Description of the Excursion Site
The site selected for the report is the Snowy Mountains, as the site offers various services to the adults, children, and any individuals who visit Australia, for both locals and foreigners. Snowy Mountains is recognized for skiing packages that are characterized by special lessons for primary and secondary students. At the site, the children are likely to learn at Snowy Mountains skiing tools, clothing, snow lifting, among other exciting features in the region (The Snowy Mountains, 2016). In addition, the site is not just renowned for snowing and skiing, but it is also a historical field, in which tourists learn about forestry, historical events in the area, and the relationship between water and power. Accommodation in the site is superb and affordable with warm equipment as the weather in the region is likely to be cold due to the fact that most of the land in the region is covered by falling snow.
Justification and Rationale of the Site Selection
First, a visit to any Canberra and Capital Region gives the students many opportunities relating to educational development. In fact, when students visit any Canberran region, they get the chance to gain valuable educational experience concerning the Australian government, national history, and culture. For example, when one looks at the Snowy Mountains, the site is uniquely planned, where the students can be involved with various educational programs, especially reading the Australian history, skiing culture, science, art, and geography. On the other hand, the site is chosen for this excursion event, due to the features surrounding the area. The site is also a suitable place for students who want to explore about coach travel within a snowfield.
Furthermore, the site has an educational center, where the kids are trained about the skiing activity, sporting events, and many other learning opportunities that may interest children who desire to learn about Snowy Mountains. The site managers also understand the impact of the cold weather that is caused by the snow. Therefore, to make sure that the students visiting the site do not suffer any impact that the weather may cause, there are quality clothes for hire within site and the skiing tools are safe, in which every person visiting the site gets the chance to first check the equipment for skiing. Therefore, it apparent that the Snowy Mountains is a place that is worth visiting for the education purpose and exploration for both kids and adults.
Historically, Snowy Mountain is recognized as one of the highest mountain in the in Australia. In the mountain, there is attractive feature such as alpine flowers and people has traveled from all corners of the world to have an endless view of the ranges that are up to the mountain range (Snowy Mountains, 2016). This year, Snowy Mountains will host several international events that relate to sporting activities. The event will take place in November, where the competition will invite people from all over the world to compete at the lakes that are in the Snowy Mountains (Snowy Mountains, 2016). This December, there will be another event at the site, in which the competition-taking place will be about cycling that is open for everyone, as the event will be one of the most iconic cyclic event globally.
Key Social-Historic Ideas
For effectiveness in the aspect of educating the children about Snowy Mountains, it is important for one to consider their education level. According to von Heyking, (2004) historical ideas that one can give others have a substantial impact on the thinking of the people and events, as the ideas allow them to have a national identity, and the historical ideas give the students common collective memory concerning social studies. From a social construction viewpoint, the children in Australia are given a chance to learn about some of the social developments that are there within historical and cultural aspect, which is an advantage to the individual teaching the children about the Snows Mountain, especially regarding the site historical social ideas (Wong, 2007). Therefore, with the understanding of the site and its historical relations, it is likely for one to teach the children about the history of skiing at the Snowy Mountain and the way the events brings people from the diverse community together. For instance, the children will have an idea concerning the Australian Institute of Sport, as the children are presented with galleries of the fittest bodies in Australia in relations to skiing events. Moreover, the idea of the elite athlete and their social life at the site is another issue that one can unfold for the children. In fact, in the site, the kids can get an opportunity to try some of the skills that these athletes perform, so that the kids can have the experience of the athlete and get interactive socially concerning the sports exhibition.
Using the Excursion for a series of Learning Activities
Hewett (2001) asserts that educating young children is a process that unpacks and familiarizes them with different events and objects that involve key image, which gives them an opportunity to nature their knowledge concerning specific happenings. The learning series are set to take place for two hours each, where a lunch break will intervene the programs. The first learning activity will be from 10:30 to 12:30, and then take a one-hour thirty-minute lunch break, which will be followed by the next learning activity from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.
This implies that the excursion will be used to add learning experience to the children through site objects and events. Some of the learning activities that the trip will deliver to the students include the understanding of the Australian war memorial. Here, the children will be taken to the site, and some of the drawings and objects in the area will be used to show the kids the Australian soldiers who served and died in the war. In fact, the galleries demonstrate every major war and any other event that the Australian armies were involved in, their contribution, and the impact they brought to the war.
The learning series will also include taking the children to the Electro Educational Center, in which the learning program will involve three set of series intending at giving the kids more experience regarding the Australian historical records and culture. The education will involve showing the children the theater in the region, the electro activities in the Zone, and polling place, where several events take place. Consequently, the experience will blend between serving as a recreational activity and educational activity for the students. Learning different aspects they encounter in their day-to-day life and learn in class through the excursion will be influential in ensuring that they remember critical aspects from their syllabi.
References
Cannella, G. S. (2002). Chapter II: Genealogy of childhood. In J. L. Kincheloe (Ed.), Deconstructing early childhood education (pp. 19-44). New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc.
Hewett, V. (2001). Examining the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood curriculum. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 95-100. doi: 10.1023/A:1012520828095.
The Snowy Mountains, (2016). Student Learning Experiences Planner. Retrieved from: http://www.travelwaysaust.com.au/pdf/2016-brochure.pdf
Snowy Mountains (2016). Snowy Mountains, There is More Than You Think! Retrieved from: http://www.snowymountains.com.au/
Von Heyking, A. (2004). ‘Historical thinking in the elementary years: A review of Current Research’, Canadian Social Studies Research and Teaching in Elementary Schools, 39(1). Retrieved from: http://www2.education.ualberta.ca/css/Css_39_1/ARheyking_historical_thinking_current_research.html
Wong, S. (2007). Looking back and moving forward: Historicizing the social construction of early childhood education and care as national work. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 8(2), 144-156. DOI: 10.2304/ciec.2007.8.2.144
