Daytime Lesson Briefs

Stream Ecology - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Streams can be biologically diverse ecosystems when the right conditions are met.

Essential Questions:

What kinds of things are researchers/scientists/students looking for in a stream to determine water quality?
How have aquatic organisms adapted to their stream habitat?
How do humans impact stream quality?

Methods: Students will capture, observe and release stream animals to help understand aquatic ecosystems and our impacts on them. This program focuses on macroinvertebrate study and physical water characteristics.
- This program is designed for older students and does not include a salamander study.

Stream Life - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Streams can be biologically diverse ecosystems when the right conditions are met.

Essential Questions

What lives in or near a stream habitat?
How have these living things adapted to their stream habitat?
How do humans impact stream quality?
What factors/conditions in nature affect stream life determining what can live here?

Methods: Students will capture, observe and release stream animals to help understand aquatic ecosystems and our impacts on them.
-This program is designed for younger students and includes a macroinvertebrate study and salamander exploration.

Keying Into Plants - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Classification and identification of plants help scientists to recognize forest diversity and understand their role in an ecosystem.

Essential Questions:

How do plant characteristics help with identification?
What roles do plants play in an ecosystem?
Why is the diversity of plants important in the ecosystem

Methods: Students examine different types and levels of vegetation and explore their values in the overall natural community. Students will develop and use keys to aid in identification and classification of natural vegetation.

Wilderness Navigation - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Topographic maps and observation of the landscape allow us to navigate in unknown areas with confidence.

Essential Questions:

By observing our surroundings, what tools can help us find our location on a map?
How does learning theses skills increase our appreciation of new places and our ability to explore them?

Methods: Students will learn to understand the basics of topographic maps. They will participate in orienteering games.

Creative Expressions - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Humans can express and deepen their connection to nature through observation and creative expression.

Essential Questions:

How can creative expression explain or deepen our feelings about the natural world and our place in it?
How can we hone our observation skills to enhance our appreciation of the world around us?

Methods: Students will explore various ways of expressing themselves through writings, drawing and dramatics. They will be encouraged to use their imaginations to express their feelings about themselves and nature.

Exploration - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Human survivial in the wilderness depends on preparation, special skills and observation.

Essential Questions:

Why do people explore?
How can humans adapt for survival in the wilderness?
In what ways can we continue to explore today?
How do observation skills increase a person's chance of survival?

Methods: Students become explorers and discover their surroundings through various activities. Students also work as a team to make important decisions about their survival.

Biodiversity Blitz - 3 Hours

Big Idea: All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) research can be used to understand the interactions between plants and animals and is important in understanding and managing biodiversity in an area like Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).

Essential Questions:

How does habitat affect biodiversity?
Why is scientific research being done in GSMNP?
Who can do scientific research in GSMNP?
How is the scientific method being used in the ATBI?

Methods: Students will be conducting a miniature All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory. They will compare the diversity of species in small plots located in different habitats.

Forest in Winter - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Plants and animals have unique adaptations for survival during the winter months.

Essential Questions:

In what ways do plants and animals adapt for the winter seasons?
What are the risks and benefits to migration, hibernation, activity and storage?
How is studying plants and animals in the winter different from other seasons?

Methods: Students will participate in sensory awareness activities and games in order to more fully experience and understand the forest in winter.

Life in the Forest - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Forests are diverse communities made up of living things that depend on each other for survival.

Essential Questions:

In what ways are forest communities like human communities?
How and why do forest communities change over time?
How are plants and animals adapted for survival in different forest communities?

Methods: Students will participate in activities that illustrate life cycles in the forest and the importance of the forest resources.

Little Creatures - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Fields, forests and aquatic habitats host specially adapted organisms.

Essential Questions:

How are little creatures adapted for their specific environment?
Why are little creatures important in an ecosystem?
In what ways can food webs be affected by exotic, invasive species?

Methods: Students become Nature Detectives to explore a field, a forest, and a wetland habitat observing and collecting information about small animals, their behaviors, habitats in which they live, and how they are adapted for survival.

Trees are Tremendous - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Understanding characteristics of trees is essential in tree identification and recognizing biodiversity of tree species.

Essential Questions:

How can observation be used to classify organisms?
What characteristics of trees help us identify their species?
How do trees contribute to biodiversity in the Smokies?
In what ways do animals use trees for habitat?

Methods: Students will examine trees closely and actively "build" a tree to learn tree parts and functions. They will use a key to identify and classify trees and participate in creative writing activities.

Wildlife - 3 Hours

Special Considerations: This lesson and Little Creatures should not be scheduled in the same week.
Big Idea: Wild animals are diverse and each species plays an important role in a given ecosystem within Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP).

Essential Questions:

How are wild populations affected by the carrying capacity of the given ecosystem?
Why is wildlife biodiversity important?
Why is understanding roles (or niches) important to understanding the ecosystem as a whole?
How do invasive species affect native populations?

Methods: Students will explore a variety of Great Smoky Mountains habitats by looking for signs of wildlife; active games are used in order to become familiar with the characteristics of Smokies wildlife as well as teach interactions between predators and prey. Students will build micro-habitats incorporating knowledge learned during preceding lesson activities.

Earthquest - 3 Hours

Special Considerations: Do not schedule this lesson with Creative Expressions
Big Idea: By using their senses, humans can deepen their connection to the natural world.

Essential Questions:

Why is our connection to nature important?
How can we sharpen our senses to better observe our surroundings?
In what ways are humans connected to nature?

Methods: Students participate in sensory awareness activities that emphasize people's place in nature, employ drawing and writing skills, and culminate in an outdoor solo experience.

Geology Walk to The Falls - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Rocks and Soils - and the processes by which they are made - play a vital role in understanding Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP)

Essential Questions:

How have forces within the Earth and on the Earth's surface shaped the southern Appalachians region and GSMNP?
In what ways are the southern Appalachians region and GSMNP being changed by natural and human forces?

Methods: The students will participate in a hike, a scavenger hunt, a rock search, and games in order to learn about geological cycles, weathering and erosion, and soil formation.

Cades Cove - All Day Lesson

Special Considerations: Schools will need to provide transportation to the Cove. One or two Tremont staff members accompany groups to Cades Cove. We prefer groups no larger than 60 people go to Cades Cove on the same day.
Big Idea: People lived in the Smokies before the park was formed and interacted with their environment in ways that can help us reflect on how we live today and what choices we'll make for our future.

Essential Questions:

What attitudes and lifestyles held by people in the past hold valuable lessons for us today?
What can we learn about past ways of life by observing evidence left behind?
What is the importance of preserving not only the natural history but also the cultural history of the Smokies?
What about the geology of Cades Cove makes it distinct from the rest of the park?

Methods: Students explore sinkholes, fields and forests, and relate the lifestyle of residents to their use of the environment. Students will be hiking a total distance of about 3 miles. Additional hikes may also be incorporated upon request.

Cooperation Course - 2-3 Hours

Special Considerations: Large group activity best done on the first day.
Big Idea: Cooperation is vital in our relationship to the environment and to our fellow human beings.

Essential Questions:

How do people work together to solve large social and environmental problems?
Why are good communication skills important?

Method: Through a series of challenges designed to encourage group interaction and cooperation, students will increase ability to listen, make decisions, be effective group members and leaders. Small groups of students will work as a team to complete the problems posed at each station.

Walker Valley Living History - 2-3 Hours

Special Considerations: This large group activity requires all of the Tremont staff, and school adults to lead the various student groups.
Big Idea: People's lives and the environment changed with the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Essential Questions:

How has the park changed over time?
How did the creation of the National Park change the lives of people who lived here?

Methods: Students become members of special interest groups assessing the feasibility of creating a national park in the Great Smoky Mountains by interviewing living history characters.

Air Quality - 1-3 Hours

Big Idea: Pollutants in our atmosphere affect the health of organisms in a negative way and can be prevented.

Essential Questions:

Where are the sources of the pollutants that are found in our air?
How do these pollutants affect organisms?
In what ways can humans prevent the production of harmful atmospheric pollutants?

Methods: Students learn about the major air pollutants, their sources, and the effects they have on living organisms through plays, games and discussion.

Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and Walker Sisters' Homestead - All Day Lesson

(Half day option also available that includes only Little Greenbrier School. 1.2 miles)

Special Considerations: School is responsible for transportation to and from the area.

Big Idea: People lived in the Smokies before the park was formed and interacted with their environment in ways that can help us reflect on how we live today and what choices we'll make for our future.

Essential Questions:

What attitudes and lifestyles held by people in the past hold valuable lessons for us today?
What can we learn about past ways of life by observing evidence left behind?
What is the importance of preserving not only the natural history but also the cultural history of the Smokies?
How did the creation of the park change the lives of residents?

Methods: Students will hike to the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse. While at the school, students will participate in a variety of activities to help them learn about the school and the time period in which it was used. They will also hike to, and explore, an old homestead. The homestead includes a log cabin, barn, and spring house, along with remnants of gardens and orchards. While there, students will attempt to discover what life was like for mountain settlers and pioneers. (4 miles)

All-Day Hike - All Day Program

Big Idea: All-Day immersion provides an in-depth opportunity to view the beauty of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP); students will build self-confidence through physical challenge.

Essential Questions:

How can we experience the wilderness without leaving evidence of our being there?
How do maps and natural landmarks help us to determine our location?
When learning about the history of an area, what can the landscape and physical evidence teach you about the relationship between people and nature?

Methods: Students will hike an eight-mile loop trail and examine the various forest types and historical artifacts along the way. They will participate in a solo hike and learn Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. Alternative 4-mile hike to backcountry campsite available.

High Country Ecology - All Day Program

Special Considerations: School is responsible for transportation.
Big Idea: Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is a biologically diverse area in part because of elevation.

Essential Questions:

How do ecosystems change due to elevation?
What are the different forest types that can be found in the GSMNP?

Methods: During this all day trip, students will take several short hikes through different forest types and learn how the plants and animals are adapted.
Special Considerations: This lesson is dependent on weather conditions/road conditions. An alternate activity should be planned in case of bad weather conditions.

Stream Physics - 3 Hours

Big Idea: Water is a force that affects landscapes.

Essential Questions:

How do you determine the volume of water flowing past a given point?
What natural and human factors change the volume of water in a river?
What affects the velocity of a river?
In what ways does water shape the land?
In what ways do the physical properties of water affect the organisms that live there?

Methods: Students will participate in the collection of data related to stream flow (volume, velocity, friction, etc.) and will determine the flow rate in cubic meters per second for the Middle Prong.

Scientific Method and Salamander Monitor - 3 Hours

Big Idea: The scientific method is a tool that guides research.

Essential Questions:

How can the scientific method be used to find answers to questions about the natural environment?
Why are salamanders so important to the Smokies?
How do qualitative and quantitative data differ?
Why is replication important?
How can scientists present their results?

Methods: The students will review the steps in the scientific method and will have the opportunity to formulate a hypothesis, collect data, and come to preliminary conclusions. Students will check two types of cover boards (artificial habitat created for salamanders) and assess which cover board works best at providing habitat for salamanders.