Day 161: Riding on the Metro-o-o-o-o... and Shuttle

I've been lucky enough to take my students on field trips using public transportation before.

We are close enough to the Metro Gold Line to utilize it to get us to interesting places.

This year, 

all our students were given free passes.

Free field trip!

Usually, 

we would have taken 3 or 4 field trips on Metro,

but this hasn't been a regular year.

What did remain the same was the support we had to make it happen.

I wouldn't be able to take 4-5 year olds on public transportation

around the city without the help of lots of chaperones.

Every child had an adult hand to hold.

We were lucky to get an escort from Metro to help guide us.

I usually would take the lead, 

but there was a change of route this year,

and it was going to be more interesting getting us there,

but after 3 transfers

on 4 different trains/shuttle,

we arrive just in time.

How cool is it when you get a free visit included on your field trip

and it's to the Butterfly Pavilion!?

Pretty cool!

Guess what we are studying in class?

Guess what students got to observe go through a lifecycle in class?

Guess what kind of garden I have in my own home?

It was magical!

For most of the students and adults...

except for maybe 3,

who would rather not be surrounded by flying insects,

even if they were butterflies.

Like all museums and gardens,

there won't be enough time to see everything in a day.

I miss teaching in Exposition Park,

where I could visit the Natural History Museum

and California Science Center

weekly.

But we had a few hours,

and too much to see,

so we went on warp speed!

I missed taking my kiddos to my favorite Edible Garden.

Maybe next year,

we can go twice?

We didn't beat our record of 5 miles, 

but we did complete 4.6 miles,

8 different transfers,

visited the Dinosaur Hall,

Butterfly Pavilion,

Gem and Mineral Room,

Mammals of Africa Hall,

Natural Lab,

Pond and Garden,

and Rotunda,

saw the Megamouth fish,

Endeavour's external tank,

and ate lunch in the Rose Garden,

and got back to school

in time to see the school buses make
the right hand turn into our school.

2:30PM sharp.

How's that for good timing?