Students Jump Feetfirst Into History Lesson

A group of fourth-graders from Newbury Park jumped into an earthen pit at Olivas Adobe Historic Park in Ventura this week and felt cool mud squishing between their toes.

It was part of a living history lesson for Cheryl Triplett’s Maple Elementary School class to learn how Chumash Indian boys helped make adobe bricks more than 100 years ago.

“Your job is to be the mixers, just like the Chumash boys,” said Doug Stults, an interpreter for the city of Ventura’s Interactive Outreach Program. “But the No. 1 rule is: Don’t fall down.”

With squeals of delight from most and a little disgust from some, students sloshed around in a foot of mud and straw for about 15 minutes. June June Tung, 10, who goes by J.J., was one of the most enthusiastic mixers in the bunch.

“Yeah!” he yelled. “It’s all gooshy. This is a great field trip.”

But Ryan Hill, 9, had a different opinion.

“This is sick,” he said.

Triplett, who the children repeatedly urged to join them, said the experience helps history come alive for the students.

“If they see it in a book, it’s just something they read,” she said. “But this way, it’s much more meaningful because they’ve experienced it.”

The mud pit was one of three stops in the morning-long class on California rancho history at the Olivas Adobe. The 34 students also toured the home of the Olivas family and learned to grind corn for tortillas on a grinding stone.

“More than 20,000 students take part in this program each year,” said Jonji Stone, who coordinates the program for the city. Class costs range from $1.50 to $4 per student. Registration opens May 1 for classes for the 1994-1995 school year beginning Aug. 15. For more information, call Stone at 658-4733.