The Learning Expedition

A key component of the ELS model, Learning Expeditions are purposeful, extensive studies of a single topic that usually last six to 12 weeks.

In a learning expedition, teachers instruct reading, writing, science, math, and other subjects through a set of challenging, interconnected projects. Literacy instruction, embedded in every expedition, is also a special focus of the approach. The expedition projects involve authentic research, fieldwork, and community service and culminate in performances, presentations, and exhibitions for the school community of students, faculty, staff, parents, and local residents.

Sample Expedition

"Building Homes for Families" is a 5 year old kindergarten learning expedition. The 5K students are immersed in an experience where they will learn about how different homes are built around the world. They will experiment with different building materials that are used to build different types of homes and be able to identify if it is a sturdy material based on its properties.

Guiding Questions for "Building Homes for Families"
  • How do homes around the world compare to ours?
  • What factors impact how a home is designed and built?
  • What makes a house sturdy?
  • Why are people without homes and how can we help?

Learning Expedition Teaching Plan [123K PDF]

5K Expedition Picasa Gallery

Past Expedition Topics

4K: To Market, To Market
Students learn about the markets within the local area as lens in to understanding the characteristics of community. They learn that each person has responsibilities within a community.

5K: Building Homes for Families
The 5K students are immersed in an experience where they will learn about how different homes are built around the world. They experiment with different building materials that are used to build different types of homes and be able to identify if it is a sturdy material based on its properties.

1st Grade: Going Green: Our Voice Impacts Paper Choice
Students learned about trees as a natural resource by examining the process of recycling paper and exploring the impact of our choices at Russell Byers on the environment.

2nd Grade: To Be or Not to Be a Plant?
During this expedition, students work to dispel common held misconceptions about plants. They investigate typical flowering plants which make up about 90% of the plants in the world. Students are introduced to an unusual plant that has no roots, no stem, and no leaves, the Rufflesia Arnoldi, but is still considered a plant. They then investigate more plants that are atypical, as well as non-plants that are often thought of as plants continually testing their initial beliefs.

3rd Grade: Liberty and Justice for All?
Students learned about the concept of liberty by examining multiple perspectives of the American Revolution and the birth of the United States of America.

4th Grade: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
During this expedition students look at the multiple perspectives of the people who helped Lewis and Clark complete an expedition that changed The United States both politically and geographically.

5th Grade: Coming to America
Students explore the rise of the industrial revolution and immigration in the early 1900s by learning about the experiences and lives of people affected by the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City. They will also learn how this event impacted the development of labor unions and protections in the workplace.

6th Grade: Designing Babies
Students investigate genetics, specifically looking at cell reproduction, heredity, and the eugenics.