On Monday, October 11 and Wednesday, October 13, Grade 9 students had the chance to experience learning beyond Stevenson’s campus. This early introduction to meaningful field work continues Stevenson’s commitment to inviting curiosity about the world beyond the traditional classroom, and to helping students develop critical learning skills.
On one trip, history students followed Monterey’s “Walking Path of History.” Splitting into small groups, they used a mobile app to compete in a scavenger hunt as they visited historic structures and gardens constructed throughout Monterey’s evolution—when it was part of New Spain, then Mexico, and then the United States.
Students explored California’s first theater, found Monterey’s first fired clay brick, viewed the Joseph Boston mercantile shop, visited the quarters inhabited by General William T. Sherman when—as a young lieutenant—he oversaw the construction of the US Army fort on the site of the Presidio, and stopped by the boarding house where Robert Louis Stevenson lodged during his visit to Monterey in 1879. The walk fit into the School’s history curriculum, and also oriented students to the surrounding area.
These students are now immersing themselves in the rich history of the Ohlone, the indigenous people of the Central Coast. They will use primary sources to learn about who the Ohlone were, how they lived, what they valued, and their deep connection with the land. After studying the Ohlone, they will turn their attention to Europeans who arrived later with a different understanding of territory, and learn how the Europeans occupied the land, and what they wanted from it. By the end of this unit, students will better understand the region, both past and present.
When describing the trip, Wonjin ’25 shared, “The scavenger hunt was super fun! Teachers were there to help, but we mostly had to figure it out ourselves. I enjoyed this opportunity to learn more about the beautiful place in which we are living.”
On the same October dates, Grade 9 science students traveled to Elkhorn Slough near Moss Landing. Accompanied by their teachers, students undertook a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity, which highlighted the interconnected nature of all sciences. Students began by exploring the surrounding marine environment using a number of lenses. They then worked with the local organization Sea Otter Savvy to perform an observation study, and took to kayaks to gather physical, chemical, and biological data from the Slough in order to better understand its ecosystem.
Students also learned about the Monterey Canyon, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the UC System’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, and Moss Landing’s historical role in regional energy production and consumption.
Click here to view more photos from the trip taken by faculty members Joel Fricker, Dr. Amy Jacobs, and Ron Provost.
