POCATELLO - Whether it was visiting another school for a science fair, or going to a museum you probably remember some of the field trips you took as a kid more than sitting in a classroom.

And even though school is out, kids in summer programs are learning about science by getting out of the classroom.

Their friends are probably just sitting at home, but kids in the Natural History Museum's Expedition Program are learning how airplanes work. Philipp Starovoyto, an eighth grader said, "It's fun. I learned a little bit, and it's just great.

The specialized program started as a way to help overcome a national problem. Tom Briggs, Expedition Instructor and Masters student at the Idaho State University College of Education said, "Kids are not as active, physically active, as they were."

And the hands-on learning has been a big hit with the kids. Starovoyto said, "I could see it, and do things by myself rather than sitting in a classroom just watching videos."

Briggs said, "We've done a lot in one week, and none of the kids seemed concerned about playing a video game, and not achieving a certain level in some video game that has no meaning."

But along with teaching kids about things like aviation, Briggs is hoping that this program will show that kids actually learn better outside the classroom. Gabriel Brookman, a sixth grader said, "We retain knowledge better when we're out in the field, because we remember life experiences better than stuff we read from books."

As more research is collected, Briggs hopes to argue that even during tough economic times schools need field trips.

Otherwise they're keeping students from important educational experiences. Gabriel Brookman, a sixth grader said, "It's not a waste of time at all. It's definitely better than what I might be doing."

Kids in the program also visited greenhouses to learn about botany, and put together an animal skeleton to learn about bones.

The Idaho Museum of Natural History has several other summer programs scheduled over the next few weeks for kids of every age.

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