Team work. The excitement of asking new questions. The promise of discovery in a failed attempt.

It is hard to pin down one aha moment. If I had to, I would say the biggest for me was working on a team toward a common goal. I haven’t had much luck with team work in the past, but I really enjoyed working with my Paleo Team. I learned I didn’t have to rely solely on myself. My team was supportive and hardworking; different members could and would take the lead when necessary.

I want to remember the joy of collaboration and the satisfaction of a job well done as a team when I start planning for my students. I know they will need to be prepared individually so they can bring something to the table, but I want to remember to give them enough time to explore their world together. I also want to remember to be patient enough to let that happen. And to feel less like a fifth wheel and more like an observer and facilitator to that powerful moment when my students become citizen scientists.

My Paleo Team

As the great philosopher Carol Burnett said “I’m so glad we had this time together.”  Writing the the curriculum for my project was a challenge made all the easier for having the support of my mentor Bucky Gates and my writing partner Kerrie Albright.

Kerrie and I decided to write together since we both will be teaching 8th grade. We each brought talents to the table. And for me it was a new experience because usually I have worked alone. Finding someone that I felt comfortable enough with to trust they would do their part and they actually did it has happened few times for me. I felt Kerrie and I were pulling equally on the yoke and it was a pleasure to work through the challenges that came our way.

My mentor Bucky Gates was an invaluable resource. He offered corrections, clarifications, and a listening ear when I needed a sounding board. He generously shared of his time and experience to help the lessons come together .

I now feel spoiled and hope I can find that combination when I have to write lessons in my  school.

What a day we had Wednesday! We ate good food, had good company and saw some incredible sights.

First, our team went to visit the Aurora Phosphate Mine. The actual mine is a huge strip mine operation run by the Potash Corporation in Aurora, NC. Potash Corporation has rights to exploit an area of 8,900 hectares (22,000 acres) of phosphate-bearing reserves, sufficient to support the mines operations for around 75 years. They mine phosphate and process it into many products, including Phosphoric Acid.

What we’re interested in is the layers above the phosphate which they scrap off and dump to the side as waste material. This kind of mining confuses the layers of deposition so we can’t tell when the shark teeth were originally deposited. But we are more concerned about the frequency of shark teeth shapes and sizes.

We were able to see the mine from the top of a hill and talked to one of the workers from the mine. We also saw a portion of the processing plant across the road. A unit train was lined up to be loaded with products waiting to be shipped out. They have a  31mile (50km) railroad spur that connects the facility to the Norfolk Southern and CSX railways. They also ship products via local waterways to barges in Morehead City.

The best part of the field trip was our visit to the Aurora Fossil Museum. Each year the Potash Corporation brings some of what they consider the waste material to the museum and dumps it for visitors to look through for fossils. We spent some time on our butts in the dirt looking for sharks teeth. We met some nice folks who were also there prospecting; a couple from Fayetteville and a couple from PA who summer in Emerald Isle in Onslow County. The couple from PA let us borrow their shovel to collect sediment for our classrooms.

We were instructed in the fine art of soil identification by tasting. A small pinch of soil delicately crunched between the front teeth give details of the quality grit in the soil. This information leads to the identity of the type of soil: smooth sand, larger grit sand, etc.

Two recommendations:

1 Bill’s Hot Dogs – For the hotdog lover with simple tastes. Fabulous red dogs with your choice of mustard, spicy chili , or onions on a steamed bun. For the true gourmand, you can order your dog all the way.

2 King Chicken – If you long for delicious fried chicken on a cheese biscuit you need look no further. One chicken and cheese biscuit is a meal, but they also have great southern sides. In addition, you can watch a regular occurring checker game while you wait for your order.

Sitting here with my windows open listening to the tree frogs, I have been reflecting on my time at the museum this week. Every day there seems to be something new to experience. This week we learned how to 3D scan a specimen. Our mentor, Dr. Gates chose a megalodon tooth and showed us how to pick up details on the tooth including any cracks or defects with the scanner. We had trouble getting the scanner to see the denticles on the tooth. Those are the serrations or bumps on the sides of the tooth, like the tiger tooth below. When we had done what we could to scan the delicate serrations then the computer began to have trouble putting the picture together into a coherent whole. Dr. Gates is going to work on it and he has been given permission to make a 3D copy of the tooth with a 3D printer for us.

Next week we are taking a “field trip” to Aurora to the phosphate mine to collect our own samples of fossils to use in our classes. I’m really looking forward to the experience of collecting my own samples.

tiger shark tooth

Dr. Bucky Gates, my mentor, and me.

This week has been fantastic and looks to only get better. So far we have taken a tour of the museum, even the collections downstairs.  My group practiced looking for fossils in sediment. We had no more prep than our students will have. It was helpful to experience what our students will experience. However, we got a second opportunity to look for fossils and we found many more.

In a perfect world in my teacher after-life, I will end up in Museum Nirvana.

The best part of the whole week was the trip down the Nantahala River. I can’t swim, but I love a good challenge. We had a great guide in our raft – Polar Bear and the river was beautiful with some many things to see. It is an experience I will truly never forget.

What do I expect? … I am hoping to connect to other teachers and learning from the experts around me. I am also looking forward to bringing real science into my classroom.

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