Students will visit the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City to see the Fossil Cycad National Monument, a site dedicated to its abundance of Cretaceous-age petrified plants. But there are no signs, boundaries, or any indication that something of historical value or scientific importance took place here. In fact, it's one of only a handful of national monuments in American history to be decommissioned by the Park Service.

Students will explore how our world is shaped today by studying fossil records. Students will learn the power of fossils and how they inspire the pursuit of scientific discovery and innovation, and how they shape our interpretation of the past.