The
RAUC 6th grade took a field trip to the Harvard Museum of Natural
History on Friday February 7th. The purpose of the trip was to learn
about fossils and what scientists can learn about the past by studying
them. First the kids learned about geologic time, sedimentation, and
fossil superposition in a hands on classroom environment. The study was
focused on the geologic history of New England which made it much more
connected to the lives of each student — the thought of walking in the
same place as a wholly mammoth or saber toothed tiger is pretty cool.
After, the students embarked on a "fossil safari". Students visited
three different galleries where they observed and sketched fossils.
Taking their findings from the observations, students then created
sketches to tell a story about the environment in which that organism
had lived in. Students also visited the arthropod, mammal, and
vertebrate exhibits. All of the RAUC 6th graders had a great day and an
exciting experience at the museum.
Read an article in the Harvard Gazette about the field trip >>