Tripping on the Core: Utilizing Field Trips to Enhance the Common

Social Studies Research and Practice

www.socstrp.org

Volume 10 Number 2 96 Summer 2015

Tripping on the Core: Utilizing Field Trips to Enhance the Common Core

Joshua L. Kenna

Texas Tech University

William B. Russell III

University of Central Florida

The goal of this article is to expand on the use of field trips in social studies education,

particularly in the Common Core era. Meshing the goals of the Common Core Standards with

those of the corresponding high-stakes testing while providing an experiential learning is a

dilemma faced by some teachers. One launched argument suggests field trips are still relevant

and pertinent to meeting various educational standards including those found within the

Common Core. In an attempt to support this claim, we first discussed the literacy requirements

set out by Common Core Standards for History/Social Studies. We then examined the necessary

elements for properly planning and conducting field trips, which we referenced as the Field Trip

Effectiveness Model. Sample ideas for field trips such as: art and history museums; living

history experiences; historical sites, monuments and memorials; cemeteries; geographical sites;

banks and businesses; and government buildings are provided.

Keywords: Social studies; field trips; Common Core; inquiry-based learning, history,

geography

Many adults would agree some of the most memorable and influential lessons they had

during their school years involved field trips. Today, teachers are finding it difficult to balance

experiential learning techniques, such as field trips, with the demand of high-stakes testing.

Field trips are a teaching pedagogy of “lived learning” whereby “students actively learn through

the field experience and the interaction generated among the students as well as between teachers

and students” (Coughlin, 2010, p. 200). The educational atmosphere in the United States has

been filled with a greater sense of accountability particularly with the adoption and

implementation of the more rigorous Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (Vinson, Ross, &

Wilson, 2012). Many states, for various reasons, have altered their teacher evaluation systems

by tying them to student test scores (Hershberg & Robertson-Kraft, 2010). As a by-product,

field trips are being pushed to the wayside (Blachowicz & Obrochta, 2005; Coughlin, 2010;

Gillett, 2011; Nabors, Edwards, & Murray, 2009; Schatz, 2004; Stoddard, 2009).

The purpose of this article is to argue how viable a pedagogical practice field trips are

notwithstanding the dilemma teachers face meeting the CCSS and the corresponding high-stakes

testing. The first objective, therefore, is to describe the CCSS requirements for social studies

instructors. Second, it is necessary to explain the elements of an effective field trip. Finally, it is

appropriate to provide some example ideas of field trips that are designed to meet the Common

Core.


www.socstrp.org


Common Core State Standards Requirements for Social Studies Teachers

Text Complexity

The most obvious change seen since the implementation of the CCSS is the demand for

increased inclusion of complex texts. Text complexity is measured by the evaluation of three

factors: (a) qualitative, (b) quantitative, and (c) reader and task. The qualitative evaluation of

texts involves “…an attentive human reader, [which measures elements] such as levels of

meaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality and clarity; and knowledge demands”

(National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School

Officers [NGA], 2010b, p. 4). The quantitative evaluation of texts, meanwhile, refers to

elements “…such as word length or frequency, sentence length, and text cohesion, that are

difficult if not impossible for a human reader to evaluate efficiently, especially in long texts, and

are thus today typically measured by computer software” (NGA, 2010b, p. 4). Evaluation of

reader and task refer to the “…variables specific to particular readers (such as motivation,

knowledge, and experiences) and to particular tasks (such as purpose and the complexity of the

task assigned and the questions posed)…” (NGA, 2010b, p. 4).

For social studies teachers, complex texts may encompass the use of primary sources.

There is an understanding that English teachers should use a greater number of historically

relative texts in their instruction. Textbooks, as teachers may notice, are not included within the

complex text range. While this omission does not suggest students should not use textbooks, it

does suggest textbooks should not be students’ sole source of information.

Within field trips, complex texts use is not different from use in any other lesson.

Students still read complex texts to ascertain certain information before, during, or after the trip.

If students were to go to a museum, for example, teachers might want them to read some digital

primary sources or historical fiction titles to increase their background knowledge on a specific

topic. Meeting the new CCSS goes beyond the mere inclusion of complex texts, however, to

include the use of disciplinary literacy strategies.

Disciplinary Literacy Strategies

General literacy strategies are necessary for any teacher, including those in the social

studies. Still, the CCSS promotes the use of disciplinary literacy strategies as opposed to content

literacy strategies. According to Richard Vacca and Jo Anne Vacca (2008) “…content literacy

refers to the ability to use reading, writing, talking, listening, and viewing to learn subject matter

in a given discipline” (p.10). Content literacy, however, is a collection of study skills students

use to learn from subject matter specific texts (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2012). This literacy

“emphasizes techniques that a novice might use to make sense of a disciplinary text (such as how

to study a history book for an examination)…” (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2012, p. 8). Yet, the

CCSS emphasizes “College and career ready reading in [social studies that] requires an

appreciation of the norms and conventions of each discipline…” (NGA, 2010a, p. 60). In order

to generate historical understanding, historians utilize strategies such as sourcing,

contextualizing, and corroboration when analyzing and evaluating texts (Wineburg, 1991).

While many disciplines use some of the same literacy strategies, as above mentioned, the value

of each can vary from one discipline to the next and can be dictated by the information a user

wishes to retrieve (Shanahan, Shanahan, & Misichia, 2011). Disciplinary literacy, therefore,

strategies should influence students’ comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and literacy

learning found within each subject matter.


www.socstrp.org


Using disciplinary literacy strategies within field trips may seem challenging at first, but

teachers need to remember that a literate person does not just read books but he or she also reads

artifacts, images, and even conversations. When going on a field trip to a monument or

memorial, for example, students should be concerned with sourcing, contextualizing, and

corroboration and ask questions organized around those strategies such as, “Who organized the

monument, who paid for the monument, and when was the monument erected” (Waters &

Russell, 2013). Still, literacy strategies are simply a tool for acquiring information and social

studies teachers should also instill a framework of inquiry-based learning in students, which

should teach them how to locate and disaggregate information (Baildon & Damico, 2011).

Inquiry-based Learning

The CCSS support the use of a framework of inquiry-based learning as opposed to a

reliance on direct instruction. According to Mark Baildon and James S. Damico (2011) an

inquiry-based framework for the teaching and learning of social studies includes the following:

(a) identify worthy investigative questions, (b) locate useful and credible resources, (c) evaluate

resources, (d) synthesize the research, and (e) communicate the findings. The framers of the

CCSS state, “at a curricular or instructional level, texts—within and across grade levels—need to

be selected around topics or themes that systematically develop the knowledge base of students”

(NGA, 2010a, p. 33). Such use of thematic texts encourages a framework of inquiry-based

learning as it provides students with ample opportunities and information to thoroughly explore a

topic. Teaching with a framework of inquiry-based learning also promotes and fosters

independent learners, which is a top priority of the CCSS.

Aligning an inquiry-based project and a field trip does not have to be challenging.

Teachers just need to make sure that they set clear objectives and perimeters when using a field

trip within an inquiry-based project. Teachers could use a field trip to a cemetery, for example,

in order to help students answer the question, “What was life like 100 years ago in our

community?” The teacher should also have students create sub-questions like, “what was the

major ethnic group, what was the most dominate religion, and who were the most influential

communities members?” Of course, a field trip to a cemetery would not be enough on its own to

fully and adequately answer all of those questions as many cemeteries are segregated based on

race or religion, but it would be a valuable source when coupled with certain public records. The

final step within an inquiry-based project includes communicating one’s findings. It seems

appropriate the literacy integration emphasized by the new CCSS includes addressing students’

writing, speaking, and listening skills.

Writing, Speaking, and Listening Skills

A critical aspect of learning in any discipline involves learning to communicate through

speech as well as writing. The notion students are required to learn to write is nothing new;

however, the Common Core State Standards place a greater emphasis on the number and variety

of situations where students are required to communicate. Social studies teachers, therefore,

should offer frequent opportunities for students to participate in meaningful task-oriented

dialogues through various mediums as writing, speaking, and listening are vital skills students

will need to properly and effectively participate in a democratic society. Including the

instruction of these communicative skills within field trips is an easy task. The key is to have

students practice those skills throughout the before, during, and after field trip stages. Before

going on a field trip to a government building, for example, students could write interview

questions they wish to have answered by an official. When conducting the actual interviews,


www.socstrp.org


students should be practicing their speaking and listening skills. At the culmination of the trip,

students could write reports suitable for publication, on various social media platforms, reflecting

their interview with the government official. However, what else does a teacher need to know

about field trips in order to address and meet the CCSS?

Effective Elements of a Field Trip

Aside from logistical planning, teachers must address three elements when conducting

field trips: (a) Pre-trip, (b) during-trip, and (c) Post-trip. We refer to these as the Field Trip

Effectiveness Model. There is no definitive model for conducting a field trip, but by keeping

these three elements in mind one may ensure a field trip’s success as it relates to students’

cognitive and affective learning gains. These stages ideally should be planned.

Pre-Trip Element

As a field trip date approaches, teachers may wish to prepare students with a pre-trip

activity. There is evidence to suggest that preparation has a significant influence on students’

cognitive and affective learning gains and should include some level of background knowledge

on the specific content to be taught (Bitgood, 1994). Students should be made aware of any

particular rules as well be orientated of the field trip site by showing pictures, maps, or allowing

some time at the start of the trip to explore an area. Orienting students to field trip sites, protects

them from experiencing a cognitive overload (Kisiel, 2006a, Kubota & Olstad, 1991). Students

and chaperones should also be given an agenda to improve student learning during a trip

(Bitgood).

In order to address the demands of the Common Core State Standards, teachers utilize the

pre-trip phase to introduce complex texts to students as a means of preparing them for the field

trip. Students interact in some form of open dialogue amongst themselves such: Socratic

seminars, philosophical chairs, or debates. It is within this phase, students should begin the

inquiry cycle of identifying worthy investigative questions. Ideally, the field trip site serves as at

least one useful and credible resource. Graphic organizers could be introduced in this stage to

help students visually process information.

During-Trip Element Though several sites offer guided or docent led tours, hands-on activities, or interactive

games, teachers need to ensure the site’s activities support their particular curricular demands.

Limiting the scope of a tour may prove to be difficult for some teachers, though, because in

many instances, field trip sites are designed for public audiences thus offering a wide-range of

options. As such, teachers are given a complete tour in a short time, which may only gloss over

the curricular material (Kisiel, 2006a). The use of worksheets as an instructional tool, is a

common sight and although well made worksheets may help students utilize their observational

skills, the popular scavenger hunt worksheets often turn sites into a textbook where answers are

found on plaques and other written materials (Kisiel, 2006b). As a result, students may become

interested in only locating the pertinent information from plaques or signs. Teachers, instead,

should remember activities should be designed with student learning in mind. Activities aligned

with the inquiry processes that began during the pre-trip element, may be implemented. Such

activities may include the continual use of complex texts and graphic organizers. Students could

communicate with experts. Students could also collect some kind of empirical data while

observing the sites (e.g. observational notes, pictures, audio recordings, or interview notes). By


www.socstrp.org


allowing students to engage in these activities, teachers could expose students to disciplinary

literacy strategies thus continuing the inquiry processes within the social studies.

Post-Trip Element

A field trip often serves as a springboard into, or culmination of, a unit (Kisiel, 2006a);

thus, post-trip activities serve as critical components in solidifying the inquiry process. Post-trip

activities are the least utilized element by teachers perhaps because they desire to move on with

required curriculum (Falk & Dierking, 2000; Marcus, Levine, & Grenier, 2012). The few

teachers who implement post-trip activities often rely on simple and informal classroom

discussions (Marcus, Levine, & Grenier).

Teachers should develop post-trip activities as a means of completing the inquiry process

by having students finalize their syntheses of research. Through this process, students can create

any number of communicative pieces such as: picture collages, journal entries or essays,

portfolios, podcasts, or documentaries. These products, additionally, could address real world

issues and could be shared with outside parties. Teachers may also use this time to evaluate a

field trip in order to improve the experience for future students. By using the Field Trip

Effectiveness Model, a teacher can better align a field trip with an inquiry model of learning. An

inquiry model allows teachers to utilize complex texts and ensures students are using disciplinary

literacy strategies to extract the necessary information to complete the inquiry. The question

often asked is, “What does this look like?”

Field Trip Ideas

Below are several sample ideas for field trips a social studies teacher could make use of

to meet the Common Core State Standards. Each example is appropriate for a particular type of

field trip site (i.e. museums, living history sites, monuments or memorials, cemeteries,

geographical sites, businesses, and government buildings). With each scenario, the Field Trip

Effectiveness Model is addressed. The activities, below listed, are aligned with the anchor

standards for the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in

History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (see Figure 1). A graphic organizer is

used with each sample field trip.


www.socstrp.org


Figure 1. CCSS Anchor Standards Addressed in Example Field Trips

Art and History Museums There are thousands of art and history museums across America making them highly

accessible for social studies teachers. For a useful during-trip activity for these particular field

trips, students can create and keep a history journal, whereby they analyze and evaluate each

exhibit, document, art piece, and artifact encountered. One way to teach students how to analyze

documents is to use an Inference Graphic Organizer (see Figure 2). The idea behind an

Inference Graphic Organizer is to assist students how to visually see how small bits of

information found within an exhibit can help them come to larger conclusions or inferences. For

a pre-trip activity, students could explore a museum’s website to create and answer questions

regarding a particular exhibit. For the post-trip activity, students may discuss their critiques and

evaluations in a Socratic seminar fashion where they would ask open-ended questions, such as:

“Identify and justify what point-of-view you believe was displayed in the particular exhibit.”


www.socstrp.org


Students could utilize their history journals for future assignments in the classroom regarding

other exhibits for activities like discussions, debates, essays, and collaborative projects.


www.socstrp.org


Figure 2. Inference Graphic Organizer


www.socstrp.org


Living History Experiences

Living history experiences, such as war reenactments, allow students to be immersed in a

particular historical setting. Many of the potential living history experiences are held during

specific times throughout the year making for certain logistical restrictions. The benefits of

living history experiences are found in the interaction between the historical interpreter and the

students (Barnes, 1978). In order to connect these types of field trips to the enhancement of

literacy students should conduct interviews with the historical interpreters. For a pre-trip activity

to a living history experience, students should read pertinent texts relative to the experiences

being offered in order to create thought provoking questions. As a post-trip activity students

may use information gained from interviews to create a newspaper or magazine article (written

in either a present or past perspective). They may publish it on a classroom blog or wiki. The

use of technologies such as video recorders, digital cameras, voice recorders, and editing

software (e.g. iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, and Audacity) can fit nicely with these types of

field trips, as students could conduct exclusive interviews. In order to help students conduct an

interview, you could have students complete a graphic organizer (see Figure 3). The graphic

organizer can help them determine what information they want to gain from the interview and

how to ask the right questions in order to get that information.

Figure 3. Conducting an Interview Graphic Organizer


www.socstrp.org


Historical Sites, Monuments and Memorials

There are thousands of historical sites, monuments, and memorials across the United

States representing a variety of national and local events; as well as individuals (e.g. a Medal of

Honor recipient) and groups (e.g. World War II veterans). As opposed to museums, where staff

members are often present, historical sites may only be represented by a single plaque or sign

thus, requiring significant preparation on the part of the teacher. Due to the vast number of

potential sites, teachers could potentially visit these sites during a single class period. Some

schools might even have several plaques on their campuses that relates to the history of their

school. It is important to note not all monument or memorials are located at historical sites, as

many municipalities have monuments or memorials located in parks or downtowns. As a sample

field trip, students could visit a historical site, monument, or memorial as part of a research

project, whereby they must keep detailed notes about what they learn. Students could utilize a

graphic organizer (see Figure 4) to help them organize their research questions and search

criterion. As a pre-trip activity, students would benefit from read about a specific site using non-

fiction titles. As a post-trip activity students, could create a podcast, which examines the value a

historical site, monument, or memorial provides to the local, regional, or national landscape.

The podcast should also explore the reasons why the historical site, monument, or memorial was

established in its particular location.


www.socstrp.org


Figure 4. I-search Chart Graphic Organizer

Cemeteries

Field trips to cemeteries might bring about a feeling of apprehension for some; yet,

cemeteries are a reliable location to learn about social studies. Nearly every community has a

cemetery, making them possible destinations for many teachers, but significant planning is

required in order to use a cemetery, as they are not generally visited for the purposes of

educating students. As for an example field trip to a cemetery, students could tour a facility and

identify significant gravesites. Students may again utilize history journals and record various

data they discover such as oldest and newest gravesites, longest and shortest life span, ethnic and

religious affiliations, and thought provoking epitaphs. Students could also use the Inference

Graphic Organizer to help them come to their conclusions. As a pre-trip activity students, would


www.socstrp.org


benefit from reading about the local community and generating generalizations about each era.

As they visit a cemetery, students must search for evidence to support or debunk their

generalizations by examining the tombstones including the artwork or architecture, epitaphs, and

how the gravesites are plotted. Some of the topics that could be discovered about each era

include average life spans, popular ethnic or religious affiliations; significant times of death, or

popular families. Finally, as a post-trip activity, students could use the data they collected as part

of a historical case study of their local community, culminating in a written report, documentary,

or podcast.

Geographical Sites

Geography is a unique discipline that brings together the physical and human dimensions

of the world in order to study people, places, and environments through spatial perspective

(Fernald, 2002; Geography for Life, 1994). There is a broad spectrum of field trips available for

this discipline. Numerous state and national parks allow student visitations. For this type of

field trip, students could examine the geographical features, as well as discover the history

surrounding the area. Students could record data about the variety of vegetation, rock

formations, and other geographical features in a geography journal. For a pre-trip activity,

students could make predictions and compare them with those of classmates using a Venn

diagram. As a post-trip activity, students could again compare their findings with the same

classmate. They could use the collected data to create a presentation that includes: graphs,

charts, and tables in order to explain the area they researched spatially. Students could use the

data to write essays advocating for important conservation issues, which could be published or

presented to outside agencies such as local governments.

Banks and Businesses Field trips to banks and businesses are a great way to demonstrate how economic

concepts studied in class are applied in the real world. Naturally, teachers will need to locate

banks and businesses willing to allow field trips. Teachers should be aware not all businesses

are confined within buildings. Students could visit farms, groves, or orchards in order to discuss

natural capital and human resources. Teachers could assign research projects whereby students

visit a variety of local businesses in order to gain an accurate depiction of how those businesses

operate. Students could visit a bank or business and conduct interviews with employees to

investigate how particular economic concepts are used in a particular industry. Graphic

organizer can be implemented to assist them in organizing their interview questions ahead of

time. As a pre-trip activity, students should research texts regarding the particular economic

concept in question to create the interview questions. For the post-trip activity, students could

use the information gained from the interviews to create an informational video or blog, which

can be published.

Government Buildings Teachers may choose to use field trips to government buildings due to the authenticity of

the locations. Examples include: police and fire stations, city halls, judicial centers, detention

centers, state capitols, and federal buildings. Not all government buildings allow field trips

while others may even have a designated educational resource department. Teachers need to be

aware that nearly all of these destinations are working office buildings and students should dress

and act appropriately. Therefore, on a field trip to a state’s capitol building students could act as

journalists and conduct interviews with their local representative to discover their

responsibilities, as well as learn about their views on pertinent issues. For the pre-trip activity,


www.socstrp.org


students could read about various capitol cities and buildings using the Internet. Students may

become acquainted with their representatives’ political platforms and recent political decisions.

They may use a graphic organizer to help them organize the information they want to learn in

order to draft appropriate interview questions. As a post-trip activity, students could possibly

organize the information they gathered to create a children’s book explaining what they learned.

Conclusion

It is understandable why teachers might choose to limit or eliminate field trips from the

social studies curriculum given the new CCSS demands. Field trips, however, have long served

to enhance learning as well as foster growth in students by providing students with a variety of

experiences and increasing their content knowledge while simultaneously allowing for greater

retention (DeWitt & Storksdieck, 2008; Krepel & DuVall, 1981). Teachers should consider how

field trips could benefit their students while also helping them address the curriculum demands.

We have attempted to demonstrate how valuable field trips can be when used in tandem

with complex texts, disciplinary literacy strategies, and inquiry-based learning. They also serve

to foster communication skills among students. Following the Field Trip Effectiveness Model,

which includes pre-, during-, and post-trip elements, in addition to addressing the Common Core

State Standards, teachers may find field trips are not arbitrary tasks used only for the reward and

enjoyment of students. Field trips, instead, will serve as a mechanism for conducting and

completing a full research cycle.

References

Baildon, M., & Damico, J. (2011). Social studies as new literacies in a global society: Relational

cosmopolitanism in the classroom. New York: Routledge.

Barnes, L. J. (1978). Living history in the junior high school classroom. History Teacher. 11,

509-513.

Bitgood, S. (1994). What do we know about school field trips? In R. J. Hannapel (Ed.), What

research says about learning in science museums. (pp. 12-16). Washington DC:

Association of Science-Technology Centers.

Blachowicz, C. L. Z. & Obrochta, C. (2005). Vocabulary visits: Virtual field trips for content

vocabulary development. Reading Teacher, 59(3), 262-268.

Coughlin, P. K. (2010). Making field trips count: Collaborating for meaningful experiences.

Social Studies, 101(5), 200-210.

DeWitt, J., & Storksdieck, M. (2008). A short review of school field trips: key findings from the

past and implications for the future. Visitor Studies, 11(2), 181-197.

Falk, J. H., & Dierking, L. D. (2000). Learning from museums: Visitor experiences and the

making of meaning. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press.

Fernald, E. A. (2002). Using the definition of geography to develop teaching strategies. Journal

of Geography, 101(3), 126-130.

Geography Education Standards Project. (1994). Geography for Life. Washington, DC: National

Geographic Research and Exploration.

Gillett, J. (2011). The use of experiential education and field trips for learning. Journal of

Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 20(2), 173-177.

Hershberg, T. & Robertson-Kraft, C. (2010). Maximizing the opportunity provided by ‘Race to

the Top’. Perspectives on Urban Education, 7(1), 128-131.


www.socstrp.org


Kisiel, J. F. (2006a). Making field trips work: Strategies for creating an effective learning

experience. The Science Teacher, 73(1), 46-48.

Kisiel, J. F. (2006b). More than lions and tigers and bears-creating meaningful field trip lessons.

Science Activities, 43(2), 7-10

Krepel, W. J., & DuVall, C. R. (1981). Field trips: A guide for planning and conducting

educational experiences. Washington, D. C.: National Education Association.

Kubota, C., & Olstad, R. (1991). Effects of novelty reducing preparation on exploratory behavior

and cognitive learning in a science museum setting. Journal of Research in Science

Teaching, 28, 225–234.

Marcus, A. S., Levine, T. H., & Grenier, R. S. (2012). How secondary history teachers use and

think about museums: Current practices and untapped promise for promoting historical

understanding. Theory and Research in Social Education, 40(1), 66-97.

Nabors, M. L., Edwards, L. C., & Murray, R. K. (2009). Making the case for field trips: What

research tells us and what site coordinators have to say. Education, 129(4), 661-667.

Schatz, D. (2004). The field trip challenge: finding common ground. ASTC Dimensions,

September/October, 3(5).

Shanahan, C., Shanahan, T., & Misichia, C. (2011). Analysis of expert readers in three

disciplines: History, mathematics, and chemistry. Journal of Literacy Research, 43, 393-

429.

Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2012). What is disciplinary literacy and why does it matter?

Topics in Language Disorders, 32(1), 7-18.

Stoddard, J. (2009). Toward a virtual field trip model for the social studies. Contemporary Issues

in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(4), 412-438.

Vacca, R. T., & Vacca, J. L. (2002). Content area reading (9th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Vinson, K., Ross, E., & Wilson, M. (2011). Standards-based educational reform and social

studies education: A critical introduction. In W. Russell III (Ed.), Contemporary social

studies: An essential reader (pp.153-172). Charlotte, NC: Information Age.

Waters, S. & Russell, W. B. (2013). Visual literacy strategies for the social studies classroom. In

T. Lintner (Ed.), Integrative strategies for the K-12 social studies classroom (pp. 209-

232). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Wineburg, S. (1991). Historical problem solving: A study of the cognitive processes used in the

evaluation of documentary and pictorial evidence. Journal of Educational Psychology,

83, 73–87.

Web-based References National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School

Officers [NGA & CCSSO]. (2010a). Common Core State Standards for English

language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.

Washington D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council

of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved from

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School

Officers [NGA & CCSSO]. (2010b). Common Core State Standards for English

language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects:

Appendix A. Washington D.C.: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf


www.socstrp.org


& Council of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved from

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

Author Bios

Joshua L. Kenna is Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech University,

where he teaches graduate level courses. His research interests include: enhancing the teaching

and learning social studies with film, social issues, and experiential methods. Before entering

higher education, he taught secondary social studies in Florida. E-mail: [email protected]

William B. Russell III is Associate Professor of Social Science Education at The University of

Central Florida. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Social Studies Research and

as the Director of The International Society for the Social Studies. E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

Tripping on the Core: Utilizing Field Trips to Enhance the Common