Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence fourth graders take part in an Education in Action Discover Texas Field Trip

Written by Education in Action

Fourth graders from Garland ISD's Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence traveled to Austin and San Antonio on an Education in Action Discover Texas Field Trip Thursday, May 16, 2024, to experience what they are learning in Texas History and science. Students visited the Texas State Capitol, The Alamo, and Inner Space Cavern.

During the charter bus ride to Austin, students discussed why Texans are so proud of their unique heritage and participated in activities and games in preparation for their day. In Austin the students visited the Texas State Capitol where their legislators, The Honorable Bob Hall, State Senator, District 2 and The Honorable Ana-Maria Ramos, State Representative, District 102, office. Students saw first-hand where Texas laws are made as they toured the State Capitol with a focus on Texas leaders, past and present. Students then traveled to San Antonio where they toured The Alamo, one of the most famous missions in the United States, and learned about the Battle of the Alamo’s role in the Texas Revolution. On the way home, the students visited Inner Space Cavern where the students panned for, and identified, minerals found in the cavern. Through participation in hands-on activities, they learned about the water cycle and how all living creatures in ecosystems are interconnected. They concluded their day by watching the Earth's processes at work as they traveled underground to explore Inner Space Cavern.

“Education in Action’s Discover Texas Field Trips are based on the understanding that the most effective way for students to learn is through experience,” stated Jennifer Pasteur, Education in Action's Executive Director. “Student activities during Discover Texas Field Trips reinforce and supplement Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) learning objectives in fun and hands-on ways at significant Texas sites that bring the content to life.”

Education in Action’s Discover Texas Field Trips make it easy for teachers to take their 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade classrooms on organized, fun, and educational site-based learning experiences. Discover Texas Field Trip staff members handle all details, including round-trip charter bus transportation, reservations, and TEKS-based program curriculum, so participating teachers can focus on their students and making connections between the experience and what students are learning in the classroom.

In addition to Discover Texas Field Trips to Abilene, Austin, San Antonio, Waco/Georgetown, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Education in Action also offers summer Lone Star Leadership Academy camps for outstanding 4th-8th graders. During the weeklong, overnight camps, participants experience significant Texas sites in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston with Texas educators and a focus on leadership.

Discover Texas Field Trips are presented by Education in Action, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering educated and involved young people. For more information about Education in Action visit www.educationinaction.org