DOCUMENT RESUME ED 376 030 SE 054 371 AUTHOR Sarver, Deidri TITLE Twin Peaks Monadnocks. Crowders Mountain State Park: An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for Grades 5-7. INSTITUTION North Carolina State Dept. of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Raleigh. Div. of Parks and Recreation. PUB DATE Sep 93 NOTE 51p.; For other Environmental Education Learning Experiences, see SE 054 364-370. AVAILABLE FROMNorth Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 27687, Raleigh, NC 27611-7687. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MFOI/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Classification; *Environmental Education; Experiential Learning; Field Trips; *Geology; Intermediate Grades; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Mineralogy; Minerals; *Outdoor Activities; Outdoor Education; *Petrology; Teaching Guides IDENTIFIERS *North Carolina; *Rocks; State Parks ABSTRACT This learning packet, one in a group of eight, was developed by the Crowders Mountain State Park in North Carolina for Grades 5-7 to introduce students to the geology of the Kings Mountain range in the park. Loose-leaf pages are presented in nine sections that contain: (1)introductions to the North Carolina State Park System, the Crowders Mountain State Park, the park's activity packet, and the geological history of Crowders Mountain; (2)a summary of the activities that includes major concepts and objectives covered;(3)a pre-visit activity to introduce the sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rock classifications and explain the rock cycle;(4) an on-site activity to enable students to identify two rocks and four minerals;(5) a post-visit activity to enable students to understand how daily materials come from the earth's resources; (6)a list of 66 related vocabulary words;(7) necessary park and parental permission forms for the visit; and (8) blank pages for taking notes. Contains 26 references. (MDH) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** TWN PEAKS MONADNOCKS U.S. DEPARTMENT L. EDUCATION Office or Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS CENTER (ERIC) MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY X This document has been reproduced as received from the person Or organization OnginatIng James B. Hallsey Manor Changes have bean made to improve ragrocluChon Quality Points of new Or opinions stated in this docu. meal ao not necessarily represent offic.al OE RI positron or pohCy TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Crowders Mountain State Park An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for Grades 5-7 BEST COPYAVAILABLE2 "The earth, from the time of the chalk, to the present day, has been the theater of a series of changes as vast in their amount as they were slow in their proms. The area on -which we stand has been first sea and then land Jr a at least fbur alternations and has remained in each of hese conditions for it period qfgreat lemth." Thomas Huxley. 1868. "On a Piece of Chalk" Funding for this publication was generously provided by C P&L ii This Environmental Education Learning Experience was developed by Deidri Sarver, Lead Interpretation and Education Ranger Crowders Mountain State Park N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources 461114:1111;21FA "......o.1111111' C) James B. Hunt. Jr. Jonathan B. Howes Governor Secretary ill Other Contributors... Park volunteers; Grant Gibson, Ranger III, Jordan Lake State Recreation Area; P. Albert Carpenter, III, N.C. Geological Survey Section, Division of Land Resources; The N.C. Department of Public Instruction; The N.C. Division of Water tesources; The N.C. Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources; and the many individuals and agencies who assisted in the review of this publication. 500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $1,750 or $3.50 per copy Printed on recycledpaper. 11-93 6 Table of Contents. 1. Introduction Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks F.-:.em 1.1 Introduction to Crowders Mountain State Park 1.2 Introduction to the Activity Packet for Crowders Mountain State Park 1.5 Introduction to the Geologic History of Crowders Mountain 1.6 2. Activity Summary 3. Pre-Visit Activity Hard Rock Cravola 3.1 4. On-Site Activity Read a Rock 4.1 5. Post-Visit Activity Geo-Scavenge 5.1 6. Vocabulary 6.1 7. References 7.1 8. Forms 8.1 9. Notes 9.1 7 Introduction to the North Carolina State Parks System and protecting That was in 1915. The As one of North Carolina's rpreserving North Carolina's natural North Carolina State Parks principal conservation agen- resources is actually a rela- System has now been estab- cies, the Division of Parks and tively new idea. The seeds of lished for more than three Recreation is responsible for the conservation movement quarters of a century. What the more than 125,000 acres were planted early in the 20th started out as one small plot that make up our state parks century when citizens were of public land has grown into system. The Division man- alerted to the devastation of 59 properties across the state. ages these resources for the Mount Mitchell. Logging including parks. recreation safe enjoyment of the public was destroying a well-known and protects and preserves landmark - the highest peak them as a part of the heritage east of the Mississippi. As we will pass on to generations the magnificent forests or to come. this mile-high peak fell to An important component the lumbermen's axe, alarmed of our stewardship of these citizens began to voice lands is education. Through their opinions. Gover- our interpretation and environ- nor Locke Craig joined mental education services, them in their efforts to the Division of Parks arid save Mount Mitchell. To- Recreation strives to offer gether they convinced the enlightening programs which legislature to pass a bill lead to an understanding and establishing Mount Mitchell areas, trails, rivers, lakes and appreciation of our natural as the first state park. natural areas. This vast net- resources. The goal of our work of land boasts some of environmental education the most beautiful scenery in program is to generate an the world and offers endless awareness in all individuals recreation opportunities. But which cultivates responsible our state parks system offers stewardship of the earth. much more than scenery and recreation. Our lands and waters contain unique and valuable archaeological, geological arid biological resources that are important parts of our natural heritage. For more information contact: NC Division of Parks and Recreation P.O. Box 27687 Raleigh, NC 27611-7687 8 919/ 733-4181 Crowders Mountain State Park. NC 1, 1 November 1993 ijidden amongst the sprawl mountain's natural beauty was The Park As An Outdoor of urbanization and lo- in danger of being destroyed. Classroom: cated in the sixth most popu- In response, the exploratory Crowders Mountain State lated county in North Carolina mining was halted and the first Park abounds with natural is Crowders Mountain State section of the park opened in history. The park is rich with Park. Many first-time visitors 1974. cultural resources and provides come upon the park by chance. Crowders Mountain and a wonderful outdoor classroom As they drive along Interstate Kings Pinnacle are the tallest for learning about the geologi- 85, they notice the rocky peaks peaks in the Kings Mountain cal formation of the Kings of the park towering above range. This mountain range Mountain range and many the surruinding countryside. was formed over 570 million other themes. Curiosity brings them into years ago, and was once taller A wide variety of outdoor this park of over 2,500 acres than the Alps. Today, the educational programs are of hills, trees and rocks. The harder, more weather resistant towering twin peaks: Crowders available at Crowders Moun- basement rock is what stands tain State Park. Leaders may Mountain and Kings Pinnacle, above the rolling piedmont lure more than 150,000 visitors choose to design and conduct landscape. The Kings Moun- their own activities, or to make a year. Park visitors can enjoy tain Range begins in Gaffney, many outdoor activities such use of the park's Environmen- South Carolina and runs in tal Education Activity Packets as hiking, rock climbing, na- a northeastern direction for ture study, backpack camping, or this Environmental Educa- approximately 50 miles to the tion Learning Experience, fishing, canoeing and picnick- Catawba River northeast of ing as they enjoy nature's "Twin Peaks Monadnocks." Gastonia. beauty. The park's primary themesare With their vast areas of gc..,;logy, plant communities, Early in the 1970s, the exposed rock, Crowders water quality, cultural history beauty and solitude of Mountain and Kings Pinnacle and resource management. Crowders Mountain was offer an exceptional opportu- Programs in these and other threatened by mining compa- nity for the student interested nies. Local citizens remem- areas are available to groups. in geology to study using a bered what had happened The emphasis of the park's "hands-on" approach. Many twenty years earlier at Henry's environmental areas of exposed rock can be Knob, a rounded, tree-covered education program,e., seen while hiking along park knoll in nearby York County. is to provide i":;,1 trails. Five types of rocks are South Carolina. A mining learning oppor- abundant in the park, and tunities utilizing firm started strioping it fora many others can be found in mineral deposit used in mak- resources contained smaller quantities. Rock cliffs ing porcelain (kyanite). Today within the park. over 100 feet tall at the summit the knoll is gone and in its Our approach is one of the two peaks are a rock- in which the students place is a lifeless hole in the lover's "dream come true." ground.