Ladera del Norte Elementary School, (Farmington, NM). Ladera del Norte Elementary School is a mirror of the community it serves. The school celebrates diversity with lessons in Native American, African American, and Hispanic American cultures. Fourth graders, who want to study traditional dances of New Mexico and Mexico, may participate in the Ladera Heritage Performers. Fourth graders relate New Mexico history to real-life experiences with a “Walk in Time” field trip to the Aztec Ruins National Monument. Students explore human civilization along the Animas River in the Four Corners Area. Students start their tour at the Aztec Ruins, then follow the Old Spanish Trail into downtown Aztec. They visit the Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village Museum which depicts life in the Old West. Fifth-grade students research the settlement of America from the perspectives of the numerous cultures. Students examine the balance of power in our system of government through a series of biographies from Founding Fathers to innovators and social advocates, who continue to help America navigate the ever changing future.