From left, Hallie Rhoda, Autumn Walker and Katelyn Chouinard Barker show off their face painting at Iron Oxide Camp Hancock.

FOSSIL – Teaching and learning made fun.

Carrie Sullivan, who teaches grades 4-6 at Dayville School, said that was the experience for her students who recently attended Outdoor Science School at Camp Hancock Field Station near Fossil.

“Students are having so much fun that they hardly know they are learning,” Sullivan said. “I believe that is how teaching should be done whenever possible.”

Laughing and smiling while learning dance moves to accompany a chant were evidence of the students’ fun, Sullivan said.

The school, hosted by Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, offers a rich, hands-on, customized outdoor learning experience for students in grades 1-12.

The 15 students enjoyed activities such as drawing up maps of the area, a hike to a celestial observation area, a lesson on how to use a star chart, a hike up Horse Tail Canyon to a paleontological site to study fossils by flashlight under overhanging rocks, a close-up encounter with Stew, an owl in training, campfires, and much more.

Sullivan believes making Camp Hancock a part of the curriculum is a huge factor in her students’ success on state science tests.

“In the past, the school was attended only in the fall, but the schedule switched up a bit to allow some of the students to experience spring in the desert,” Sullivan said.

They were able to explore the full range of extremes in the desert environment – from the cool, wet spring to the extreme, dry fall – allowing them the opportunity to compare and contrast seasonal changes, she said.

Seven new students at Dayville School who had never been to Camp Hancock were able to enjoy the experience at experience this trip.

Sullivan said her class draws upon the team building skills and strategies learned in the team challenges course to strengthen the unity within the classroom.

According to Sullivan, the overnight school was funded in the spring in part by the Grey Family Foundation for $1,012.50, which covered half of the amount for the students’ experience. The Clark Foundation’s substantial contribution helped the class attend again in the fall.

“It has become a key part of our classroom culture,” she said.