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The Digital Heritage Project is a part of The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University
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Science Archive
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Trees Commonly Found in Western North Carolina
Posted on June 28, 2011 | No CommentsIn today's world of television and video games, this site is an attempt at instilling in our students an awareness of the enjoyment which can be found among our abundance of beautiful , diverse trees here in the mountains. At the same time, they will be realizing the importance of trees to our existence,as well as the importance of our responsibility in seeing that trees continue to exist. Tree recognition also plays a part in this plan. -
Nature in Macon County
Posted on June 27, 2011 | No CommentsThis unit will expose the aggressive invasion of exotic plants into the mountains of Western North Carolina. We will discover why some of the plants were brought here and how they became invasive. Can we regain control? What can you do to help? Targeting grades 3-6. May be easily adapted to other levels. -
Arbor Day
Posted on June 10, 2011 | No CommentsStudents will use materials to learn about Arbor Day. They will learn the history of how it began and where it is celebrated today. They will use the materials to make comparisons on Arbor Day traditions and celebrations. -
Rocks and Mineral in Franklin, NC
Posted on June 7, 2011 | No CommentsAdventures of the American Mind- Western Carolina University project will consist of the learner building an understanding of the composition and uses of rocks and minerals. The thematic unit will entail conducting interviews, inviting guest speakers, visiting field trip locations, utilizing technology, analyzing and classifying specimens, participating in presentations, and field studies. -
Quilting in the Peachtree Community
Posted on June 7, 2011 | No CommentsThis is a fourth grade unit plan using the tradition of quilting to teach NC Standard Course of Study in Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Art. -
Logging Communities of Swain County
Posted on April 7, 2011 | No CommentsThe project covers three main themes: a) logging communities b) resources of the region and c) environmental impacts of logging on the region. -
Gem Mining
Posted on April 7, 2011 | No CommentsCowee Valley, located in Northern Macon County, in Franklin, North Carolina is an area rich with gem mines. Gem mining is a hobby and tourist attraction. Students will learn about the history of gem mining in Cowee Valley. Students will explore types of soil, rocks, map skills, cultural traditions, community interaction, and economic resources of this community in relationship to gem mining in our area. -
The Hooper Bald Project
Posted on April 5, 2011 | No CommentsNo bald in the Southern Appalachians has a more improbable history than Hooper. In the more than 130 years of white-man history it has been reachable only by foot horse wagon, or jeep. Yet it had the first bathtubs in Graham County. The first Angus cattle in Western North Carolina fattened on its wild grass. Fourteen Russian wild boars arrived there in 1912 and the problems and pleasures caused by their progeny will make Hooper Bald remembered for generations. -
The Evolution of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Posted on April 5, 2011 | No CommentsThis unit will investigate the birth of a railroad through Western North Carolina once known as the Murphy Branch. We will discuss how the operation and purpose for the train has changed over time. The Murphy Branch portion was completed in 1891 using convict labor for most of the construction. This line began in Asheville and continued on to Murphy. Now over a hundred years later, the train still rides the rails. Upon completion of this unit, children will experience a ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. -
Pioneers of Western North Carolina
Posted on April 5, 2011 | No CommentsStudents in a home school setting compare the pioneer period and the present; therefore, there is greater opportunity for students to go on field trips and explore hands-on activities. The focus is on Franklin, North Carolina, but the information can be used to study other areas in Western North Carolina. A PIONEER SAMPLER will be used as the primary textbook. -
Appalachian Cooking
Posted on April 5, 2011 | No CommentsThis unit plan was designed for first grade students but could be modified for all ages and grade levels. Like other Appalachian customs and cultures, I found Appalachian cooking and food preservation is quickly becoming a dying art. I wanted my students to be involved in learning about the old time ways of raising, gathering, preparing and preserving foods. Students will gain knowledge about their heritage while at the same time gain an understanding of what life was like in the mountains for the generations that came before them. Using information gathered by interviewing people from the region, reading books, field studies and technology, they can gain a better understanding of what it was like to grow up in the Appalachian Mountains and compare that way of life to their own lives today. Lesson plans included in this unit of study meet the goals and standards from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study from the Computer/Technology Skills (Grades K-2), English Language Arts, Healthful Living, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Information Skills Curiculum for First Grade. -
Weatherlore: Weather Signs of Western North Carolina
Posted on April 4, 2011 | No CommentsMost of us at some time have been acquainted with some form of weather folklore. Prior to modern technology, man observed nature to predict weather patterns...and so, weather proverbs became the weather forecasters of yesteryear. This unit focuses on weather phenomena sited by several common proverbs. These lessons include hands-on activities appropriate for the first grade classroom. Activities extend across most areas of the curriculum. These lessons are time sensitive as they are based on proverbs that focus on specific months or weather conditions. -
The Art of Hat Making in Macon County:
Posted on April 4, 2011 | No CommentsStudents will use books, Internet, and people to gain background knowledge of hat making and hat fashions. In a culminating activity, students will design a hat that represents their personality and special interest. The students and I spend lots of time in our classroom reading and experiencing books. These books allow us to travel to faraway places and dream about our thoughts as we put them on paper. Below is a story the students and I composed during our unit on hats. The illustrations were created by the students. So sit back in your special spot were your imagination can take you and enjoy our story. -
Daisy Zachary McGuire-Dentistry
Posted on April 4, 2011 | No CommentsThis project will explore the history of dentistry in Jackson County from the 1860's to present day dentistry in Jackson County.