Kids Still Dig Learning

School in 2025 looks a lot different than it did years ago. While many remember classrooms having green chalkboards and thick textbooks, classrooms are now filled with technology. These innovations have been helpful in some ways, but they have moved us away from classic, hands-on learning experiences. Teachers like Heather Chadwick, however, are working hard to ensure that students continue to have a variety of learning experiences and get their hands dirty all in the name of education.

Chadwick is a third-grade teacher at Cache Intermediate School and is no stranger to this technological world. She even sponsors the school’s Esports team. Yet, Chadwick still finds peace and rejuvenation by spending time outdoors. While scrolling through TikTok one evening, she stumbled across a video of a teacher talking about how he has been doing digs with archaeologists as a form of professional development. She knew she had to sign up immediately.

“This teacher had been doing this for the last 5 or 6 years and he was talking about how awesome it was,” Chadwick shared. “I was like yes; I want to camp and go dig up fossils!”

The DIG Field School is a program provided by the Burke Museum in Seattle, Washington. They provide an opportunity for K-12 grade teachers to get hands-on experiences in paleontology, geology and evolution by participating active field research in Montana or Arizona. Teachers from all over the nation fly out for four days and work with experts in the field. Even as a single mom of three, Chadwick was able to attend because in her first year, she received a $500 stipend to cover traveling costs – all she needed to provide was her camping supplies. Everything seemed to align for Chadwick.

“I grew up hiking every chance I got,” Chadwick said. “I’m also a rock hound, always looking for rocks, so fossils were the next step in that hobby.”

Although Chadwick had a lot of similar experiences, this was lifechanging for her. She remembered what it was like to become a student again.

“Getting to be with experts and literally crawling on the ground with a little lens and paintbrush and finding microfossils one day and then looking at giant pieces of skulls and macrofossils the next was mind-blowing,” Chadwick shared.

Teachers in this program had the opportunity to work side-by-side with experts like Greg Wilson Mantilla, PhD who created this program. They spend three days exploring with the professionals and then have their own expedition on the last day. They wrap up the program by learning how to apply what they have learned into their classrooms.

“It really puts into perspective what paleontologists do out in the field instead of being some conceptual thing,” Chadwick started. “Greg Wilson Mantilla is one of the top paleontologists in the United States and he’s a real person and he’s willing to talk to you; he started this because he’s passionate about bringing teachers out into the field.”
Going out in the heat of summer to camp and dig for fossils is no easy task, but she was ready for the rough conditions.

“On the first day of my first year it was 111 degrees and got hotter every day; one day, it was even 120 degrees out in the field,” Chadwick shared. “If you want to talk to your family, you have to drive out to the main campsite or walk somewhere to get reception.”

As an Oklahoman with sons who play football, Chadwick was prepared for the grueling atmosphere. She spent a lot of time supporting other teachers who had zero experience camping or being out in that type of weather.

“I think everyone has a learning curve—not just with the science but the nature part of everything,” Chadwick said.

Although Chadwick seemed to be the ideal teacher for this program, she encouraged any teacher who is interested to sign up, regardless of experience.

“There’s so much to it; you’re not going to learn every single detail while you’re there,” Chadwick explained. “It’s more of, ‘How could you incorporate this into your classroom?’ or ‘How can you share this information with your students?’ rather than, ‘Okay, let’s talk about every single bone in the t-rex.”

Through the hardship, the teachers in the program truly bonded.
“There’s teachers from my very first year that I talk to on a daily basis through text message or social media,” Chadwick said. “We don’t just talk about the DIG but what we are doing in our classrooms.”

This experience rejuvenated Chadwick’s passion for teaching.
“I was more inspired to take what I learned back to the classroom more than any other PD I’ve done,” Chadwick said.

After completing the program, each teacher can borrow DIG boxes for their students for up to four weeks. Students get to handle real specimens and work through hands-on activities with them. Although the boxes come with lessons, Chadwick has been able to expand her curriculum through her collaboration with other teachers.

“I created a field journal for my students in Canva for them to draw pictures and write out information at each station” Chadwick started. “It’s really easy to add components so it’s not just science but things like writing and reading to help bring it down to the elementary school level.”

Chadwick received an immense amount of support from her school. Administrators, parents, and other teachers were enthusiastic and in her second year of using the boxes, she was given the opportunity to not only teach her students, but the entire third grade.

“To me it lights up this intrinsic desire to learn,” Chadwick reflected. “I’ve even had parents say, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing with these dinosaur boxes, but my kid brought home books today and they’ve never brought books home from the library and now they’re reading and talking about fossils’ and I love that.”

Chadwick has been teaching for four years and has been doing the DIG boxes for the last two. In comparison to her first two years, she has seen a stark difference in the students after integrating the DIG boxes into her classroom.

“It’s made an impact in my classroom and not just with science,” Chadwick reflected. “After we do these boxes, there’s a feeling of wanting to learn, wanting to engage, being excited to be in my room, being excited for the next project or the next learning experience throughout the entire rest of the year, and it’s so cool.”

Because the DIG boxes have become such a hit, Chadwick has been able to expand her lessons and started a Rock and Fossil club. The best part? Every student has a chance to participate because the club can meet during the school day. Once a month on Fridays, the school dedicates 45 minutes to club meetings.

“I like that it’s during the school day so that everyone can participate regardless of what their resources are,” Chadwick added. “I think that’s really important for them to be able to find what they’re passionate about.”

Chadwick already had a line up of speakers and presenters for the club. She has The Pemberton Boys, Oklahoma based content creators, ready to talk about the history of the wildlife refuge and geology at the Wichita Mountains. The Oklahoma Geological Foundation donated 170 rock and fossil boxes that will allow the students to take rocks and fossils home. She was also awarded a grant from the foundation to fund more activities for the club. The Pick and Hammer club at the University of Oklahoma and paleontology students from Oklahoma State University will also do presentations.

“I love having people in the field talk to the kids so that they can see that they’re real people,” Chadwick started. “I want them to not just connect with the science but the human side so they can see themselves maybe becoming that.”

Doing all of this for her kids truly brought Chadwick so much fulfillment.

“It brings me joy and fills me up even when I’ve had a hard day in class, going to that club and having those kids that are so excited and happy to learn from you it refills you,” Chadwick shared. “It makes me a better teacher, a better person, it just makes me happier to be there.”

“When it’s not all about test scores and things like that, you get to see these kids just flourish and grow and that’s just the best part of teaching,” Chadwick added.
Chadwick and her students were more aligned than ever. Through hands-on experiences, she was able to reconnect with the side of herself that loved exploring and learning new things and shared that same passion with her kids. This serves as a reminder to put the tech down from time to time and use the resources around us to learn.