FIELDWORK AS A CLASSROOM: APPLYING TECHNOLOGY TO WYATT CHAPEL CEMETERY, PRAIRIE VIEW, TX

For three years, a Rice University graduate summer course has worked in Wyatt Chapel Cemetery, an abandoned site located on the campus of Prairie View A&M University. The course participants consist of in service K-12 science teachers, most of whom have participated in this course since its inception. Wyatt Chapel Cemetery is the ideal field course location for several reasons. First, decades of abandonment have raised several questions about the extent of the cemetery, the number of graves, and those known to be buried there. Secondly, the soil and environmental factors are ideally suited for geophysical and sedimentological fieldwork and data collection. Lastly, the local community has expressed significant interest in answering longstanding questions regarding the history of the cemetery. Ultimately, the results of the work will be aimed toward designating this area as a historic site.

This past summer (2010), course participants returned to Wyatt Chapel Cemetery to continue the investigation consisting of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), sediment trenching, and environmental observations, in conjunction with historical archive examinations. GPR is a non-intrusive geophysical method to image the subsurface to a depth of approximately 3 meters in this area. These data were used to interpret stratigraphy, and identify any associated man-made subsurface anomalies (i.e. interpreted graves, pathways, debris, etc.). Trenching provided valuable subsurface data that were used to calibrate the GPR, observe stratigraphic architecture and structures, and determine the depth of a regional clay layer that likely serves as the burial depth limit. Additionally, all points of interest (i.e. headstones, anomalies, and graves) were measured using a total station, which offers centimeter-scale precision. Data were consolidated and displayed using Geographic Information Software (GIS), so as to provide an interactive map. During the course, all efforts were documented using digital video cameras. The course approach of integrating field and lab work provided valuable research experience for the K-12 teachers, and allowed for formulation and completion of independent research projects. Additionally, the incorporation of technology in the course serves to motivate participants to do the same in their own classroom.