Hands on with History

What better way to understand the past than to get hands on with it? Students at Vista Peak did just that at the History Colorado Center for their SOLE field trip.

Guided through four different periods in Colorado's history, students got up close with the lives of those that have called this state home. In the "Written on the Land" exhibit, students explored the lives of the Ute throughout time by searching for water, Ute words and other clues to the past. Ute traditions were brought to life as students watched the Bear Dance being performed by modern day Ute people.

When exploring mining careers in the "Colorado Stories" exhibit, Vista Peak 4th graders soon learned the prospects of getting hands on in the mine with minerals could be treacherous. Some voted to instead be a blacksmith or manager when asked what career of the past looked best, seeing as a miner's pay was low and the work was fraught with danger. Still, as they explored mine shafts in the museum, it was hard not to test one's skills in lifting heavy ore or blasting new tunnels.

But, even those not tied to mining still had a lot of work to do. In the 1920s town of Keota, CO, students tried out various chores around the farm and even checked out the local general store and schoolhouse, exchanging eggs for store credit and trying out some schoolwork on old lap chalkboards. Some 4th graders were not too excited about the idea of doing chores on a field trip until they realized how fun it was to test out the different stations at the exhibit. Some 4th graders might still not have been too excited for the duties of cleaning the outhouse.