North Carolina K-5th Grade Ranger-Led Field Trips

The following field trip opportunities are offered for kindergarten through 5th grade students in the spring and fall.

Each program uses the park's cultural and/or natural resources as teaching tools.

All programs are free! Bus money assistance may be available.

To request a North Carolina program, contact us by email or phone [phone].

 

Ranger standing next to “Barney” the barn, a barn with the face of an old man. The ranger holds up 3 fingers while teaching the students.

NPS Photo

Kindergarten: 5 Senses

Students use their 5 senses, with the help of some animals and a talking barn, to explore their surroundings and nature of the park.

Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center
NC State Standards: PS.K.1, LS.K.1, LS.K.2
Program Time: 3.5-4 hours (including lunch time)
Special Notes: Bring blankets to sit on during lunch.

 

Students standing together after a hike with a waterfall in the background.

NPS Photo

1st Grade: To Have a Habitat

Students learn about what makes a habitat and discover some animal habitats along a short hike.

Location: Deep Creek
NC State Standards: LS.1.1, ESS.1.3, 1.V.2, 1.V.3
Program Time: 4-4.5 hours (including lunch time)
Special Notes: Wear sturdy, closed toed shoes that are comfortable for a moderately difficult one mile hike. Bring trash bags to pack out lunch trash.

 

Students explore the inside of a historic gristmill with a ranger.

NPS Photo

2nd Grade: History & Culture of Mingus Mill

Students learn about how communities in the area lived during the late 1800’s at a historic gristmill.

Location: Mingus Mill
NC State Standards: 2.H.1, 2.B.1, 2.G.1, 2.C.1, V.2
Program Time: 3.5-4 hours (including lunch time)
Special Notes: Mingus Mill is closed for restoration. Students will still get to explore the exterior and grounds of the mill. Bring trash bags to carry out lunch trash. (Optional: bring blankets to sit on during lunch.)

 

3rd Grade: Plants & Planets

Students learn about the planets in our solar system, the phases of Earth’s moon, and planting traditions based on those moon phases.

Location: Oconaluftee Visitor Center
NC State Standards: LS.3.2, LS.3.3, ESS.3.1
Program Time: 4-4.5 hours (including lunch time)
Special Notes: This program includes an easy, 1-hour hike. Wear comfortable, closed-toed shoes and hiking-friendly clothes. Bring trash bags to carry out lunch trash. (Optional: bring blankets to sit on during lunch.)

 

A student and ranger in the blacksmith shop. Both are using long metal tongs to mold the metal.

NPS Photo

4th Grade: Mountain Farm

Students explore ways of life for the people of the area in the late 1800s on the Mountain Farm Museum through Cherokee pottery and blacksmithing.

Location: Mountain Farm Museum
NC State Standards: 4.B.1, 4.H.1
Program Time: 5 hours (including lunch time)
Special Notes: Closed-toed shoes are required. Students cannot enter the blacksmith shop without closed-toed shoes. This includes slides, sandals, slippers, and flipflops. Bring cardboard box(es) large enough to carry out all the metal dinner bells and clay pottery that each student will make. Bring trash bags to carry out lunch trash. (Optional: Bring blankets to sit on for lunch.)

 

Students use anemometers to measure the wind from a mountain top view point.

NPS Photo

5th Grade: Weather and Climate

Students use tools to measure and observe the day’s weather and make inferences about the climate of the park.

Location: Purchase Knob, Oconaluftee Visitor Center, or Deep Creek
NC State Standards: ESS.5.1, PS.5.1
Program Time: 3-5 hours depending on group size (including lunch time)
Special Notes: Bring trash bags to carry out lunch trash. If at Purchase Knob, dress in layers. The weather is often colder at higher elevations than it is in the valley and can change quickly.