oxbowbarefoot
Banned
I'm teaching a metal detecting class to middle and high school students!
I am a teacher at a school for students with special needs at a school in a very poor city in Western Massachusetts. I am extremely fortunate in that I have the ability to create my own afternoon elective classes for my students. I usually try to create classes that get them out of their comfort zones and into nature. For this Spring marking term, I was able to get permission to run a class I am calling “Digging Up History.” The class is designed to teach historical research and analysis, search and recovery of artifacts using metal detectors, identification and preservation of artifacts, and the ethics of metal detecting and importance of archeological research on the individual, non-institutional level. I had originally pegged the cap number of students for the class at 4, since I will need to use my personal vehicle, and three of my own personal metal detectors (ATPro, Ace 250, and Texas 1st Pilot) and two Ace 150’s my principal authorized me to purchase (Thank you Mike from Woodland Detectors). However, due to overwhelming demand on the part of my students, my class has now been restructured to include 8 total students and an extra staff. I’m ecstatic that my students are showing such interest, but nervous that now each student will have to pair up and take turns with the detectors. My solution to this: we will save all modern change we find and save up to buy additional equipment for the class. Our first official meeting will be tomorrow and will focus on the ethics of metal detecting and ground rules of the class, importance of research, overview of some of the machines, and bench testing. I would love to hear of any suggestions for lessons, areas to detect in the Springfield/Holyoke/Chicopee area, or just thoughts on the class.
I am a teacher at a school for students with special needs at a school in a very poor city in Western Massachusetts. I am extremely fortunate in that I have the ability to create my own afternoon elective classes for my students. I usually try to create classes that get them out of their comfort zones and into nature. For this Spring marking term, I was able to get permission to run a class I am calling “Digging Up History.” The class is designed to teach historical research and analysis, search and recovery of artifacts using metal detectors, identification and preservation of artifacts, and the ethics of metal detecting and importance of archeological research on the individual, non-institutional level. I had originally pegged the cap number of students for the class at 4, since I will need to use my personal vehicle, and three of my own personal metal detectors (ATPro, Ace 250, and Texas 1st Pilot) and two Ace 150’s my principal authorized me to purchase (Thank you Mike from Woodland Detectors). However, due to overwhelming demand on the part of my students, my class has now been restructured to include 8 total students and an extra staff. I’m ecstatic that my students are showing such interest, but nervous that now each student will have to pair up and take turns with the detectors. My solution to this: we will save all modern change we find and save up to buy additional equipment for the class. Our first official meeting will be tomorrow and will focus on the ethics of metal detecting and ground rules of the class, importance of research, overview of some of the machines, and bench testing. I would love to hear of any suggestions for lessons, areas to detect in the Springfield/Holyoke/Chicopee area, or just thoughts on the class.
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