AAS Sofia: Let’s go to the airport with pre-kindergarten students

Our youngest learners had the opportunity to take their inquiry outside of the classroom recently with a field trip to the Sofia Vasil Levski International Airport. 

In their current unit of study, the pre-k students are exploring each of the fifteen different countries represented by the students in the class. From finding the countries on maps to “travelling” somewhere new each week via their classroom “airport”, students were using their own passports (created by the 3-4 year olds themselves and not recognized by any government), going through a “security” line in their classroom and loading up the carpet (aka the plane), to visit each other’s countries. While there, they learned about the community helpers, family life, and which things seem to be universal human experiences. Imagine their excitement when they were hosted by the airport to get as close to the real experience as possible (without actually having to say goodbye to mums and dads). 

Upon arrival at the airport, the students went through their own security line, had their backpacks and stuffies scanned, boarded a transfer bus and were taken to the tarmac. Neither adults nor students knew that they were being taken to an airplane which was currently waiting to join a fleet. As they boarded the plane and found their seats, every student got an opportunity to “be the pilot” and ground control even turned on the instrument panel which lit up, and on which, the “pilots” could see their classmate “passengers” buckled up in the plane. 

With an eye on safety and community helpers, the students exited the plane and got to go see the fire trucks that respond to emergencies. Students climbed into the driver’s seat and even got to use the hose and spray the tarmac. We’re not sure who was more excited, the students or their adult teachers. 

Upon their return to school, the students used big copies of all the photos from the day to tell the story and share their learning journey, and send a huge thank you to the TSA, groundscrew, firefighters and management of the Sofia Vasil Levski International Airport for making it such a special day. 

And don’t worry, if you visit the pre-k classroom, there are still students willing to escort you through their classroom “security” and onto the “plane” to visit any destination you’d like. A nice tropical vacation perhaps?