During my time as a 6th grade social studies teacher from 2019-2022, I planned many hands-on events and learning experiences. These events ranged from including just my team of 115 students to the whole school of 500+ students. My section on Experiential Learning gives a lot more detail about these events.

One of my favorite events that I ever planned and executed was a school-wide "Dinosaur Excavation" Day as an end-of-year activity. I had to arrange a space, schedules, and time slots for classes across the campus to attend during their social studies class period. I also had to obtain and manage the resources to put on this event. I reached out to community partners to get items donated and discounted. I also coordinated with our local high school to get student volunteers who were interested in helping out. It was a lot of hard work and planning and I gained valuable skills from this event.

During the event, students rotated in small groups to the "excavation pit" where they could sift through sand filled with various fossils and artifacts. They were able to identify and categorically sort what they found. Then, students received a "egg" to dig in to and excavate their very own dinosaur. Students then worked together to identify their type of dinosaur and received an information card about it. Students were able to take home their dinosaur and card.

Overall, this event was a major success! Students, parents, and staff members couldn't stop raving about how great of an experience it was.