The White Falcon - 30.04.1993, Side 4

Students acquire knowledge of Iceland
Youth enjoy Iceland’s
history, chocolate
By J02 Carlos Bongioanni
It was an eventful day for a bus load of fifth graders
from A. T. Mahan Elementary School. The atmosphere
on the bus was charged with excitement as the grade
schoolers recounted their day’s adventure in Reykjavik.
Some talked about the various sweets they sampled at
the chocolate factory. Others told of all the amazing
displays they saw at the Natural History Museum. Several
giggled and a few shuddered as they remembered their
encounter with the large bull that made a big mess at the
zoo. (The echoes of high-pitched screams are probably
still reverberating among the bam walls!)
The field trip to Reykjavik was part of A. T. Mahan’s
Host Nation class curriculum which teaches American
students about Iceland’s history, geography and culture.
Each class, from first through sixth grade,
gets two field trips a year. The first one in the
winter takes the kids to points of interests in
the city of Reykjavik. The second excursion
in late spring allows the students to explore
Iceland’s outdoor attractions.
The educational value of these excursions
is highly regarded by students and teachers.
“These trips give you a different perspec-
tive,” said fifth grader Katie Fleming. “You
can have a good time and talk freely with
your friends while learning interesting facts
about stuff you never thought would be inter-
esting.”
Fifth grader Jessica Newton agreed and
added, “If we didn’t have these trips, school
would be boring and we wouldn’t have any-
thing to look forward to. We get to walk
around, touch things and talk to experts in-
stead of just the teacher.”
Middle school teacher Bev Kimble has
taught at A. T. Mahan for six years and noted
that “for some of these kids, the field trips are
their only opportunity to get off base.”
In some cases, the field trips produce unex-
pected results. “My father lived on a farm
while he was growing up,” explained fifth
grader Michelle Jones. “He told me that
daddy pigs have to be separated from mommy
pigs when they have piglets or else they’ll
fight. Today, at the zoo, I found out what my
dad told me was true.”
As the bus made its way back to Kefiavik,
a number of younsters, most of whom where of the female gender,
started singing a song. A couple of the boys in the front shook their
heads with a hint of disgust on their faces. Yuk! They’d never be
caught singing silly songs on a bus with a bunch of girls.
This page top: John LaPlante, AT. Mahan sixth grader is captivated by the sights at the
water plant. (Photo by J03 (SW) Andreas Walter) Bottom: Jonas Thor, Host Nation
teacher at AT. Mahan Elementary School, and a group of fifth graders listen to an Icelandic
chocolate factory worker explain the process of making chocolate. (Photo by J02 Carlos
Bongioanni) Opposite page top: Sixth grader, Christina Harbour, makes a friend at the zoo.
(Photo by J03 (SW) Andreas Walter) Bottom: Fifth graders Katie Fleming (foreground)
andAlana Hater observe at the History Museum. (Photo by J02 Carlos Bongioanni)
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The White Falcon