Learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom, and at all of our campuses we recognize and embrace this with outdoor activities and field trips. While students do learn skills such as teamwork, perseverance, and leadership in their daily classes, these skills will one day be put to the test in real-life situations. How will they respond? Outdoor activities and field trips are ways we can foster these attributes and help our students learn the vital social and emotional skills they need for success.
Our teachers and school leaders have developed, chaperoned, and led a number of outdoor activities and field trips this year. Let’s go outside with our schools and see what we have learned.
BASIS International School Nanjing
Grades 4 and 5 students at BASIS International School Nanjing took a late spring field trip in May to a nearby camp for a day of new outdoor activities. Students learned how to canoe, and participated in archery. Both activities require focus and practice–two skills our students will need to develop to ensure their continued academic and personal success.
BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour
At BASIS International School Park Lane Harbour, Grades 8 – 10 students took separate field trips in March to test their mental and physical stamina through a series of outdoor challenges. The camp mission for Grade 10 was “Wilderness Survival,” where they worked together to complete basic survival projects such as making fire, camp cooking, water purification, and shelter building. For many students, this was their first taste of outdoor camping and survival skills, and it definitely helped to build their trust in each other and use their critical thinking skills to solve real world problems.
Grades 8 and 9 students went to a different camp with the mission of team building and physical and mental challenges. High ropes courses, team caterpillar races, archery, and other team building exercises forced students to work together to solve problems and best the other teams in friendly competition through teamwork.
“It has been wonderful to be able to accompany our students off campus to take part in a variety of Outdoor Activities. One aim of this was to take them to an unfamiliar setting where they would be able to develop their leadership skills, co-operation and communications skills, show initiative in tasks and empathize with other students. Another aim was for our students to face personal challenges and see whether they would accept the challenge, such as climbing the rock wall, or trying the high ropes course, or whether they would refuse to try for fear of failure.
An important aspect is the reflection of the day. This is something we have been able to do during our monthly assemblies. Students have been able to use the learning process to think if they are a leader who just tells others what to do, or one who can encourage others to keep trying. Are they someone who shares their ideas with the group, or who is a follower and lets others take the initiative? Is there anything they would do differently in the future with the next challenge they face or group task, be this at school, university or at work?
The outdoor environment offers a fantastic learning platform from which students can use to springboard into the future with a new perspective on themselves.”
– Barbara Lee, Physical Education teacher
BASIS International School Shenzhen
At the close of the fall semester of the 2020-21 school year, Kindergarten students from BASIS International School Shenzhen took a field trip to nearby Evergreen Park where they explored animal exhibits, and journeyed through the rainforest. With help from their teachers, the students tested their physical limits on rope bridges and ramps in the jungle playground.
In the spring semester, Grade 4 students also visited Evergreen Park for an outdoor class incorporating everything they had learned during the semester. A large portion of the day was focused on science–concluding their current unit on biology. They compared plants and animals growing in each of the park’s ecosystems, then drew conclusions on whether the species was perfectly suited to its environment. Engineering and math concepts were also put into work as they analyzed the water mill, while discussing crop growth and its fundamental significance in history.
Students then practiced their language skills by reflecting upon the trip in English:
“We practiced our observation skills as well as the skill of taking notes.”
“Today’s field trip brought me happiness and friendship.”
“Besides school knowledge, I also learned many life skills today. One of the most significant ones was teamwork.”
BASIS International School Guangzhou
Boys and girls scout troops at BASIS International School Guangzhou took their most ambitious adventure yet with a camping trip to Nankun Mountain–an area of wild natural beauty, thickly forested, with no signs of civilization to be seen. Perfect for our scouts to develop their skills.
Our scouts’ tenacity was tested with a highly challenging hike through the dense mountainside forest–at times literally forcing a path through the jungle–then following the dried river to return to the camp. Along with these physical challenges, the scouts had to bring their own supplies and cook for themselves. The girls troop even took it a step further by building a swing made of only bamboo.
Enjoyable trips and activities such as these make learning fun for both teachers and students, and give everyone a story to tell when they return to campus. Let’s go outside and learn!
Read more from the Head of School about a recent trip BASIS International School Hangzhou students took to visit BASIS International School Nanjing.
Visit our careers website for more information about teaching with BASIS International Schools.
