<p>Laurie Neil American Academy k-8, two campuses, Parker and Castle Pines 32 sixth-graders from both campuses</p><p>May be their last year; they’ve had a hard time filling spots because of the cost of the program and of transportation.</p><p>This is their eighth year here. STEM school. Sixth-grade (which is in middle school) curriculum is earth science.</p><p>“I love the fact that it’s not just science; there’s Colorado history too, so it hits both areas of our curriculum.”</p><p>The neatest then I see, is that when they come at the very beginning they don’t know a lot. From “Inquiries to the Past” on Monday morning, they pick up things in every class.” At the end, they’re able to identify the kind of pottery and date it to the correct period when they find it in the field.”</p><p>In the past, they’ve gone to Mesa Verde on Friday, where they can look at the cliff dwellings and put into action nwhat they’ve learned. This year, because of the weather, they went on Tuesday instead of Friday.</p><p>Best part? Probably the dig. It’s pretty exciting to find an artifact that’s hundreds of years old and hold it in your hands. Just about every study found something this year.”</p><p>On Wednesday, they were on their knees next to their squares, and they were the first citizen scientists to stick trowels in the dirt at the Hatch group.</p><p>They learn Colorado History in fourth grade. World and American history in middle school. Helps them to understand there were people here before we were the United States, people who lived off the land and had to move to where their resources were. </p><p>They used their hands for everything. These kids have so much technology.</p><p>We’re all about exposing kids to experiences that will hel guide their futures, exposing them to a career option they haven’t thought of before. Some walk away saying, “I might want to be an archaeologist.”</p><p>This is her sixth time coming and her third dig site: the tail end of Goodman Point, Dillard and now Hatch. This year we’re the first ones to get to dig at the Hatch group. Different sites, different time periods, different artifacts you can find over the course of several years.</p><p>Each grade level has a STEM trip, or a couple. We were searching for a STEM focused trip that would do hands-on things with earth science. Do a rain forest ecology trip to Washington. Mount Olympus.</p><p>This is really the one most hands-on, where students are most immersed in the program. Initial learning experience and be able to apply it in the end. Previously was middle-school history teacher. This year, she’s the middle-school principal. Loooked forward to this trip every years a teacher. Had to skip last year.</p><p>Strict with kids, set up expectations. We set things up right in the beginning, the kids learn it, and the rest of the week goes smoothly.</p><p>The first year, the week began with Monday in the 90s, then rain and snow, and back up to hot weather.</p><p>Your program is great. She definitely recommends the week-long program to other groups. The experience of the dig was just the icing on the cake.</p><p>Half of the kids here have older siblings whove made the trip. Some have younger siblings who want to come.</p>