Home School Teacher Steph Evans recently took Sierra Foothill Charter School home school students on a field trip to the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County. Through seeing, and in some instances, touching skeletons, participating in a mock dig, exploring outside to find plants the Native Yukuts used, and learning to throw a replica of their spears, students learned a lot about what life was like 700,000 years ago in the Central Valley.

In the main part of the museum, students saw skeletons of the Columbian Mammoth, the saber tooth cat, and the short faced bear, just to name a few.
A number of SFCS home school families stand with a Fossil Discovery Center guide (far right) in front of the Columbian Mammoth on display at the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County
Autumn Blagg (in black), along with a few younger home school students ,examines and compares skeleton fragments at the hands-on discovery table.

Students were able to participate in the mock dig where they identified the various jaws of the Ice Age Animals. They also learned techniques and materials that paleontologists use to dig up fossils.
Finn McCullough and Jensen Fouch enjoy the mock dig site.

Students were led to an Ice Age watering hole where they saw examples of the various plants that the Native Yukuts used as medicine and food.

Some students and adults were able to try to throw the spear like atlatl, and learned that to use this tool well, practice and skill are necessary. 
Here (above), SFCS board member and volunteer Caroline Wenger Korn gives it a try.
SFCS home school students thoroughly enjoyed their field trip.

Sierra Foothill Charter School is a free, non-profit, TK-8 public school. For more information, contact the office at (209) 742-6222 or visit SFCS’s website: SierraFoothillCharterSchool.org. To stay up to date on all the latest happenings, “like” SFCS on Facebook.