Morgan State University Field Trip

MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FIELD TRIP OVERVIEW
For our annual 11th grade field trip, my team and I organized a trip to Morgan State University. When our students were in 9th and 10th grade, they had previously visited Howard University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. We wanted to continue to expose our students to excellent historically black universities by visiting Morgan State University. I wanted my students to have access to visiting a university outside of Washington, D.C. Morgan State University's location in Baltimore was the perfect distance for a day trip. Morgan State University is a Tier 2 school with a unique twelve-college system that includes a School of Business and Management, a College of Liberal Arts, a School of Education and Urban Studies, and a School of Engineering. 

Please scroll down or click on the table of contents below to learn more about our field trip to Morgan State University.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Family Communication
Student Preparation
Morgan State University Field Trip
Student College Research
Teacher Reflection

Family Communication
One week before the field trip, the 11th grade team and I sent home family communication about the trip. We communicated to parents our plans for transportation, meals, insurance, and trip expenses. In addition, I created an informational sheet to go with the field trip permission form, so that students could learn about Morgan State University with their families.

Student Preparation
Field trips are more meaningful when students are engaged and invested in the purpose of the trip. Prior to the field trip, I created a homeroom lesson with the objective for students to learn about Morgan State University by researching admissions standards and school facts. The lesson consisted of a Do Now, partner work, and exit ticket. The Do Now provided space for students to articulate what they knew and what they wanted to know about Morgan State University. During partner work, students researched admissions statistics and other facts about Morgan State. Students also created a list of questions that they would ask their campus tour guides. During the exit ticket, students reflected on what stellar behavior on a field trip looks and sounds like.

Field Trip
The field trip provided my students with an active and special learning experience. The campus tour helped my students picture what it would be like to be a student at Morgan State University. My students visited the Richardson Library, the Graves Business School, the Student Center, the Quad, and the Hill Field House. My students asked their campus tour guides, who were all current Morgan State students, questions about campus life, academics, career opportunities, and more. The Morgan State students and campus inspired my students about the many opportunities available in college.

Student College Research
After our visit to Morgan State University, students were excited to continue to explore college options. My 11th grade team and I decided that we wanted to motivate our students through college research. I created a follow-up homeroom lesson where students learned about likely, target, and reach universities and created a college wish list. As my 11th grade students are preparing to take the ACT in the spring, the purpose of the lesson was to connect high school achievement with university admissions. Having learned about several universities at this point, I also encouraged students to articulate what makes the university a good fit for them.

Teacher Reflection
The Morgan State University field trip demonstrated to my students that there are excellent historically black universities all around the country. I was surprised to discover that many of my students have not been to Baltimore before. Thus, our visit to Morgan State University also gave students greater access to the city of Baltimore. 99% of my students identify as black, and it inspired them to see other young blacks being successful leaders at Morgan State. Our visit to Morgan State equipped my students with the college experiences of several students at Morgan State, who candidly shared about the pros and cons of attending Morgan State, and also gave admissions advice. 

Through our homeroom college research activity, my students are beginning to prepare for the college application process. Although college applications are not due until 12th grade,  my 11th graders know that early preparation is key to a choice-filled life. My students are now able to clearly articulate what qualities they want in a university, and what their dream universities want from them. Speaking and interacting with Morgan State students gave my students encouragement to earn the best grades and improve their score on the ACT college entrance exam. ​

After our visit to Morgan State, my students became even more aware of the importance of doing well in high school, and its direct connection to college admissions. The visit also inspired students to learn more about life after college. Students drew connections between college majors and career fields. During the field trip, some students learned in depth about majors they previously did not know much about. Other students knew which major they would choose and began to picture themselves succeeding in a particular major at Morgan State. All students enjoyed being on a campus where  passion for learning and social justice were clearly evident. Now that my students have seen several college campuses, they are able to compare the student life, academics, and career opportunities offered by each university.