Indian Mountain For Educators
Indian Mountain Educator Programs
Want a fun way to get your students excited about learning? Why not learn with a Park Ranger?
Indian Mountain State Park offers accessible, experiential educational opportunities to both engage and educate students. Choose from varied park programs or work with a Ranger to create a program that meets the Tennessee academic standards in your classroom.
Our Programs
-
Field Trips
-
School Outreach
-
Self-guided/Teacher-led
Indian Mountain State Park Programs
-
Meet a Ranger
Who are Rangers? What do they do? Find out! It takes a skill, knowledge, experience, and education to be a Park Ranger. Join us today to explore a day in the life of a Tennessee State Park Ranger!
Location: Park or school
Grade Level: All grade levels
Length: 30 minutes
Capacity: 150 students
Cost: $0/student -
Food Web: Mammals of Tennessee
Whether a producer, consumer, decomposer, or a combination, all living things have an essential role in our ecosystem. Students will learn how the food web works, including Tennessee animals with producer, consumer, and/or decomposer roles. Get ready to meet a live snake, identify its role in our ecosystem, and look for other evidence of the food web in our park or your schoolyard!
Meets: 4.LS2.2
Location: Park or school
Grade Level: All grade levels
Length: 60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Cost: $0/student -
Beavers: Nature's Engineers
Peer into the world of beavers and learn how they sculpt their environment to better their lives. Students will hike Ballard Lake Trail and identify evidence that beavers actively change the landscape to improve their habitat and chances of survival.
Meets: 3.LS4.1
Location: Park or school
Grade Level: All grade levels
Length: 60 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Cost: $1/student -
Slithery Companions: Adaptations & Relationships
Experience an up-close encounter with our park's animal ambassador, Harold the snake! Students will learn about how to classify an animal based on its characteristics, how the animal depends on its surroundings for survival, and their vital importance to our ecosystem.
Meets: 2.LS1.2
Location: Park only
Grade Level: All grade levels
Length: 30 minutes
Capacity: 30 students
Cost: $1/student
How to Request a Program
Program requests use the same form whether you are requesting funding support or not. Once you have submitted the form, allow 10 days for processing. Request educational program experiences at least four to six weeks in advance of the desired time frame for the program.
To complete the form:
Funding Assistance
Field trip funding may be available to remove barriers to participation.
The Tennessee State Parks Conservancy (501-C3) assists schools in covering the costs of scheduled programs with a Tennessee State Park. Funds can cover bus transportation costs, park program fees, and park shelter rentals. Partial funds may be awarded. Awards are given after the field trip is completed.
When applying for a program, select “yes” on the application form if you are interested in receiving funding support.
What’s Next?
Submitting the form begins the scheduling and funding process.
The request will be in Pending status until confirmed. Allow 10 days for processing. A park staff member will email confirmation of the program and notify you of any park-related fees.
If you requested funding, the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy Director will email the decision to award or deny funding. Funding is processed after the program as a reimbursement. Partial funds may be awarded. In this case, the school will be responsible for any costs above the amount written in the award email.
Submitting for Funding Reimbursement
To receive reimbursement, you must provide the following documentation:
- Bus invoice
- Park invoice
- Photos
- Number of students new to any Tennessee State Park
- Student and teacher feedback