3rd & 4th grade. Full
Friday, February 22nd. 5th grade. Full
Friday, March 1st. 3rd & 4th grade. Full
Friday, April 5th. 5th grade. Full
Friday, April 12th. 5th grade. Full
Friday, April 19th. 5th grade. Full
Campus Sustainability and Research Tour 1. Date & time coming soon! (for UT students and community)
Campus Sustainability and Research Tour 2. Date & time coming soon! (for UT students and community)
Field Trip Blogs:
UTeach Outreach Field Trip: New Sustainability Tours!
UTeach Outreach is very excited to announce a new project rolling out this semester! This April, we are debuting two brand new tours that highlight sustainability research and green efforts taking place on the University of Texas campus. The tour includes visits to two of the university's greenhouses, the UTEX algae lab where algae is researched and grown, and the new Student Activity Center, a LEED-certified building recognized by the US Green Building Council for its sustainable design.
March 2nd Field Trip
Today, we had our second field trip of the semester. 43 very excited 5th graders from Matthews Elementary School came out to learn about sustainability through hands-on experiments around campus. We enjoyed the turtle pond scavenger hunt and even found a giant snapping turtle. We also toured the Hal C. Weaver Power Plant and talked about recycling electrical energy.
