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PHOTOS BY MEGHAN ERKKINEN

FIELD TRIP. The Port of Tacoma regularly entertains third-grade visitors from school districts across the county. The port has worked with school districts to implement a textbook describing the port’s significance and activities into third-grade curricula.

Port engages young citizens in the classroom

By Meghan Erkkinen

Little hands smudge the bus windows as 50 third-grade students peer out at the awe-inspiring machinery. “Mom! Mom!” cries one of the students, pointing at a large crane loading a cargo ship. “It looks like those things from “Star Wars!”’

Indeed, for many curious youngsters, the equipment and operations at the Port of Tacoma inspire the imagination, conjuring images of sci-fi machinery and fantastical monsters.

This particular group of students is from Bonney Lake Elementary School, and this field trip to the port wraps up a comprehensive unit that included textbook material and a classroom visit from port staff.

The textbook is written and supplied by the Port of Tacoma. The book, called “Gateway to the World,” is geared toward third graders and describes what the port does, how cargo moves and where the students get everything from their clothes to their computers.

“It’s nice to have some curricula that’s their grade reading level. With this field trip it really brings the pictures (in the textbook) to life,” said third-grade teacher Deb Orphan, who is in her fourth year of implementing the curriculum. “I think it’s also nice because it gives the kids a bigger picture to be able to look at a world map and see where imports are coming from.”

The Port of Tacoma became involved in area schools about five years ago so that children could better understand the workings of the port. They approached several school districts, beginning with the Tacoma School District, to determine the needs of the educators.

“We were very surprised because we were assuming that it would be something with high schools,” said Evette Mason, the port’s community relations manager. Instead, the school district asked if the port would focus on a program for third graders. It is at that grade that the schools begin to introduce the concept of the community and of economic development, and officials felt information about the Port of Tacoma would tie in nicely.

“If you think about it, there aren’t that many textbooks that include Tacoma,” Mason said. “They don’t have anything that they can identify their community with what they’re learning.”

The book is designed to be a transition between a fictional picture book and a nonfiction chapter book. The book tells the story of Marc and Maria Sanchez, who visit the port with their grandfather. As their grandfather tells them the story of the port, the book transitions from illustrations to photographs and from fiction to nonfiction.

Several school districts in the county, and some private schools and home-school co-ops, use the book as part of their curriculum. Port staff members in the External Affairs Department then work with the school districts to arrange classroom visits and port field trips. This year, port staff members have done classroom presentations for 365 students and tours for 240 students from around the county.

“These third graders know not only what a port is, they have a deep understanding about what international trade is and how they move containers off a ship,” said Hillary Hunt, who visits classrooms and leads the tours. “They may be 10 years old, but they’re still members of the public and a part of a democracy.”

And while for now, the students are more fascinated by the straddle carriers, the reach stackers and the enormous cranes, they are also learning valuable lessons about international trade and the economy.

“In a state where one in four jobs involves international trade, I think it’s important that students recognize they may have a job that involves international trade and to think about that when they’re making choices,” Mason said.

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