Field Trips

Field trips are always welcome at Aztec Ruins. This is a small site, so we can only accommodate one school visit at a time, whether the group is self-guided or participating in a ranger-led program. Large groups will be asked to split into smaller groups and rotate through different areas and activities. If groups are very large (more than 150 people, or 5 classes), we will require that you split your visit over two or three days. We prefer that you arrive no earlier than 9:30am. The Visitor Center opens at 9:00am, and we need a little time to prepare for your visit. The park closes at 5:00pm.

What's Here:

Aztec Ruins National Monument is the keeper of an ancestral Pueblo great house, standing three stories tall with over 400 rooms. The central plaza features a restored Great Kiva. The Visitor Center has museum exhibits and a 15-minute park film. The bathrooms are located on the front porch of the Visitor Center. Any educational materials pre-arranged for field trip checkout (traveling trunks, teacher-trail guides, etc) will be set up prior to your visit.

Field Trip Scheduling:

If you're interested in bringing your class to the park, please fill out an Education Reservation Request Form (PDF, 390 KB). Completed forms should be sent to the Education Coordinator at [e-mail]. Once received, the Education Coordinator will work with you directly to schedule your class.

Logistics:

There is a bus unloading area, and bus parking. We request that teachers have one adult/chaperon for every ten students. Two hours is usually enough time for the visit itself (for 1-4 classes); more time should be scheduled for lunch in the picnic area. The video room can accommodate a maximum of 30 students and the video plays every half hour. Teachers and chaperons are responsible for directing their groups during the visit.

Check out the possible activities listed below, as well as field trip activity rotation schedules based on your activities and group size. Teachers may print available resources listed prior to their visit.

 

The trail through the Aztec West Great House showing the corresponding trail numbers. This is the trail teachers will follow with their students as an activity.

NPS

Self-Guided Field Trips

Teachers are more than welcome to bring their students to Aztec Ruins for a self-guided experience. Self-guided field trips are entirely teacher-led, but Aztec Ruins can assist with educational resources to be used during your visit here, including lamenated teacher guides for K-2nd and 4th-7th grade, a replica object trunk, and group rotation schedules.

If interested, please fill out an Education Reservation Request Form (PDF, 390 KB) and email it to the Education Coordinator at [e-mail]. Our Education Coordinator will reply to your email and work with you directly to get your class scheduled.

Aztec Ruins has several activities students can participate in during their self-guided field trip:

• Pueblo Games - In the Picnic Area
  • Teacher's Guide Instructions (Word, 4.08 MB)
  • Pueblo Games Rotation for 3 Groups (Word, 271 KB)
  • Pueblo Games Rotation for 4 Groups (Word, 272 KB)
  • Pueblo Games Rotation for 5 Groups (Word, 456 KB)
• Museum iSpy - In the Museum
  • Museum iSpy Activity (Word, 34.3 KB)
• Build a Pueblo - Visitor Center porch
  • Background Information (Word, 16.4 KB)
  • Instructions (Wprd, 15.3 KB)
  • Worksheet (Word, 15 KB)
• History Detectives - In the Museum
  • Activity (not available yet)
• Object Reproduction Trunk - Visitor Center porch
  • Travel Trunks webpage

Self-Guided Activity Rotation Schedules (without Pueblo Games)

• Rotation Schedule for 3 Groups (Word, 269 KB)
• Rotation Schedule for 4 Groups (Word, 272 KB)
• Rotation Schedule for 5 Groups (Word, 277 KB)

 

NPS

Curriculum-Based Ranger Programs

Aztec Ruins offers Ranger-led curriculum-based 2nd, 4th, and 7th grade programs. You must reserve these programs prior to your class visit.

• Programs are given March through May and September through November. All programs are staff dependent.

If interested, please fill out an Education Reservation Request Form (PDF, 390 KB) and email it to the Education Coordinator at [e-mail]. Our Education Coordinator will reply to your email and work with you directly to get your class scheduled.

Activity Rotation Schedule with Ranger-led Program:

• For 3 Groups (Word, 270 KB)
• For 4 Groups (Word, 271 KB)
• For 5 Groups (Word, 277 KB)

Programs include:

• Daytime Stars and Nighttime Skies: 2^nd Grade Ranger-led Onsite Program

  • Students discover native plants and animals and their habitat needs through fun facts and activities, then learn how the plants and animals of this area shaped the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people.
  • Download a pre-visit overview here:
    • Daytime Stars and Nighttime Skies Pre-visit (Word, 3.16 MB)

• Piecing Together the Past: 4^th Grade Ranger-led Onsite Program

  • Students piece together puzzles to reveal the role of pottery in Ancestral Pueblo daily life, connect pottery to modern descendants of the Ancestral Pueblo people, and examine concepts of climate change and stewardship.
  • Download a pre-visit overview here:
    • Piecing Together the Past Pre-visit (Word, 1.60 MB)

• Can You Make It? 7^th Grade Ranger-led Onsite Program

  • Transport the Survivor game into Ancestral Pueblo times – but with the goal of thriving and building community resilience. Then show the interconnectedness of tool making and other daily activities by becoming a human flow chart.
  • Download a pre-visit overview here:
    • Can You Make It Pre-visit (Word, 1.60 MB)