It used to be that a school field trip meant a tour of the local dairy or, if you were lucky, a harbor cruise. But last month, 78 fourth- and fifth-graders from Malibu’s Webster Elementary School boarded a chartered jet and took off on a three-day field trip adventure. They headed north to Sacramento and back 150 years to experience the lifestyle of California’s pioneers.
Base camp was located on the south fork of the American River, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, near the historic mining town of Coloma. Once the 21st century tour buses had rolled away, there was barely a trace of civilization. The students were assigned canvas tent-cabins. They claimed their bunks, rolled out their sleeping bags and found themselves surrounded by life in the 1840s.
A Native American shared tales of her ancestors in front of a cozy bonfire. A mountain man, dressed in rough leather and pelts, explained how prospectors were able to live off of the land some 400 miles from the nearest town. A tinsmith demonstrated how pots, pans and lanterns were made and students made a punched-tin decoration to hang in their modern day bedrooms at home.
“I always wondered what it was like to be a pioneer,” said fourth-grader Jenna. “It was as if we were doing it.”
It didn’t take long before gold fever had spread throughout the small camp. Soon, the students headed to the riverbank with gold pans in their hands.
“It was fun,” said Kelly, a fourth grade student. “Everybody was getting a little bit of gold and then they wanted more and more.”
“It was really nice just camping out with all my friends,” said Erin, a fourth grader. “But I thought panning for gold would be a lot easier. I thought I’d get a lot more gold.”
The life of the ’49ers was filled with hard work but the pioneers also knew how to have fun. The students were treated to an old fashioned melodrama in which they were asked to don costumes and join the action.
After the show, the students were led on a leisurely hike through Gold Discovery State Park. They strolled past the homestead of John Sutter and into downtown Coloma to view the sawmill James Marshall was building when he discovered gold.
Even though making arrangements for this trip is no small task, teacher’s aide and trip coordinator Susan Cooley and the teachers say trips like this one are well worth it for the students.
“They got to be a part of it,” said fourth/fifth-grade teacher Victoria Winokur. “And when they can touch it and taste it and smell it, it becomes part of who they are.”