Third-grade students traveled to Desoto Caverns in Childersburg, Alabama, for an overnight field trip. The group participated in an educational program called the “Underground Classroom,” learning exciting new facts about caves and their relationship to the Earth’s water supply.
Students learned about spelunking, or cave exploration, and observed the growth of stalactites and stalagmites. They even searched for bats to no avail, but then discovered the delicate balance that exists in the animal kingdom.
“This cave hasn’t had bats for many years,” said Hunter Fennel (3rd). “Here’s what happened. There are lots of farmers around the caves and they sprayed their fields for bugs to protect their plants. Where there are no bugs, there are no bats because bats eat A LOT of bugs.”
The students used two caving simulators, the 'Cave Crawl Box' and the 'Cave Wall Climb.' In the cave, the students studied cave hydrology, geology, and archeology. Students followed surface rainwater into the caverns and experienced a special lantern-lit-tour of the caverns – which was the way the early explorers saw the cave.
“We had a campfire, cooked hot dogs, and roasted marshmallows, and then we went into the cave for
the night and slept in sleeping bags. We were careful not to sleep under dripping water from a stalactite!” said Megan Beard, third-grade teacher.
This trip enhances topics covered in the social studies curriculum, including a unit on early exploration that explains how Hernando De Soto, a Spanish explorer, explored this cave. The trip will also complement the third graders’ next unit in science about the Earth’s water supply.