Every year, each class at José Ponce De León Elementary School has the opportunity to go on a group field trip. Students are encouraged to write letters to their teachers suggesting destinations. I am writing on behalf of several of my friends to recommend that we visit an alligator park in the Everglades. There are many reasons an alligator park is an excellent suggestion for a field trip.
The first reason for the recommendation is based on something my mom always says: “Sometimes, you have to face your fears.” I am absolutely petrified when it comes to alligators, with their big teeth and menacing ways. I can’t even look at pictures of them in books without getting a little sick to my stomach. But I am a gigantic fan of birds, and we have a Birding Club at José Ponce De León Elementary School. So, we could do a little birding at the park as well. I read in a brochure that there are more than 350 species of birds in the Everglades, including my two favorites, plovers and hawks.
Alligators are an important part of Floridian history. Not every state in the country has alligators living in their natural habitat, so that makes us unique. The alligator park is in the Everglades, a swamp area. It is a perfect alligator habitat.
The alligator park would be an amazing adventure. Besides alligators, there are shows, boat rides, and exhibitions. You can even watch an alligator eat! Kids today don’t get enough time outdoors, so a field trip to an alligator park would be a perfect opportunity for some outdoor time. The park has fresh air that will be good for their health. We would strengthen our knowledge of the wildlife our great state has. We might learn to have a better understanding of how to care for the land and the creatures that we share it with.
Watching an alligator eat would be a lot of fun. In trying to get over my fear of alligators, I went on the Everglades website. When alligators eat, they crawl all over each other. They chomp down on each other, all in competition for a tasty meal.
I saw on the website that you can even hold an alligator. Grab a friend or maybe an adult—I think an adult would be an excellent idea—and hold an alligator. Take a picture to impress your friends, showing them how brave you are.
And finally, the alligator park is only an hour away from school. We could leave in the morning when we get to school, and we would be back for the afternoon buses.
For these reasons, I think a trip to an alligator park would be an amazing, fun, and exciting fifth grade field trip. We can see a part of Florida that is unique, interesting, and beautiful.
