The short arms of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, plates on the back of the Stegosaurus, and feathers on the Velociraptor. How did the students know all this? The first and second-grade class jumped on the bus and headed to Fruita, Colorado, where classroom learning came to life. There was a lot to pack in a three-day trip, and Fruita didn’t disappoint.
Our first stop was the Journey Dinosaur Museum. Students were transported back in time as they learned about and discovered western Colorado’s ancient history. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed the same lands on which we hike, bike, and go to school. The museum housed a paleontology lab with hands-on exhibits from full-scale skeletons, accurate dinosaur models, an earthquake simulator, and a quarry where students uncovered real dinosaur bones.
The group stayed at Moon Farm, which was a truly unique experience! Everyone had a blast exploring the houses around the property, each representing a different theme. The doll house, Christmas house, chapel, pirate ship, hair salon, and school house were among some of the most popular! Students slept well in anticipation of an early morning wake-up call!
As the sun rose and the peacocks squawked, we all enjoyed a filling breakfast before our departure to Rimrock Adventures. After meeting our guides and securing lifejackets, students jumped on the rafts for a full-day float on the Colorado River. The Ruby Horsetheif Canyon began with pelican, bald eagle, and heron sightings. As we moved into the taller red cliffs, students saw swallows in their nests, two billion-year-old rocks, and stones that smelled like gasoline! Imagining when dinosaurs roamed became more tangible as the students floated through the canyon.
The Trail Through Time, an active fossil quarry on the Colorado and Utah border, follows a 1 ½ mile loop where students read about, saw, and felt fossils in the earth. When looking at the spine of a Diplodocus, you can imagine its life a little more clearly. The ancient river channels where these dinosaurs roamed also contain plant fossils and records in the rock of flowing rivers and lush plant life. Lessons through discussions were had in the field as students found excitement knowing they were walking where the dinosaurs had. Dinosaur and rafting conversations filled the air on the bus drive back to reunite with families back at TMS.