STEM Field Trips

Spark curiosity by providing your school or group with an opportunity to interact in nature-connected STEM activities through our immersive outdoor learning site in a memorable field trip experience!

Field Trips Include: 

  • A facilitated, hands-on outdoor STEM experience that cannot occur in a typical classroom setting.
  • Exclusive use of Moore Road Farm for the duration of the trip. 
  • A guided nature hike and the opportunity to connect with ecosystems representative of Indiana: deciduous forest, urban gardens, and Eagle Creek.
  • At least two STEM activities connected to a theme of your choice from TSC’s activity menu.
  • Curriculum that aligns with Indiana content, process, and employability skills standards.

*Field trips can also be facilitated in a modified Reverse Field Trip model where TSC visits a host location and facilitates hands-on STEM activities. See below for more details.

Where: 

  • The STEM Connection at Moore Road Farm 8407 Moore Road, Indianapolis, IN 46278

When: 

  • Tuesdays-Fridays, March-May and August-November
  • Field Trips run for up to 3.5 hours including a lunch break, typically 10:00 am-1:30 p.m.
  • Other arrangements can be made upon request and availability.
  • Animals as Engineers – Explore some of the wondrous things animals build to help them survive in the habitats in which they live. Make your own model habitats. (K-LS1-1, K-ESS3-1, 1-LS1-1, 2-PS1-2, 2-LS4-1, K-2-ETS1-2, K-2-ETS1-3)
  • Plants on the Farm – Observe and explore plants at Moore Road Farm to learn more about the needs of living things, what it takes for plants to grow, and how plants are useful to other organisms. (K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3, 1-LS1-3, 1-LS3-1, 1-ESS1-2, 2-PS1-1, 2-LS2-1, 2-LS2-2, 2-LS4-1)
  • Scientists Use Their Senses – Find out about the different ways scientists use their different senses to learn about the world and then use your senses to learn more about Moore Road Farm. (1-PS4-1, 1-PS4-3, 2-PS1-1, 2-LS4-3)
  • Working with Weather – Investigate different types of weather events and why and how they happen. Learn about the water cycle through experimentation and observation. (K-PS3-1, K-ESS2-1, K-ESS3-2, 1-ESS1-1, 1-ESS1-2, 2-PS1-4, 2-ESS1-1, 2-ESS2-3)

Other Seasonal or Standards-Based Opportunities Available upon Request – Contact us at programs@thestemconnection.org to discuss possibilities.

  • Exploring Earth Processes – Identify, model, and investigate how geological processes make changes to the Earth quickly and over time. (4-ESS1-1, 4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS3-2, 5-PS1-4, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS3-1, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2)
  • Healthy Soil and Water – Clean and healthy soil and water are essential for healthy organisms and ecosystems. Observe and test soil and water samples to determine how healthy they are. (3-ESS2-3, 5-PS1-3, 5-PS1-4, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS3-1)
  • Organism Adaptations & Interactions – Explore living and nonliving things, noticing interactions and how living things are dependent upon both living and nonliving things around them. Model and investigate the features that organisms have that help them survive. (3-LS2-1, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS4-2, 4-LS1-1, 4-PS3-2, 5-PS3-1, 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1, 5-ESS2-1)
  • Simple Machines – Investigate and test different simple machines and how the use of simple machines make work and life easier for humans. (3-PS2-1, 4-PS3-4, 4-PS2-1, 4-PS2-2, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2)
  • Other Seasonal or Standards-Based Opportunities Available upon Request – Contact us at programs@thestemconnection.org to discuss possibilities.
  • 6th-8th Grade Field Trips
    • Energy Flow in Ecosystems – Explore how energy in all ecosystems starts with the sun and moves through different organisms within an ecosystem. (MS-PS4-2, MS-LS1-6, MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-2, MS-LS2-3, MS-LS2-4)
    • Healthy Soil and Water – Clean and healthy soil and water are essential for healthy organisms and ecosystems. Observe and test soil and water samples to determine how healthy they are. (MS-PS1-2, MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5, MS-ESS2-4, MS-ESS3-3)
    • What’s in the Garden? – Visit, observe, and explore our gardens to learn more about how the needs of organisms are met at Moore Road Farm, what it takes for a garden to grow, and how we maximize our space and time to grow as much as possible in our gardens. (MS-LS1-1, MS-LS1-3, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS1-6, MS-LS2-2, MS-LS2-3, MS-LS2-4, MS-ESS3-3)
    • Other Seasonal or Standards-Based Opportunities Available upon Request – Contact us at programs@thestemconnection.org to discuss possibilities. 


9th-12th Grade Field Trips – Contact us at programs@thestemconnection.org to discuss possibilities.

2023-2024 Pricing:

Field Trip Financial Assistance

Letha’s Youth Outdoors Fund – https://indiananativeplants.org/education/lethas-youth-outdoor-fund/ 

Target Field Trip Grants – https://www.cybergrants.com/target/fieldtrip

  1. Select a theme for your trip from the Activity Menu. 
  2. Check the availability calendar for open dates 
  3. Complete the 2023-2024 Field Trip Request Form
  4. Receive an email from The STEM Connection confirming your request.

Pre-Trip Preparation

  • Review the Welcome to Moore Road Farm slides with your class/group
  • Submit a Certificate of Liability Insurance instead of collecting waivers (preferred) OR collect digital waivers from all participants (review waiver content here) – without the Certificate on file, every child will need a waiver signed by a parent or guardian to participate
  • Divide participants into the designated number of groups
  • Recruit and assign adult chaperones to each class/group (see Chaperone Policy)
  • Share important information with participant families
  • Water Bottles
  • Sack Lunches
  • Comfortable weather-appropriate clothes – layers work best
  • Closed-toe comfortable shoes that can get wet or muddy
  • Sample Agenda
    • 10:00-10:10 Arrival & Unload – Groups go directly to 1st rotation 
    • 10:15-10:20 Welcome – Facilitators go over Expectations & Core Values
    • 10:20-10:50 Rotation 1 
    • 10:55-11:25 Rotation 2
    • 11:30-12:00 Lunch Break with restroom and free play time
    • 12:05-12:35 Rotation 3 
    • 12:40-1:10 Rotation 4
    • 1:15-1:30 Closing, Restroom Break (if needed), & Departure
  • Sample Rotation Schedule
 

Rotation 1

10:20-10:50

Rotation 2

10:55-11:25

Lunch &

Free Play

11:30-12:00

Rotation 3

12:05-12:35

Rotation 4

12:40-1:10

Activity #1 –

Eagle Shelter

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Activity #2 –

Honey Bee Shelter

DCBBA

Activity #3 –

Coyote Shelter

ADCCB

Activity #4 –

Hike (Otter)

BADDC
  • When scheduled, your group will have a 20-30 picnic-style lunch break included with your field trip. 
  • Each school group is responsible for providing their own lunches.
  • We encourage you to have sack lunches divided by class/group. Wagons will be provided to hold and transport lunches to designated lunch spots. 
  • Refrigeration is not be available. 
  • All groups are responsible for cleaning up their lunch areas and leaving the environment around them cleaner than they found it.
  • If time allows, groups may enjoy free play time after lunch in the designated free play area(s). Some free play materials will be provided. 
  • Field trip participants will utilize port-o-potties for restrooms.
  • Handwashing stations are available near port-o-potties for handwashing needs. 
  • An indoor, accessible restroom is available for individuals who need it. 
  • Appropriate chaperone participation helps with safety, engagement, and fun!
  • Chaperones include teachers and other adults (18 years or over) including parents, family members, caregivers, additional school staff, etc. 
  • TSC Chaperone Recommendations:
    • Preschool-2nd Grade Participants – one chaperone per every 5-6 students
    • 3rd-8th Grade Participants – at least 2 or 3 chaperones per group/class
  • Tips for Chaperone Success
    • Have each participant assigned to a specific adult chaperone.
    • Share with chaperones the basic plan for the day.
    • Remind chaperones to act as role models and help participants stay on task.
    • Teacher/staff and adult chaperones are free and welcome. If chaperones are driving separately from buses, please encourage carpooling as parking is limited.
  • Please contact programs@thestemconnection.org as soon as possible if you need to cancel your field trip. We will attempt to reschedule the field trip, but due to limited availability, there is no guarantee that a trip can be rescheduled.
  • In case of inclement/severe weather that would make the trip to the farm unsafe, the trip will be canceled. A decision about this will be made by The STEM Connection at least 24 hours before the trip. Inclement weather conditions that would be a cause for cancellation include extreme hot or cold temperatures, thunderstorms, or significant rain, ice, or snow. Field trips can continue as planned if it is raining without storms.