Miss Vertin's Great Smoky Mountains National Park Resource Box

1. Miss Vertin’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park Resource Box for 3rd Grade

2. Dear student, I hope you enjoy and gain knowledge from this resource box I have developed for you. I took a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park the spring of 2010 and these are some of my artifacts I brought back to share with you.

3. G.S.M. #1 Smokies Guide Newspaper • Record the average precipitation during the current month at Clingmans Dome. Next, research and record the average precipitation during the current month where you live. Find the difference of precipitation between places.

4. What month does the park have the most and least amount of visitors? How many million people visit for these two months? Find the difference of the two months. • Record the 4 months the park has the most visitors. Write a brief description on why you think these months are the park’s peak months. • Speak to a partner or a group for at least three minutes about something you learned while reading the newspaper.

5. G.S.M. #2 Trees and Forests Brochure • Read the brochure then discuss with a partner the diversity of trees within the national park. Explain what trees are found where, and why they are located there. • Create a bar graph for the different species of trees and either the girth, height, or spread.

6. G.S.M. #3 Trail Map • After reviewing the map, design your own map of the park, remembering to have a map legend. • Create and name a new trail. In a side note write a description about the trail such as the difficulty, length, and what will be seen while hiking the trail.

7. G.S.M. #4 Historic Areas Brochure • After reading through the brochure, draw your choice of one of the homes or barns shown. • Next, write a short story about your home or barn, discussing the history of your building or what a day spent in the building would of been like during the 19th century.

8. G.S.M. #5 …If You Lived with the Cherokee Book • After reading the book, explain to a partner for at least 4 minutes what life would be like for a Cherokee in the Great Smoky Mountains around 200 years ago.

9. G.S.M. #6 Whose Tracks Are These? Book • After reading the book, research on the internet or in books located in the library two more animals that would be located in the forest. • Create pages that could be attached to the end of the book by describing the two new animals and drawing their tracks.

10. G.S.M. #7 Going to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Book • After reading through the book: • Write a paragraph on each of the following: • Why is this area known as “The Place of Blue Smoke”? • How were the Smokies created and when? • How did the area become a national park?

11. Pick two mammals and make a Venn Diagram with similarities and differences. • Create a timeline of the park’s nature life from season to season.

12. G.S.M. #8 Optic One • Take the Optic One and go on a “hike” through the school. (Let your teacher know what you are doing.) As you walk around the school: • Watch the compass • Use the signal mirror to receive “help” from a partner

13. Take a closer look through the magnifying glass at 5 or more objects, some of which being plants • When you return from your hike: • Draw a map of your “hike” • Write a description on what you discovered

14. G.S.M. #9 Two Rocks From a Riverbed • Your teacher found these two rocks in a riverbed while hiking through the mountains in the national park. It was a fast moving stream. The fast moving water causes rocks to become very smooth as time goes on. • Using one of the maps in this resource box or another source, trace and label the rivers that flow through the park.

15. G.S.M. #10 Thermometer Magnet • Using the thermometer, record the temperature (in Fahrenheit) outside. • Look on the Weather Channel to see what the temperature is in the Smokies right now. • Find the difference in temperatures.

16. G.S.M. #11 Bear Tooth • After observing the bear tooth, write a short story discussing what happened the day you found the bear’s tooth. • Next, share your story with a partner, a group, or the entire class.

17. G.S.M. #12 Post Card • On a separate piece of paper, write a letter home to your family as if you have been visiting the Great Smoky Mountains the past few days. • Don’t forget to share about the differences in environments and the wildlife you have seen.

18. G.S.M. #13 Animals Book • After reading the book, answer why the following could not live in the Great Smoky Mountains: • Giant panda • Dugong • Black rhinoceros • Armadillo • Can you find any other animals that could not live in the Smokies?

19. G.S.M. #14 Magnet • As you review the picture in the magnet, notice how there is a foreground and a background. • Now create your own drawing of the Great Smoky Mountains. Be sure to include a foreground and background.

20. G.S.M. #15 Bear Figure • Conduct a research on Black Bears that live in the Smokies. You may either: • Write a research paper • Make a PowerPoint or poster and present to the class

21. G.S.M. #16 Stick Writing Utensil • Research how writing utensils were invented. • Construct a timeline on the progress of writing utensils. • Design a drawing and write a brief description on a new writing utensil you invented or make improvements on a existing writing utensil.