Description
The seeds for A Walk Through Time will be planted early in our project. Under the guidance
of our Project Director, interdisciplinary teams of 155 students, will study geology in their
eighth grade Earth Science class during the spring and fall terms of 1998. Students will learn
about minerals and rocks; weathering, erosion and deposition; fossils, and geologic history; and
they will study maps and mapping. As students learn these concepts, they will be able to play a
leadership role in the planning and construction of A Walk Through Time. Once they understand the
significance of their part in this major project, they will recruit students from other grades,
teams, and subject areas from Broomfield Heights Middle School as well as students from other
Broomfield schools.
The site for A Walk Through Time allows for a path approximately 350 feet long. As students
better understand geologic time, they will use their math skills to create a plan for the path.
They must determine what time periods to include in their walkway and the length of each walkway
segment on the ground that proportionately represents a time period. They must research the
availability and resiliency of rocks that represent each time period and determine what kind of
plant and animal fossils should be represented in the walkway. Students must realize that there
are gaps in the geologic time record and decide how to represent this information in the
walkway. Since rocks will be placed to form an aesthetically pleasant outdoor sculpture,
students must work closely with art teachers. Furthermore, students must know, understand and
work within the project budget.
In addition to the physical layout, students must plan and design the signs that identify
and explain A Walk Through Time. They must decide how many signs are needed, where to locate
signs, what materials to use (some signs must be brass so that future students can make rubbings)
and what graphics and written information to include in each sign. With the guidance of science,
art, and language arts teachers, students will produce the information that guides future students
and community members through A Walk Through Time. Before completing the final walkway design,
students will create a questionnaire to survey the public's understanding of the geologic
setting including the ideas and concepts to be emphasized in the exhibit.
The City of Broomfield will play a prominent role in creating A Walk Through Time. Without
their considerable support, this project would not be possible. In addition to providing the
Open Space land, the City of Broomfield has generously agreed to help supervise students and
staff at Broomfield Heights during project construction, provide constructions supplies, and
help with collecting and hauling rock samples. Furthermore, the City of Broomfield has agreed
to work jointly with the Boulder Valley School District to maintain the pathway. Students will
help with construction whenever the task is appropriate for their age and maturity. A Walk
Through Time will connect to a City of Broomfield open space trail at both ends of the time
line. The spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains from the proposed location of A Walk
Through Time provide the perfect connection between our walkway and the regional geologic
setting. Future maintenance of A Walk Through Time will be a joint effort between the
Boulder Valley School District and the City of Broomfield.
The Geological Society of America, through the expert advice of Liz Knapp, will continue to
provide technical advice and guidance as our project develops. A Walk Through Time will serve
as an interactive exhibit where students of all ages can learn by touching the rocks to feel
the difference in texture between sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. They will see
the differences and similarities in grain size and walk among rocks inhabited by the creatures
preserved in the strata. Observers will learn more detail about the strata from signs with
both images and written information about creatures who left behind their evidence. Most
importantly, observers will learn how these rocks and land forms affect us today.
When complete, students and teachers from Broomfield Schools, employees from the City of
Broomfield, community members and members of the press will be invited to the dedication. A
final questionnaire will be distributed to both students and community members to evaluate
their understanding of our geologic setting. Students will continue to serve as docents for
guided tours on the walkway.
Not only will A Walk Through Time provide an interactive visit into our geologic past and
a glimpse of that influence on our lives today, but also it will leave a work of art and a
lasting legacy to the community of Broomfield.
