The programs below are geared towards high school students but can also be adapted for use with college groups. All programs are aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and the National Science Education Standards.
These programs work towards channeling high school students'
The programs below are geared towards high school students but can also be adapted for use with college groups. All programs are aligned with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and the National Science Education Standards.
These programs work towards channeling high school students' energy into positive action as students collect data on real world environmental problems facing the park. Our hands-on programs are interdisciplinary, student-directed, engaging, collaborative, and technology-friendly. Watch a video overview.
Program video: This video highlights activities and lessons for high school, showcasing the variety of educational offerings and program locations. Each featured program has a complete downloadable lesson plan on this site.
Lichens: There are many species of algae and fungi, but when certain species of fungi join with certain species of algae in a symbiotic relationship, they become a unique organism called lichen. This unit focuses on how lichens are used as bioindicators of poor air quality. Monitoring lichen composition is important to detect the loss of biodiversity as less pollution tolerant species die out and are replaced by more tolerant species. During this study students will observe and identify the growth forms of the lichens on assigned trees and determine the percentage of coverage of each form.
Ozone Garden: Purchase Knob only. Scientists have noticed that ground level ozone levels tend to be worse at higher elevations, especially at night. Because of this, it is important to monitor ozone levels at various elevations. Purchase Knob is a high elev