Accessibility and inclusion in the field; a field guide for central Arizona and Petrified Forest National Park

This field trip focuses on accessible and inclusive design in field-based teaching and learning through a broad investigation of the geology of Arizona, followed by more detailed exercises that focus on the Upper Triassic stratigraphic sequences in Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO). The first day of the field trip will traverse the three physiographic provinces of Arizona, from fault-bounded, basement-cored uplifts and valleys of the Basin and Range in the greater Phoenix area, through the Transition Zone to the Mogollon Rim, and ending in Upper Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Colorado Plateau at Holbrook. The second day of the field trip will encompass more detailed, collaborative exercises in PEFO that utilize the expertise of both student and faculty participants in mixed-ability groups. The main priority of this accessible field experience is the development of an inclusive community of learning driven by paired student-faculty interactions, facilitated as needed by technology integration to mitigate barriers and foster engagement, communication, and collaboration across a spectrum of ability and content knowledge.