Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

A place to explore the natural setting (geology, flora & fauna), people, constructed infrastructure and historical events that play and have played a part in shaping the Sierra Nevada as we know it today.
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zwoij
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierras Our School

Post by zwoij »

Wandering Daisy wrote:Food! What surprised me about teaching at NOLS, is when we go course evaluations from students, the thing they liked the most and said they learned much, was ration planning and cooking. Eating is very basic. Really motivates people.

Have the kids do all the food planning. Learn nutritional value of food. Go shopping. Have a budget. How many calories do you need? How do other nutrients make you a stronger backpacker? Hydration. Why do we need all that water. Lots of math here. Then practice cooking. Cooking is chemistry-science. Food comes in a box - but how did it get in that box? Where does your food come from?

Hands on skills. Safety in handling hot pots. How to build a fire. What is a fire anyway? How does it produce heat.

Fishing! Lots of biology here. Disect a fish. Back to food - how much nutritional value in a fish. And food from the fish's perspective. Tie flies. Why to fish like certain insects vs others? Fishing rod. What is the physics of a cast?

Exercise physiology- how does your body work when you exercise? Why does altitude matter? How does food fit into all this?

Great ideas. They will definitely help with planning and shopping. One of the important ways to get them to enjoy backpacking is to eat great food, so the whole thing feels like treat. Roughing it will come when with the weather.

I like the physics of casting idea. I already have more than we can do in three days. I'll start simple and add from there. I'm planning to make a pot cozy and we can do some experiments to perhaps figure by some experiments and measurements whether it's worth its weight. But they would have to have an interest in this, which is more likely to come after enjoying the trip. Goal #1 is still to get them to love backpacking.

Now I'm wondering what courses any of you may know of (or teach) in the Sierra? (See I didn't use the plural. So I must be referring to a woman, right ERIC?).
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by Hobbes »

I was wondering why this thread was so active. Finally, out of curiosity I take a peek; and there it is, fireworks.

I think one of the major components of a well rounded education is not only learning about, but gaining an insight & appreciation for different cultures. And there are many, too numerous to list: geographic regions, political organizations, social groups, sporting activities, et al. You name it, and a group exists that abides by certain codes of conduct, behavior standards, language cues, manner of dress, etc.

The challenge for the outsider - whomever that may be - is whether or not they want to adapt, adopt & blend in in order to enhance their personal experience, or loudly & adamantly announce their "other" status. To compound the issue, while any decision is ultimately fine (there are plenty of non-conformists who insist on going against the grain), you are also committing your wards to the same category.

Try this thought exercise: think of the Sierra as visiting France. Do you want to be the brazen American tourist rudely demanding to be served in English? Or, would you rather spend some time researching & studying important native phrases? Because - at least in my experience - it doesn't matter if you completely hack it up, as long as some effort is made.

Regardless of culture, people universally tend to be friendly, open & willing to help, and don't mind as long you try. Once you've gained a measure of approval - by their standards - you've taken the first steps toward inclusion. In the case of the French, they love to practice their English, and are dying to test it out with a native speaker. But they will never let their guard down until you make the initial effort with some pitiable, tortured French.

Insisting that something/anything doesn't matter, when it obviously does (otherwise it wouldn't have been brought up), or criticizing people who initially raised the issue, is a sure fire way to have a poor experience.
:soapbox:
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Along with the line of cultural awareness, is interpersonal actions and social skills. At NOLS we called this "expedition behavior". In fact this factor is one big reason that NASA has sent its astronauts to NOLS courses, because they teach techniques on getting along with people in isolated situations and tight quarters, as well as maintaining the group cohesivness. I have taught their "Junior" courses, specifically designed for 13-15 year olds. The courses were 30 days long so you HAD to get along! Resolving disputes, not being a bore (limiting chatter about self, religion and politics goes a long ways in hanging out with a small group of people for 30 days!). Doing your fair share of the work. Sharing. We would re-distribute food when running low, which really made them mad, until we convinced them that as a group, nobody was going anywhere fast, if one or two were weak from running out of food, even if it was their own fault that they ran out of food; for example spilling their dinner with horseplay. Same with pack weight. Everyone has a bad day. The strong were given some weight from the ones who had a bad day so we could all maintain an good pace. Impulse control- think a minute before criticizing another; is it important enough and will it have a negative impact on the group? There usually was reciprocity later when the strong also had a bad day. Personal hygiene- who wants to eat breakfast across someone with bad breath and an unwashed face? Well, with boys, maybe not. Maybe they are past the age of "lets be gross" :D . Having 6 and 8 year old grandsons, I can see that with brothers, social skills may be more difficult than with a group of unrelated kids, if sibling squabbling is rampant.

As for "school" lessons from expedition behavior, this could then be an opening to discuss how nations solve differences, help each other, and historically, does this make a more robust society?

One tends to think of school as academic. But, as my school teacher daughter reminds me, a lot of it is teaching the social skills that allow kids to learn in a group. In fact, in the early grades, that is a major part of school.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by Tom_H »

Science and Math:

-Biology: biomes, ecosystems

-Meteorology and climatology

-Geology: At Devil's Post Pile you can see how basalt forms from high density lava, cooling into vertical hexagonal columns. You can compare some basalt and granite which form from the same minerals; both are Igneous, but basalt is extrusive-cooling quickly with not enough time for minerals to crystalize, while granite is intrusive-cooling slowly with enough time for differing minerals to migrate to each other and form macroscopic crystals. You can examine granite plutons and learn about magma chambers. Examine the hard plutonic granite in comparison to the softer crumbly granite around it. Go to Nevada Point Trail and examine the radical diversity in geological strata from the top to the bottom where the Rubicon has cut into the deep granite. Examine the veins of quartz there that are several feet thick. Learn how the formation of the Sierra induced a quasi-metamorphosis in the granite, allowing these large veins of quarts to consolidate themselves as well as for gold to consolidate within the quartz veins. Go to Malakoff Diggins and learn how ancient stream beds left placer gold in ribbons along ridges after erosion cut rivers to new depths. Examine the damage done by hydraulic mining. Go to Summit Creek in Emigrant Wilderness and examine how the hard plutonic granite on the south side of the stream contrasts with volcanic pumice and ash on the north side of the stream. Examine the soil in flat meadows in Sierra valleys; these are actually ancient lakes which eutrophicated through sedimentation and became those flat meadows. Examine Shadow Lake on Meeks Creek in Desolation which is in the last stages of eutrophication, no longer a lake, but a small marsh, on its way to becoming a meadow. There are similar ponds that are almost meadows just below Susie Lake in Desolation. In Sierra riverbeds, compare stones that are pure basalt with metamorphic stones where liquid quartz forced its way up through re-submerged basalt, leaving perfectly planar fins in some rock and bizarrely twisted veins in others.

Medicine and physiology-buy the manual from NOLS on wilderness medicine. You will learn a lot about human physiology and how strenuous exercise at altitude in the Sierra affects it.

Astronomy-there is nothing like an open view of the sky with no light pollution while at 10-14k' MSL. Go during a meteor shower season; The Perseid Meteor Showers will be August 12 and 13. Also do a little physics-basic orbital mechanics in particular. Discuss how the satellites you see can stay in orbit. Notice that most satellites in LEO (low earth orbit) fly west to east to take advantage of the initial velocity of Earth's rotation. Contrast that with the fewer spy satellites you see (launched from Vanderberg AFB-if they are ours) which pass over every location on Earth every 12 hours due to their orbital direction combined with planetary rotation.

Psychology-Wandering Daisy touched on team building. In our outfit me used to say The masks come off during the strenuous demands and close proximity of wilderness hiking. We used to have rap session every night and discuss interpersonal topics.

Orienteering-throw away technology. Learn to navigate using map, compass, the sun, the stars, and instinct.

Hydrology-learn how to read a long section of a dry stream bed and determine where water can be found as the bed cascades downslope.

Trigonometry-keep a log of sunrise, sunset, and high point of the sun each day. Take measurements of the compass heading of each. Create a graph that demonstrates the sinusoidal wave of the change in day length. Examine the logarithmic rates of increase and decrease.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by Wandering Daisy »

An important thing is to have the kids do a lot if not most of the decision making. This is real-life critical thinking. If things do not work out, then discuss why. Instead of lecturing to them, ask them a lot of questions. Tie this critical thinking to in the moment reality, not a bunch of theory. Most kids that age are a bit young for lengthy theorizing.

Probably, without saying, top priority is safety. Pick an area where mistakes can be made without serious consequences. And a time of year past mosquitoes (hard to concentrate on learning if being attacked by swarms of mosquitoes). Good weather helps too, at first. Later, with more experience you can deal with unsettled weather. That involves another whole realm of critical thinking and knowledge.

If you plan to go out repeatedly, you may want to write up a long term learning plan. It is best to use teaching moments as they crop up. For example, teach foot care when one gets a blister, rather than theoretically. Point out flora and fauna as you see them. After you are home you can then elaborate on what they saw. Definitely have them keep a journal with their observations.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by zwoij »

Wandering Daisy wrote: It is best to use teaching moments as they crop up.
That is mostly my plan. Some prep so we know what to look for, but mostly we'll focus on what interests them and follow up on it after. That way I know they are interested in a topic and we'll follow wherever it leads. That can often mean jumping between various disciplines, which I am a fan of.

This morning they looked at a map with me and told me which routes they would each take to get to the Tablelands, which is our planned destination. We talked about what the lines on the map represent, of course. A good beginning.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by zwoij »

Tom_H wrote: -Geology: At Devil's Post Pile you can see how basalt forms from high density lava, cooling into vertical hexagonal columns. You can compare some basalt and granite which form from the same minerals; both are Igneous, but basalt is extrusive-cooling quickly with not enough time for minerals to crystalize, while granite is intrusive-cooling slowly with enough time for differing minerals to migrate to each other and form macroscopic crystals. You can examine granite plutons and learn about magma chambers. Examine the hard plutonic granite in comparison to the softer crumbly granite around it. Go to Nevada Point Trail and examine the radical diversity in geological strata from the top to the bottom where the Rubicon has cut into the deep granite. Examine the veins of quartz there that are several feet thick. Learn how the formation of the Sierra induced a quasi-metamorphosis in the granite, allowing these large veins of quarts to consolidate themselves as well as for gold to consolidate within the quartz veins. Go to Malakoff Diggins and learn how ancient stream beds left placer gold in ribbons along ridges after erosion cut rivers to new depths. Examine the damage done by hydraulic mining. Go to Summit Creek in Emigrant Wilderness and examine how the hard plutonic granite on the south side of the stream contrasts with volcanic pumice and ash on the north side of the stream. Examine the soil in flat meadows in Sierra valleys; these are actually ancient lakes which eutrophicated through sedimentation and became those flat meadows. Examine Shadow Lake on Meeks Creek in Desolation which is in the last stages of eutrophication, no longer a lake, but a small marsh, on its way to becoming a meadow. There are similar ponds that are almost meadows just below Susie Lake in Desolation. In Sierra riverbeds, compare stones that are pure basalt with metamorphic stones where liquid quartz forced its way up through re-submerged basalt, leaving perfectly planar fins in some rock and bizarrely twisted veins in others.


Astronomy-there is nothing like an open view of the sky with no light pollution while at 10-14k' MSL. Go during a meteor shower season; The Perseid Meteor Showers will be August 12 and 13. Also do a little physics-basic orbital mechanics in particular. Discuss how the satellites you see can stay in orbit. Notice that most satellites in LEO (low earth orbit) fly west to east to take advantage of the initial velocity of Earth's rotation. Contrast that with the fewer spy satellites you see (launched from Vanderberg AFB-if they are ours) which pass over every location on Earth every 12 hours due to their orbital direction combined with planetary rotation.
Thanks for all this Tom. I knew this community would be helpful.

If you are familiar with the Tablelands, do you have any thoughts on geology (or anything else) that we should be aware of in that area? That can include everything between the trailhead and what we can see from the divide.

Yes, I think we will be up there right at the peak of the Perseids. In the past I have tried to take them camping during the Perseids when possible. If we can cowboy camp in the Tablelands and watch the Perseids that will be amazing.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierras Our School

Post by Jimr »

zwoij wrote:... Do you have an example of the orthographic profile you mentioned in your other response?

...
Since they already have their ideas on how to enter the Table lands, have them each profile their route. A foot of thin string, graph paper, pencil is all they need. They will need to start learning the legend of a map and what the various information means. This is a good start because they will need to use the distance scale on the map. Have them mark off one mile in the center of their string. A tape tag or just a black marker will do. Create a chart to gather information. Rows will be numbered 0 - x to represent each mile of distance. The first column represents elevation, second column notes. Now start at the TH and note the elevation. Use the marked mile on your string to measure from TH to first mile of trail. Mark it with a pencil and record the elevation at that point. Continue that protocol until the desired end point. I would follow large switchbacks and treat numerous small switchbacks as a straight line. The notes section can be used to identify where certain features are located, ie. switchbacks that were treated as a straight line, lakes (although they will be obvious on the orthographic projection), any other noteworthy features. They use this info later to label them on the projection.

Have them size their graph, x axis = miles, y axis = elevation. Find the highest and lowest elevation to identify how much elevation needs to be represented, and the last mileage entry. This will give them an idea of what size graph will be generated. Now, start plotting points and connecting lines adding notes as desired. The point of notating switchbacks that were treated as straight path is to note it on the graph. If the line segment is very steep, the notation that switchbacks were ignored gives them information that they will be working switchbacks to gain that elevation and helps to explain some of the distance differences between trail references and their profile.
If you don't know where you're going, then any path will get you there.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by gdurkee »

Hi: a few good reference books. I traveled for my first Sierra years with Sierra Nevada Natural History. An excellent general guide to birds, plants & geology. Another excellent book (for you, so you know more. Perhaps a bit much for the kids) is James Moore's Exploring the Highest Sierra. Excellent history and, especially, geology. He's got a guide to interesting geology of the highway as well as the Muir Trail (though I don't think the HST).

Hard to know what would be a cool project. But It's always interesting to look at species diversity in small areas. How many separate species can you find in 100 feet of meadow (not necessarily identify -- that's pretty hard -- but list as different); same with sitting at a forest/meadow edge for an hour in the morning, mid-day, and evening. How many species? Why would the forest edge have more species than, say, the forest itself?

Pay attention to the granite (maybe even some metamorphic in there -- I can't remember). What's different about the rocks -- crystal size; light rock vs. dark. Your superior knowledge from Moore will help you answer some of those questions.

Great idea. Have fun.

George

Oh, wait, more. How about them imagining how Native Americans lived there. Keep a sharp eye out for obsidian. You'll often find it at narrow gaps & passes (where they waited for wildlife) and at the same camps you might choose. Where'd the obsidian come from? How'd they get it? How'd they stay warm. How you the kids stay warm and fed if they didn't have 21st century stuff?
Note: Obsidian came from east side of Sierra. Several sites north of Lone Pine & Mammoth off Highway 395. Major trading routes across Taboose Pass & Kearsarge Pass. Some over Shepard. At the moment, can't think of good Native American reference.
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Re: Help Us Make the Sierra Our School

Post by zwoij »

Report of the trip is now up. viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15228&p=113915#p113915

Thanks everyone for your very helpful input!
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