CHICAGO — On Monday, the subfreshmen will take their annual field trip. This year, rather than going to the Wildlife Prairie State Park as many previous classes have, the Class of 2012 will head to the Chicago Field Museum. It will be the second year in a row that subfreshmen have gone to the museum.

History teacher Janet Morford, English teacher Steve Rayburn, and science teacher Pat Morris will take the students on their trip along with four parent chaperones.

Morris, the organizer of the subfreshman field trip since 1987, decided to change the destination from Prairie Park to the Field Museum after she viewed the exhibit Evolving Planet in November 2006.

She decided that the Field Museum would be better for the students because it provides an integrated, cross-curricular experience. An example she gives is the Egypt exhibit, which is relevant to the subbie history class, taught by Morford, which has a unit on ancient Egypt.

The itinerary has two exhibits that are required for the students to visit and take notes on: the Egypt and Evolving Planet exhibits.

Evolving Planet tells the story of evolution and takes visitors through 4 billion years of life on Earth, from single-celled organisms to dinosaurs to human beings. There is also an extended dinosaur hall, providing information on every major group of dinosaurs and the world they lived in.

Morris expects to leave at 7:30 a.m. and return by 5 p.m., though the return time might be later because of possible delays due to traffic and road construction.