Update from Keystone Science School

Day 1

Just a quick update to share some photos from our 7th grade field trip. Right now, the students are all awake after a good night's sleep (they were pretty much out as soon as the lights were, at 9:30! The "hoppers" who are assigned to breakfast duty are already at the dining hall getting everything ready. Last night's free time evolved into a 25-person game of "mafia" in the main cabin. Today, we'll have a lunch-prep line at breakfast, grab our gear and head out into the backcountry. We'll actually be loading up in some vans to travel to a trailhead in the National Forest area. We'll be outside all day today, into our full-on field experience. We may do some snowshoeing depending on conditions. Forecast calls for partly sunny, high 33, with scattered snow showers throughout the day.

Yesterday had us building the foundation of knowledge around wolf management issues, ecology, and scientific-inquiry. We'll be using all of that today in the field. The students have fully impressed the staff of Keystone Science School (KSS), and I am hearing lots of great feedback from the instructors who are working with us. The KSS instructors are incredible; even students are impressed and really looking up to them. The chaperones (who are also amazing, by the way!) have even been talking about how much WE are learning!

A few photos from our first day are attached! I'll continue to update via Twitter (FlagstaffDean) as much as I'm able to throughout the day!

Day 2

Day 2 was a full day in the field, and we had incredible weather. By incredible, I mean "winter-wonderland-movie-style snowfall" all day long. In tonight's debriefing circle before bedtime in the boys' cabin, each student had an opportunity to share their highlights of the trip so far. Several stated that today's hike through the steady snowfall was their favorite part of the trip so far.

We loaded into vans with our groups, and headed out into different areas of the National Forest. My group went to the Rainbow Lake area, about 20 minutes from campus. We hiked the Miner's Trail, and our instructor had incredible lessons prepared to weave into every beautiful turn of the trail. We covered Pine Beetle infestations, forest ecology, history of wolves in America, laws and regulations on wolves, wolf behavior, pack sociology, and lots more. We stopped in the middle of an incredible forest to have our lunch in the snowfall, which was also listed as a "favorite moment" by students. We created timelines and played "wolf behavior charades" on a cliff overlooking Lake Dillon. A few hikers, a snow mountain-biker, and a pair of cross-country skiers went by, some of them sharing comments like, "I wish I had a classroom like this when I was in school!" They were right, of course. It was a special day that we'll remember for a long time.

After returning to campus, and enjoying some hot chocolate, the whole 7th grade joined-up for a game of "Wolf, Elk, Aspen". Of course, when I say "game", I mean ''well-disguised learning and development". The outside game led us into our inside debriefing, where the staff expertly presented a visual graph of how our game went. As the students debriefed with the instructors, the ah-ha moments were emerging like popcorn. Our "game" was actually an excellent simulation for what's happening with wolves, elk, and aspen. It helped students to unlock and understand the interrelationship between wolves, elk, and aspen in a way that was completely engaging. What's more...the instructors only had to facilitate the session. The teaching came from the students' comments and discussion.

After a great taco dinner, we convened for the stakeholder town-meeting. Students each took on a role to play for this mock town-meeting to come up with a strategy for wolf management in Summit County, Colorado. Students role-played as Defenders of Wildlife, Recreationalists, Environmentalists, Ranchers, Hunters, Tourist Industry Reps, County Residents, and more. They expertly stated their positions on the issues, defended their stances, then magically started to move from debate, to insight, to collaboration, and finally consensus. It was another well-disguised lesson...this time on conflict management and building consensus.

After some great teamwork on cabin-cleanup, it seemed like sleep came easily for everyone tonight, and we are looking forward to what the instructors have in store for us tomorrow....we'll see you back at Flagstaff tomorrow!

Also check Dean Pugh's blog.