HOUGHTON -- Even though school is out for the summer, a total of 18 teachers are learning about the unique geology in the Upper Peninsula.
While inside the classroom, the teacher becomes the student learning about the ancient copper mining history but the learning also goes beyond the classroom.
"Teachers love Michigan Tech's Summer Teacher Institutes because they’re hands-on. They are out and touching it, and they're doing it, and they just find it really exciting and they get enthused,” said Program Coordinator at the Center for Science at Michigan Technological University, Joan Chadde.
As teachers pile into the vans, it's time to head up to the Quincy Mine for a look at the copper mining process.
Clay Cotey is an eighth grade earth science teacher in Calumet, and he says he's always striving to learn things that will make him better in the classroom.
"I'm in the field of science where information out there is doubling every 10/15 years. It's important for us to stay current. Some of the things I'm learning about, ideas of the geology here, didn't exist when I went to school," said Cotey.
As the outdoor classroom continues, teachers head underground.
The Quincy Mine is one of the few mines where people can actually go underground. The tour gives teachers a chance to see what daily life was like for the miners while at work, and teachers can see how large rocks of copper were broken down and removed from the mine.
After the Quincy Mine tour, teachers had a chance to visit Seaman's Mineral Museum on Michigan Tech's campus.
As teachers continue their tours throughout the week, they'll be able to take everything they've learned and use it inside their own classrooms.
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