Earth Science Field experience is offered to Elkhart Community School students in grades 9 - 12.

Photos from previous trips.

This course is unique in that it allows students to have academic experience in the classroom followed and reinforced by a field excursion to the San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado. For example, land forms that are studied in the classroom such as dunes, mesas, mountains, etc., become a very real part of the experiences of the students on the field trip. Likewise, a knowledge of the characteristics of rocks and minerals learned in the academic portion of the course is useful in making a required collection during the five day backpacking part of the trip.

In the classroom the students study the following topics:

• Petrology
• Mineralogy
• Land forms
• Topographic maps
• Land uses

These aspects of the environment are related to the needs and problems of man. The academic background enables the student to make and record field observations properly.

In addition to the earth science, other information and values are gained by the students such as physical conditioning, self-sufficiency, ability to live out-of-doors for four days, self-discipline, etc

Evaluation of students' achievement is based on their journal, rock and mineral collection, classroom performance, written tests, and field experience.

Class Dates: June 4, 5 & 6

Trip Dates: (Group 1) June 10 - 23 (Group 2) July 8 - 21

Fees: $375 (food & equipment not included)

Itinerary

Day #1             Elkhart To Kansas City

Day #2             Kansas City to Colorado Springs

Day #3             Colorado Springs to Great Sand Dunes

Day #4             Great Sand Dunes to Mesa Verde

Day #5             Mesa Verde to Mesa Verde

Day #6             Mesa Verde to Eureka (Mts.)

Day #7             Eureka to Animas Forks (Mts.)

Day #8             Animas Forks to Mineral Creek (Mts.)

Day #9             Mineral Creek (Mts.)

Day #10            Mineral Creek to Ouray, Colorado (Mts.)

Day #11            Ouray to Denver, Colorado

Day #12            Denver to Hastings, Nebraska

Day #13            Hastings to West Liberty, Iowa

Day #14            West Liberty to Elkhart

*This schedule is subject to change under the direction of the supervising teacher.