Appalachia : 2014

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Exploring the Southern Highlands

Getting out onto the trails is the best way to explore our Ridge and Valley and the Blue Ridge ecoregions. Check out these photos from recent excursions.

We'll be planning some field trips and hikes, so be on the lookout!

Big Creek Area GSMNP, NC

Mouse Creek Falls

Wildlife along the trail -- can you find the creature?

See the shrub layer shadow? Can you name that plant? Forests are important.

Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse Trail GSMNP, TN

Laurel Thicket

Crossing the creek

Leftovers of a Homestead Entrance

Little Greenbrier School

Tallulah Gorge State Park, GA

View from the overlook.

Suspension Bridge

Metal stairway to the bottom of the gorge.

View opposite of the State Park.

Caesars Head State Park, SC

Caesars Head Reference Marker

View towards Table Rock State Park from Caesars Head Overlook

Tom Miller Trail -- creek at bottom of the trail (Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area)

Sunlight through the forest -- notice the layers

Panther Creek State Park, TN

Appalachia Class Field Trip Hiking through the Seven Sinkholes Trail in the Rain.

Trooping On

Sinkhole 7 -- notice the saplings finding a home.

Living on the slope

We'll be revisiting trails and hiking in class next month. This week and next we'll be exploring the history of schools in Appalachia. Here are some links to resources for further exploration of one-room schoolhouses:

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Creeks, Watersheds and Folk of Appalachia

You guys did a great job painting your sculptures. I'm super-sorry for any confusion or mix-ups!

There is an animal in the photo below -- can you find it and figure out what it is?

Wow! We covered lots today -- Water Cycle, Watersheds and some Folktales and Folks of Appalachia.

Here are the Watershed links I promised:

Educator's Guide: Lesson Plans and Activities for NC River Basin Materials
Stormwater and You
A Guide to Traveling Tennessee's Watersheds
Upper Little Tennessee Watershed Water and Habitat Quality Educational Curriculum (228 pages)
What's In Your Water (TNSWEP --High School Lesson Plan)

In the First Hour class I read the folktale, "Strong but Quirky: The Birth of Davy Crockett" from the book From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of Folklore and Folk Songs. Here are a few links to the life of Davy Crockett:

Mrs. Rachel mentioned a man in the mountains near where they lived that used bear grease to predict the weather. Here are a couple of articles about that:

We will be discussing Appalachian Dialect and Language over the next few weeks. Have a gander at this great video which includes Popcorn Sutton.

We've begun to explore stereotypes of the Appalachian Region and the folk that populate this wild and wonderful land. I read a short selection to the third-hour class about some of the ways Appalachia has been represented and misrepresented in the past 50 years. Popular culture is an interesting way to investigate these stereotypes. Snuffy Smith, Lil Abner, and The Hillbilly Bears were some child-friendly aspect of popular culture that we mentioned. (We had a brief discussion about Snuffy Smith and I found this link about the cartoon being a mixture of Appalachia and the Ozarks. Along that line -- do you know where the Beverly Hillbillies are from???) We also mentioned The Waltons and I encourage you to check out that series.

Here's a Hillbilly Bear Cartoon for you to watch -- see how many stereotypes you can count about the people and the region.

The third hour class also created a list of famous Appalachians that did not fit the stereotypes. Here's the what we came up with:

Andy Griffith is also a famous Appalachian. Here's something that fits this season and gives an example of NC Dialect. I remember hearing this each fall on the radio!

Don't forget the upcoming field trips! Please let Fran know if you are gonna try to make them! Here's a quick list of what's planned:

September 26, 2:45-5 Crockett Tavern Homeschool Event with reenactors, activities, and loads of learning!
September 30 Meet at the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse in the Metcalf Bottoms Area of the GSMNP by 10:45am program starts at 11. Pack your own picnic lunch. We may hike to the Walker Sister's place too.
October 10 -- 9:30 and 10:30 Canoeing (two sessions that can hold 15 people each); Bring Your Own picnic lunch; Service Project (moving some tables and craft supplies); Seven Sinkholes Geology Hike (Subsidence and Sinkholes in East Tennessee)

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Forest and Stream Biomes of the Southern Highlands

Amazing sculpting today!

If you look closely at the photo below, you can see a salamander on the rocks near Grotto Falls in the GSMNP. It looks like some of your sculptures!

Check out this link to Mudpuppies.

We'll be painting our creations next week with watercolors.

Today I read a portion of a letter from two of the Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier . The book I read from (and recommend) was Walker Sisters of Little Greenbrier.

I mentioned a field trip opportunity:

Tuesdays from September 23-October 28 programs at 11 and 2 Little Greenbrier School

It is a FREE program! We are planning to meet over in the Metcalf Bottoms - Greenbrier Area in the GSMNP to take in the program on September 30th at 11am. Please let Fran know if you are interested.

Here's a great video of what to expect:

During class, we talked about biomes -- stream and forest. The ARC of Appalachia offers some more info on Temperate Hardwood Forests here. Below are some photos of streams and forests.

Albright Grove is one of the trails to offer old-growth forests that were not touched by logging. This link offers a chart showing the tallest native trees in the GSMNP. The value of the forests is priceless. Logging was an important industry and remains so in areas of Appalachia.

Next week we will explore more about forests and streams in the GSMNP and local parks. We will keep exploring Appalachian poems, stories and songs like Over in the Meadow.

If you haven't brought in a recipe, please bring it next Wednesday (Sept 24). Third period class make sure to look up famous people from Appalachia!

We're starting to explore the language and dialect of Appalachia, so see if you can come up with a simile or metaphor (here are some worksheets) that helps you explain/communicate Appalachian culture (poems are welcome). Listen for triple negatives this week too.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Field Trip Opportunities in September

Appalachia is ALL around us! We live in close proximity to some TREMENDOUS resources!

Here is a list of some upcoming events in our area:

Monday, September 15 10-4 Rocky Mount Living History Museum Homeschool Day Admission Charged please check out link. *Independent Event
Saturday, September 20 10:00am-4:00pm Mountain Life Festival Mountain Farm Museum adjacent to Oconaluftee Visitor's Center GSMNP (near Cherokee, NC) FREE! *This is an independent activity
Saturday, September 20 9-3 Morristown Airport Fly-In FREE *Independent Event
Saturday, September 20 10-3 Sorghum Festival and Annual Association Meeting Tipton-Haynes Historic Site FREE! *Independent activity
Friday, September 26 2:45-4:45 pm Crockett Tavern Homeschool Program

Living History Reenactors will be at the Tavern to share some historical aspects of life on the first American frontier including food, chores, crafts, games, etc. Please park in the parking lot close to the railroad tracks (across from the split rail fence). The fee is $5 per family. *please let Fran know if you are planning on attending and how many will be in your party

Saturday, September 27 10 Hike and Clean-up National Public Lands Day Panther Creek State Park FREE!
Tuesdays from September 23-October 28 programs at 11 and 2 Little Greenbrier School FREE! *We may be planning to meet over in the Greenbrier Area in the GSMNP to take in the program. Please let Fran know if you are interested.
Fridays from September 26-October 31 8:00pm The Civil War in the Smokies Elkmont Campground FREE! *Another independent activity
Saturday, September 27 10-2 and 2-4 Within the Shadows of Cumberland Gap Heritage Walk FREE! *Another independent activity

If you know of other Appalachian Cultural Events please let Fran know and she will share them with the class! We had thought of attending the Museum of Appalachia Tennessee Fall Homecoming as a group, but will not this year -- Sorry!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

William Bartram Early Naturalist

William Bartram had the most wonderful adventure of traveling through the pre-revolutionary war Southeast. He even met Attakullakulla!

He recorded his observations which give us a unique glimpse into the Southern Appalachian Highlands at a pivotal point in history.

We will be studying some of the plants and animals he recorded for a couple of weeks:

Check out some of the animals and plants. Panther Creek State Park, Ijams Nature Center and UT Trial Gardens are great places to experience this unique flora and fauna. Also, you may want to further explore Linnaeus and his classification system.

Hiking through some of the same areas is a great way to experience Appalachia and travel some trails through NC, SC, and Georgia covering Bartram's expedition.

Phillip Juras, an artist, created a series of paintings depicting his perspective of what William Bartram saw, Exploring the Upcountry with Bartram. Check those out!

Don't forget to bring in a recipe you think represents food in Appalachia and, 3rd period class, bring in a poem or quote from an Appalachian author.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Early History Exploration of Appalachia

Exploration and settlement of Appalachia has been interesting and challenging.

Appalachia was touched by the Age of Exploration. One of the earliest European explorers in the US was Hernando De Soto who started his journey from present-day Florida. His expedition took him into NC, TN and even further.

Check out this map showing the distribution of immigrants in Colonial America. Note where the concentration of Scots-Irish are located. Why do you think the Scots-Irish settled in Appalachia? Is the landscape of the areas in the British Isles similar to the Southern Highlands of Appalachia?

Source: http://jb-hdnp.org/Sarver/Maps/us_history_maps.htm

ACTIVITY EXTENSION IDEAS:
Younger students investigate some songs, ballads, or poems that each region shares.
Older students can explore patterns of social thought (clan, values, etc) that are important in each area. Also, explore who the Scots-Irish are. Check out this link to a map of the US depicting American Ethnicity and note the clustering of those describing themselves as "American" -- what are your thoughts, theories about why?

Find the Proclamation Line of 1763 on the map. It is important to note and understand. Many settlers were expanding into the Western lands of East TN before 1763. The Watauga Settlement/Association occurred in 1769. Frontiersman Davy Crockett's Grandfather, David Crockett, Sr., signed the Watauga Petition.

Where we live today is past the Proclamation Line. Do some investigating on your own of the early settlements of East TN and Daniel Boone's crossing through the Cumberland Gap. Historic Martin's Station at the Wilderness Road State Park (VA) will be hosting a Fall Encampment October 10-12. It is well-worth the trip to see history come to life!

The Southern Highlands of Appalachia are the homeland of the Cherokee. Native Americans across the land of what was to become the United States had rich cultures and languages at the time of colonization which is still cultivated today. Several Cherokee of this time period are interesting to study, including Nancy Ward, Attakullakulla

Dragging Canoe and Sequoyah. (Nancy Ward and Dragging Canoe by Pat Alderman is available online to preview through Google Books.) Sequoyah, a talented and gifted man, was able to create an alphabet of the Cherokee language.

The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, TN, is another wonderful place to visit. Coming up this weekend is the Great Island Festival which includes activities at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area and Sequoyah Birthplace. It is another opportunity to experience some living history!