Outside the Classroom
At Berkwood Hedge we take advantage of the rich and diverse cultural resources and beautiful natural landscape available to us here in the Bay Area. Field trips are carefully planned to enhance classroom learning, connect students to the larger community, and support children's ecological understanding.
Kindergarten
Field trips in the SPIRIT class allow us to enjoy the vibrancy of many Bay Area neighborhoods and resources for example. We make many visits to the North Berkeley Senior Center, frequent our local public library, take a walking tour of Chinatown in San Francisco, learn the inner workings of our post office, enjoy the biodiversity at the Berkeley Marina, and more.
First Grade
As first graders, the WOOD class studies community and our field trips add a great deal to this study. From hiking at Tilden Park to traveling on BART to the San Francisco Symphony, to journeying to Ano Nuevo to see the elephant seals, our trips engage the children in many aspects of community life.
Second Grade
In the EARTH class, field trips are an opportunity to experience and deepen the connection between our learning and the world in which we live. Cultural events such as museum exhibits, and dance, music, and theater performances connect thematically to classroom curriculum. We take naturalist-guided hikes in Berkeley's Regional Parks and go on a two-night family camping trip to Cazadero to make our in-class study of woodlands and animals come alive.
Third Grade
In the AIR class, field trips are an extension of the learning that happens in the classroom. As we read the biography of Cesar Chavez, we work at a local garden, planting and potting strawberry plants. The students later distribute the plants to neighbors along with a card that tells about Chavez's contribution to the farming community. In the spring, the class goes on an overnight trip to Full Belly Farm. We camp out and help with farm rituals such as picking crops, milking cows and feeding chickens.
Fourth Grade
Field trips in the WATER class are an integral part of the California history curriculum. A few highlights include: touring an authentically reconstructed Coast Miwok village at Point Reyes National Seashore; hiking at Sunol Regional Wilderness, where students learn about how native plants were used by Ohlone people; and studying the life and work of Rancho San Antonio at Peralta Hacienda Historical Park. We culminate with a 3-day trip to the Sierra foothills where students participate in living history activities related to the Gold Rush.
Fifth Grade
The FIRE class takes several field trips throughout the year that connect to various topics of study. Examples of field trips include: a visit to FDR's yacht in the Oakland Harbor as part of our study of U.S. history, a trip to SF MOMA to see a current exhibit to complement the art program, and a lunch trip to a local Mexican restaurant to practice speaking Spanish. The year culminates with a 4-day program at MOSAIC. The MOSAIC Project's mission is to bring together children of diverse backgrounds and to teach them the skills to get along in our increasingly complicated world.