Thursday, September 29, 2022, was an auspicious day for San Lorenzo Elementary School’s 4th and 5th grade classes. The school arranged with Danni Romero, director of Western New Mexico University’s museum, for the students to take a field trip from the school in the Mimbres Valley to the museum in Silver City, with the Grant County Archaeological Society covering the expenses for bus transport. This was a very special occasion, as under Romero’s new directorship this field trip marked the first time in 30 years that a school group was invited into the museum. The GCAS was happy to support such a school trip and we look forward to supporting many more of them.
The students enjoyed learning about the archaeological history of their area while viewing the artifacts in the museum’s larger exhibit cases, though perhaps they were equally impressed by the museum’s brand-new interactive exhibits. As an extra part of the students’ tour, educational coordinator Marilyn Markel designed activities to engage them even more with the artifacts, including one which asked the students:
Which Mimbres pot do you like best? Why?
Describe the pot. Is it a bowl or a jar? Is it black and white, red and white, or polychrome? Does it have a geometric design or a figurative design?
Make a sketch of the pot.
What else do you see in the museum exhibits that you like? Why?
For a more enriching experience, we encourage visitors of every age to copy these questions and answer them yourself, on your own next trip to the WNMU Museum!