Grade 7: A Day at the Museum
Seventh graders visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to continue their science studies of geologic time and the evolving Earth. They explored the Prehistoric Journey exhibit for the chance to go back in time to the formation of the solar system and Earth and to wander through the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras. Along the way they encountered dioramas of ancient oceans, fossils of strange sea creatures, recreations of swamp forests and grasslands, and enormous skeletons of long-extinct dinosaurs. The exhibit ends with the rise of mammals and the dawn of the human family.
Seventh graders visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to continue their science studies of geologic time and the evolving Earth. They explored the Prehistoric Journey exhibit for the chance to go back in time to the formation of the solar system and Earth and to wander through the Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras. Along the way they encountered dioramas of ancient oceans, fossils of strange sea creatures, recreations of swamp forests and grasslands, and enormous skeletons of long-extinct dinosaurs. The exhibit ends with the rise of mammals and the dawn of the human family.
“As we explored the different galleries, students jotted down notes on interesting things they were learning or made sketches of fossils or organisms that they found especially cool,” shares Steve Collins, science teacher.
Students described the highlights:
- Seeing fossilized trilobites and other ancient marine organisms
- Seeing the gigantic armored Dunkleosteus fish skull
- Touching fossilized stromatolites and pieces of the banded iron formation
- Touching a metamorphic rock that is nearly 4 billion years old
- Wandering amongst the dinosaur skeletons
- Learning about butterfly evolution
- Seeing examples of early mammals
- Discovering how big mammoth tusks actually are
- Peering into the specimen preparation room
- Finding the hidden gnomes that are scattered around the Nature and Science museum in the dioramas and background scenery.
“The kids also mentioned how they enjoyed getting to hang out with their advisory away from school,” Steve says.
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Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
