Athens 7th Grade Enjoys Field Trip to SRAC

Recently the entire 7th grade class from Athens school district visited SRAC for a field trip that will not be soon forgotten. Stations included the Eastern Africa exhibit representing the 8 nomadic tribes that live in the harsh sub-Saharan desert region as their ancestors did 1,000 years ago and the SRAC Native American exhibit which covers from the times of the Paleo Indian and the Woolly Mammoth times to Early European contact. The kids were also given time to shop in the SRAC gift shop full of great learning toys, rocks and minerals and books.

Ted Keir discusses the 1983 excavation of the woolly mammoth at Spring Lake

 

Ted Keir discusses what life here was like 12 - 15,000 years ago

Bill Bauman discusses hunting techniques in Eastern Africa

Bill and Betty Bauman explain the harsh lives of the nomadic tribes

Dick Cowles discusses early trade between the Native Americans and Europeans

Dick Cowles discusses the hisotry of Native Americans in our region.

While in the gift shop - the kids were invited to play in a contest using a magnetic "Euler's Disc" with a chance to win a prize.

Four bus loads of 170-some kids arrived in two groups of approximately 85 - one in the morning and one on the afternoon and then split up into 3 subsets of kids who rotated through each station every 30 minutes. The day was a wonderful time for the kids and the volunteers who ran each station throughout the day.

However, none of this would have been possible without the support of the Athens Rotary - who helped pay for the busing for the day. Hats off to them for helping us at SRAC inspire our kids to learn more about other cultures and the prehistory of our region.

I also want to personally thank the following volunteers who worked hard to make the day a special memory for the kids: Mary Keene, Janet Andrus, Ted Keir, Dick Cowles, and Bill and Betty Baumann! Thanks to all of you - it was a great day for everybody!