| Abstract: | Potential immediate outcomes of a science field trip are the retention of knowledge associated with the program and an improved attitude toward the site visited during the trip. The length of associated memories regarding this experience are less clear. In an attempt to begin learning more about memorable experiences associated with a science field trip, a 1‐month and an 18‐month evaluation was conducted of elementary school students who had participated in an environmental science program at a community park in a midwestern city. Results of the evaluation found that students' memories were nonspecific and disassociated from information given by the field teacher. On the other hand, results from both tests yielded positive responses toward wanting to learn more about the subject matter and an interest in returning to the field trip site. This would indicate that, while not retaining specific objective‐oriented content, students did gain a positive reaction to returning that continued over the long‐term. Research related to memorable experiences is outlined, using a theory of long‐term memory developed by Tulving (1972) as a basic paradigm of correlation for the subsequent investigation. |
