What would I need to do to adequately prepare my students before the visit?

Prior to our visit to the Arboretum, as a class we will be reviewing all of the plant communities which can be found at the Arboretum. Within each plant community plants have varying sizes of leaves and special traits which enable them to adapt in varying environments. This would relate to our science project where we will be discussing the parts of the plant and how a plant gets food and uses sunlight. This science project would be completed prior to the field trip and would be documented in a science journal. While on the field trip students will be taking notes to incorporate into their journals as a conclusion to our prior project. As the teacher I will need to make a reservation for our class to have a guided tour by a naturalist through the arboretum.

Before our visit we will also be taking a "virtual" tour of the Arboretum. Following is a link to the virtual tours which we will be completing together in class. This will give us the opportunity to review the site and what it has to offer, as well as offer the children an opportunity to have been exposed to some of the data we will be learning about prior to our visit. Imagery and text will be reviewed with all children, providing opportunities for individuals which may need additional processing time or assistance in obtaining the information. A packet which contains pictures of the various regions and text describing these regions will be provided to all English Learners as well as any struggling students. Comprehension and understanding will be the emphasis prior to going on the field trip so that our adventure can build on their knowledge.

http://fullertonarboretum.org/gar_virtours.php

As the teacher I will also need to make a reservation for our class to have a guided tour by a naturalist through the Arboretum. We will also need to discuss class rules while on a field trip as well as what is appropriate to bring with you and wear.