As the new semester begins, Okawville seniors in English IV (first hour) prepare to write their research papers. This is an assignment that the teacher, Mrs. Dana Donovan, assigns each year to prepare graduating seniors for writing in higher education. This is also an assignment from Kaskaskia College as many of the students in English IV are receiving college credit for a high school class. “One of the main reasons for the trip to the library is to meet a KC learning objective of understanding how a collegiate library works. More importantly, students can spend an entire day lining out their projects and gaining traction on completing such a large assignment,” Mrs. Donovan explained. Because the students are receiving dual credit, they have access to KC’s online database and their library. Students can take advantage of this because part of the research process involves a trip to the Kaskaskia College Library. This allows students to gain exposure to a collegiate library and collect reliable information for their papers.
To attend this field trip, students first had to declare a topic of research. They were allowed to pick any topic of their choosing as long as it was an academic topic that they could argue a side for. This year all of the seniors were able to take the day to work on their papers. They all chose unique topics that piqued their interest ranging from standardized testing to concussion protocol.
The field trip fell on Friday, February 2, 2024. The students left at 8:00 am and worked for the whole school day. They even got the opportunity to eat lunch on campus. The seniors worked diligently on their papers making great progress. Attendees of the field trip felt they got a lot out of the trip. “The class trip to KC was very educational and a day full of work for me and many other students,” said senior Rylan Nelson.
This trip is made possible through the efforts of Mrs. Dana Donovan and approval from OHS principal, Jason Rakers. Students appreciate the chance to learn outside of the classroom. The work that goes into making this trip possible does not go unnoticed. OHS looks forward to supporting this trip for years to come.
