In this course students learn basic world geography and lots of fun facts about places and cultures all over the world. Every other week the students go on a field trip to learn about different countries or cultures with animals as their guides. These field trips include learning about different places and the people who live there. The class integrates English language arts skills with geography as students learn folktales and myths of different cultures. The field trips include activities and games to provide the students with a fun, interactive experience. The classes and field trips help students achieve Utah Education Network Social Studies standards for grades 1-3. However, students at other grade levels are welcome to participate.
This course combines multiple field trip tours that can also be scheduled individually for families or small groups. If the course does not fit your schedule, or you are not interested in the complete course, please contact us to schedule field trip tours for you on your schedule. You can learn more about individual field trips on our Field Trip Tours page.
World Geography and Cultures Course Outline
Week 1 – Continents and Oceans
- Learn the names and locations on a map of the continents and oceans
- Learn basic information about the continents and oceans
Week 2 – Field trip to Living Planet Aquarium
- Take a journey to the seven continents and oceans using the animals of the aquarium as our guide
Week 3 – Mythological Animals
- Introduce the idea of myths and folklore
- Learn stories of some mythological animals from different cultures
- Learn possible explanations for some mythological animals
Week 4 – Field Trip to a Dinosaur Museum (either BYU Museum of Paleontology or Utah Museum of Natural History)
- Link dinosaurs to mythological animals such as dragons
- Learn basics of Latin and Greek roots as used in naming dinosaurs
- Exercise in storytelling and creating a mythological animal
Week 5 – Mountains
- Learn the names and locations of important mountain ranges and mountains around the world
- Learn briefly about how mountains are formed
- Learn about the significance of mountains in myths from around the world
Week 6 – Field Trip to Tracy Aviary (Flamingo Route)
- Visit six birds in the aviary to learn about six different countries, one from each inhabited continent
- Learn basic information about each country
- Participate in activities from games to tasting treats from the “visited” countries
Week 7 – Africa
- Learn about the continent of Africa including aspects of its human and natural history
Week 8 – Monte L. Bean Museum at BYU (possibly Hogle Zoo)
- Learn about the iconic animals from Africa and their ranges on the continent
- Learn about what threatens them
- Learn traditional stories about some of the animals
Week 9 – Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
- Learn about indigenous cultures of the Americas
- Learn some of their stories and about some of their traditions
Week 10 – Field Trip to Tracy Aviary (Kookaburra Route)
- Visit six birds in the aviary to learn about six different countries, one from each inhabited continent
- Learn basic information about each country
- Participate in activities from games to tasting treats from the “visited” countries
Week 11 – The Silk Road: Connecting Asia to Europe
- Learn about some of the important places along the Silk Road and its importance to history and culture
Week 12 – Field Trip to Hogle Zoo
- Learn about the iconic animals from Asia and their connections to Asian cultures
- Learn traditional stories about some of the animals
Week 13 – Island Hopping
- Learn about islands around the world including the Pacific Islands, Greenland and Iceland, etc.
- Learn about how the physical characteristics of the islands influence the cultures on them
Week 14 – Field Trip to Tracy Aviary (Lorikeet Route)
- Visit six birds in the aviary to learn about six different countries, one from each inhabited continent
- Learn basic information about each country
- Participate in activities from games to tasting treats from the “visited” countries
Please note that the field trip destinations are subject to change depending on availability and other factors including location policies.
How It Works
Odd weeks of the course will be 50-minute classes held over an online video platform.
Even weeks of the course will be on-location field trips, lasting from 1-2 hours (not including travel time to and from the destinations). In order to help parents who may have more than one child at home, we will rent a vehicle for the group to travel together. There will be a central meeting point, and as a rented vehicle, it will have the highest level of insurance coverage. In addition to the teacher, we will ask for a parent volunteer for each field trip to accompany the group as a chaperone. That chaperone’s field trip expenses will be covered by us. If parents prefer, they may take their children directly to the field trip destination to join the group there. However, this does not mean that siblings or parents may join the group during the field trip. Parents who choose this option will need to find some other way to occupy themselves and their other children during the field trip. This is not difficult at most of our field trip locations as they offer many things to do for many people at the same time.
Date and Time
Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m., beginning February 17, 2021.
A minimum of five students is needed for the course to be held as scheduled. There will be a maximum of eight students in each course.
When this class is filled, a second class can be scheduled for a different day also beginning the week of February 17.
Price and Payment
- $300 per student (students taking shared transportation on field trips)
- $275 per student (students who meet the group at the field trip destinations)
The price includes admission where applicable and necessary supplies for field trip activities, which includes the occasional cultural snack.
Payment can be made through PayPal or Venmo. A nonrefundable* $50 deposit must be made to secure a student’s spot in the class. Full payment must be made before the first class, or the spot may be forfeited to another student.
*The deposit will be fully refunded if fewer than five students register for the course.
Liability Release
By booking this field trip tour with Adventure Patches you acknowledge that you assume all risks associated with participating in all activities associated with this field trip tour including but not limited to, personal injury to yourself and other tour participants who are part of your booking and damage to personal belongings. Adventure Patches is not liable for injury or damage of participants and their belongings. In booking this tour, you indicate that you are accountable to follow the rules and regulations of the field trip destination(s).
Image Release
Additionally, by booking this tour, you hereby grant permission to Adventure Patches the rights of your image and the image of those in your booking party, in video or still, and of the likeness and sound of your voice as recorded on audio or video tape as captured and recorded during the field trip tour. You understand that your image and the images of those in your booking party may be edited, copied, exhibited, published, or distributed and you waive the right to inspect or approve the finished product wherein your likeness appears. Additionally, you waive any right to royalties or other compensation arising or related to in the use of your image or recording.