How can I get my students even more excited about our trip to Chicago?
Architecture, art, science, and more are all excellent topic areas to explore in-depth on a school trip to Chicago.
To make the trip even more meaningful, focus on a key learning area before departure. Design a class project or work with other teacher to focus on the topic area across all classes for a day or more.
Many of the sites that you will visit in Chicago have developed lesson plans to further student engagement. Provide a deeper understanding of a particular content area by using one of the free Chicago lesson plans provided below.
See an example of a 3-day customized Chicago itinerary
Chicago Lesson Plans
Adler Planetarium, Topics Include:
Art Institute of Chicago Video Demonstrations, Topics Include:
Art Institute of Chicago Teacher Manuals, Topics Include:
- The City in Art: A Curriculum Guide for Teachers
- American Art and Culture
- Impressionist and Post Impressionist Art
- Art of the Ancient Mediterranean World
Chicago Architecture Foundation Lesson Plans, Topics Include:
Field Museum of Natural History, Topics Include:
Lincoln Park Zoo Lesson Plans, Topics Include:
- Creating Young Researchers
- Urban Ecology
- Observe to Learn
- Lincoln Park Zoo Autism Accessibility Binder 1
- Lincoln Park Zoo Autism Accessibility Binder 2
- Lincoln Park Zoo Autism Accessibility Binder 3
Shedd Aquarium Lesson Plans, Topics Include:
- Exploring Anatomy: Squid Dissection
- Lakeshore Ecology
- Exploring Pathology: Fish Dissection
- Testing the Waters
Smart Museum of Art Lesson Plans, Topics Include:
Museum of Contemporary Photography Lesson Plans, Topics Include:
- Imaging Democracy through Action
- The Great Migration and Blues Music: Mood and Focus
- Self Portrait through Word and Image
- One Word: A Photographic Scavenger Hunt
- Borders, Boundaries, and Belonging
Museum of Science and Industry Field Trip Guides, Topics Include:
Ready to plan your school trip? Click the button below to get started!