Homeschool Field Trips: COWLICKS

Homeschool Field Trips: COWLICKS? Um? Homeschool field trips are part of the magic of the homeschool life. But, how can you make every homeschool field trip meaningful without adding stress and confusion? Here is my answer: COWLICKS!

COWLICKS?

First a short disclaimer…

I know, now you think I am kinda crazy. First off, this is not my idea. I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but I have Googled and searched and I can’t find the original author. I got this idea from a picture of a picture someone posted on a comment on Facebook.

Direct to the source, right? Ahem.

I can’t even find the post that I took a screenshot of the picture-of-a-picture. But, I would still like to share. If anyone knows the source, please let me know!

Okay… now really…. drumroll…

What is COWLICKS?

COWLICKS is an acronym to help guide you through any exhibit, display, park, hike, fair, festival, or tour. It will help you teach your children how to be active learners in action. It works perfectly for all ages and abilities. Write it down, talk it out, on the move, or in your seat: COWLICKS engages learning in all settings.

So, let’s break down the acronym:

C: Counting: How many ________ do you see in this ______________?

O: Observation: Look at this_______________ until I say stop; now turn around and tell me everything you remember about it without peeking.

W: Words: What is the first word you think of when you look at this ______?

L: Letters: Do you see something in this ______ that begins with the letter_________?

I: Imagination: Pretend you are this ____________ (painting, person, plant, animal, etc.). What would you say to me?

C: Compare and Contrast: How is this _______________ and this ________________ both alike and different?

K: Kinesthetic: If this ___________ could move, show me how it would move.

S: Senses: What would like ___________ feel (or taste, smell, sound) like?

And that’s it… amazing right?

COWLICKS in Actions

The first field trip we took at A One-Room Schoolhouse was to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. We have been studying ancient Egypt as part of our Year One History from The Good and the Beautiful.

The Carnegie Museum has a nice collection is ancient Egyptian artifacts. We were excited to incorporate this museum as part of our once a month field trip program. After studying something, seeing things first-hand brings the learning to life.

Due to COVID restrictions, we needed to break into groups of ten or smaller to view the exhibit hall. Also, no guided tours were being given. I was a little sad and stressed about not having a guide. I was faced with the tasks of guiding our group through the exhibit hall on my own… four times!

Enter COWLICKS. This handy little acronym helped me guide our students and families through the exhibit hall. It inspired meaningful discussion. I did not need to make a customized worksheet for this trip, nor did I need to go downtown and study the exhibit before the field trip.

Game changer, friends!

Benefits of COWLICKS

• Teaches students how to view and learn from an outing.
• Adaptable to all ages and abilities.
• Inspires meaningful discussion.
• Engages in multi-sensory learning.
• Requires no prep.
• Usable at any event, venue, or setting.
• Memorable for everyone involved.
• Easy to hand off to other parents and teachers that may be assisting in your trip.

Convinced Yet?

I think you will really enjoy this handy tool. It made all the difference in our field trip. We will use it again on our next outing. Since we enjoyed it, we want to share it with you!

Click on this button and download you printable today!