Film Club: ‘The Field Trip’ - The New York Times

What do you know about the world of work that awaits you?

Video player loading — Through a day of role-playing, a group of students get an eye-opening introduction to the careers that may await them.Meghan O’Hara, Mike Attie, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck

Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

“The Field Trip” is a 13-minute film from a special Op-Docs series of short documentaries from the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Filmed before the pandemic, it profiles a group of fifth graders who get a crash course, through a day of role-playing, on the ins and outs of the modern workplace. As one student says, “Why does life have to be so complicated?”

The jobs we dream about as children about aren’t usually the ones filled with paperwork, meetings and short lunch breaks — but that’s often where we end up. How much do you know about the world of work that awaits you? Would you want to take part in a day of role-playing like the children in the film? Should all young people?

Students

1. Watch the short film above. While you watch, you might take notes using our Film Club Double-Entry Journal (PDF) to help you remember specific moments.

2. After watching, think about these questions:

What moments in this film stood out for you? Why?

Were there any surprises? Anything that challenged what you know — or thought you knew?

What messages, emotions or ideas will you take away from this film? Why?

What questions do you still have?
What connections can you make between this film and your own life or experience? Why? Does this film remind you of anything else you’ve read or seen? If so, how and why?

3. An additional challenge | Respond to the essential question at the top of this post: What do you know about the world of work that awaits you?

4. Next, join the conversation by clicking on the comment button and posting in the box that opens on the right. (Students 13 and older are invited to comment, although teachers of younger students are welcome to post what their students have to say.)

5. After you have posted, try reading back to see what others have said, then respond to someone else by posting another comment. Use the “Reply” button or the @ symbol to address that student directly.

Want More Film Club?

• See all the films in this series.

• Read our list of practical teaching ideas, along with responses from students and teachers, for how you can use these documentaries in the classroom.

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