Going Out is an activity that involves going outside of the four walls of the classroom to the outside world. It is certainly not the same as a Field Trip. Children choose where to go based on their own interests. The children research information about where they want to go and who they want to interview. They prepare questions and figure out who will chaperone them and how they will get there.
The human being is a united whole, but this unity has to be built up and formed by active experiences in the real world, to which it is led by the laws of nature. -Maria Montessori
Going Out helps to prepare children to live in society. They find out how to approach people in the world and inquire about an area of interest. They practice social skills needed in different situations. They have opportunities to communicate with people other than their peers and teacher. They experience the necessity for clear and precise communication. If they make plans, they need to be able to communicate those plans to their teacher, peers and anyone else involved in the process.
Going Out provides opportunities for Elementary-aged children to think critically, make choices, and further develop their self-control given the responsibility. Going Out provides mental independence in that it gives children opportunities to reason and reflect on what they know and ask an ‘expert’ about what they do not know.
Some of a child’s first Going Out experiences may include traveling to the store with the assistant to purchase supplies needed for baking or an experiment or taking a trip to the library to checkout books for a research project. By his second or third year, a child may arrange to visit a science or history center, a vet clinic or do community service at an assisted living residence or food bank.
Recently, as a part of their research on minerals, gems and megalodons, several children visited the Tellus Museum.