Mineralogy and Astronomy are two of the main topics in the 6th grade curriculum. Their visit to Death Valley National Park offered examples of many landforms such as, mountains, sand dunes, salt flats, colorful rocks, smooth marble, and rough sandstone. At night, Death Valley’s dark skies at provided students with the opportunity to “map the night sky,” locating constellations, and orienting themselves in relation to the season and place. They went on spectacular hikes, up and down the sand dunes, a crater, helped with the cooking, and enjoyed the vastness and beauty of the desert.
