Group 1
9:00-9:30 Ampitheatre (History Lesson) 9:30-11:30 History Hike, starting on Loblolly Trail. |
Group 2
9:00- 9:30 Reedy Creek Picnic Shelter (History Lesson) 9:30-11:30 History Hike, starting on Company Mill Trail |
Group 3
9:00-11:00 History Hike, starting on Loblolly Trail. 11:00-11:30 Amphitheater (History Lesson) |
Group 4
9:00-11:00 History Hike, starting on Company Mill Trail 11:00-11:30 Reedy Creek Picnic Shelter (History Lesson) |
11:30 Everyone will meet at the picnic shelter for lunch.
12:00 Spread out with chaperones to work on poetry.
12:30 Meet back at amphitheater to share writing and reflections.
1:00 Board busses and head back to school.
1:30 Arrive at school. Students will put their materials in their lockers and go to their elective and PE classes.
12:00 Spread out with chaperones to work on poetry.
12:30 Meet back at amphitheater to share writing and reflections.
1:00 Board busses and head back to school.
1:30 Arrive at school. Students will put their materials in their lockers and go to their elective and PE classes.
What to Bring
Maps
Historic Hike
Directions
1. From the parking lot, go to Loblolly trail and stop at the large oak stump. Ask students to compare this size of the stump to the other trees in the area. Ask why this stump might be here but other trees its size are not. Prompt students to notice the clearing, an old well, and a pit. This is the old homesite of the Young Family.
2. Visit the Young Family Cemetery. (Diagram above) Prompt students to notice the twisted, iron railings surrounding the cemetery. The students should sketch out the cemetery in their notebooks. Students may take pictures of the gravestones and the surrounding area. They should note which graves are marked and which are not. Ask them to observe the different sizes and styles of headstone. Students will be prompted to "find as much information as you can about the family buried here." After giving the students time to observe and sketch in their notebooks, teachers may ask them the following questions.
3. Continue on Loblolly until you reach Reedy Creek Parkway. Go North (left) on this trail. Turn right at the ranger's station and you'll be on Reedy Creek Lake Multiuse Trail. Follow this path to the lake. You won't stop on this path to see any historic sites, but this is a good opportunity to tie in other curricular areas. Each student may check his or her heart-rate, look for geologic formations, or take photographs.
4. Stop at the lake and enjoy the view! Encourage students to take a water break, to jot down descriptions of what they see, or sketch in their journals.
5. Continue North (left) on Reedy Creek MUT after the lake. When you see a tall, yellow poplar covered in poison ivy vines on the left, you're close to the Warren Cemetery.
6. On the East (right) side of the trail there is a steep hill, called Aunt Sarah's Hill after Sarah Medlin, an old lady who lived there in the 1900s. Climb Sarah's Hill. At the top you'll find an open area, benches, display cases, and the Warren-Haley cemetery. Again, let students explore the cemetery. They should sketch out the cemetery in their notebooks. Students may take pictures of the gravestones and the surrounding area. They should note which graves are marked and which are not. Ask them to observe the different sizes and styles of headstone. Students will be prompted to "find as much information as you can about the family buried here." After giving the students time to observe and sketch in their notebooks, teachers may ask them the following questions.
7. Go back to the Reedy Creek MUT and follow it North until you get to Company Mill Trail. Go South (left) on Company Mill Trail. Hike about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the Company Mill Millstone. Have the students guess what it is and how it was used.
9. Take another water break and ask the students to go around in a circle and share one thing that they've learned from the hike. What seemed significant to them? Prompt them to pose additional questions about the park. If the teacher is unable to answer them, these questions might be turned into research questions.
10. Finish the hike back to the parking lot and go to the amphitheater for your history lesson.
1. From the parking lot, go to Loblolly trail and stop at the large oak stump. Ask students to compare this size of the stump to the other trees in the area. Ask why this stump might be here but other trees its size are not. Prompt students to notice the clearing, an old well, and a pit. This is the old homesite of the Young Family.
2. Visit the Young Family Cemetery. (Diagram above) Prompt students to notice the twisted, iron railings surrounding the cemetery. The students should sketch out the cemetery in their notebooks. Students may take pictures of the gravestones and the surrounding area. They should note which graves are marked and which are not. Ask them to observe the different sizes and styles of headstone. Students will be prompted to "find as much information as you can about the family buried here." After giving the students time to observe and sketch in their notebooks, teachers may ask them the following questions.
- How old were James and Martha when they died?
- How old was Irene when she died? What is significant about the year when she was burried?
- Why are some headstones bigger than others?
- Why are some headstones marked and others are not?
- What can you infer about the family's socioeconomic status based on the state of their cemetery?
- Not much is known about the Young Family besides the fact that they purchased 144 acres on the south side of Crabtree Creek, just below Company Mill in 1855 (Weber, 2011, p.172). Why do you think that is? What can you conclude about the education of this family based on the lack of a written history?
3. Continue on Loblolly until you reach Reedy Creek Parkway. Go North (left) on this trail. Turn right at the ranger's station and you'll be on Reedy Creek Lake Multiuse Trail. Follow this path to the lake. You won't stop on this path to see any historic sites, but this is a good opportunity to tie in other curricular areas. Each student may check his or her heart-rate, look for geologic formations, or take photographs.
4. Stop at the lake and enjoy the view! Encourage students to take a water break, to jot down descriptions of what they see, or sketch in their journals.
5. Continue North (left) on Reedy Creek MUT after the lake. When you see a tall, yellow poplar covered in poison ivy vines on the left, you're close to the Warren Cemetery.
6. On the East (right) side of the trail there is a steep hill, called Aunt Sarah's Hill after Sarah Medlin, an old lady who lived there in the 1900s. Climb Sarah's Hill. At the top you'll find an open area, benches, display cases, and the Warren-Haley cemetery. Again, let students explore the cemetery. They should sketch out the cemetery in their notebooks. Students may take pictures of the gravestones and the surrounding area. They should note which graves are marked and which are not. Ask them to observe the different sizes and styles of headstone. Students will be prompted to "find as much information as you can about the family buried here." After giving the students time to observe and sketch in their notebooks, teachers may ask them the following questions.
- What differences do you notice between the Warren-Haley Cemetery and the Young Family Cemetery? How can you account for these differences?
- What names from the history of Umstead lesson to you recognize?
- Which of these people were alive during the Civil War? World War 1?
- Do any of the dates on the graves surprise you? Explain.
7. Go back to the Reedy Creek MUT and follow it North until you get to Company Mill Trail. Go South (left) on Company Mill Trail. Hike about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the Company Mill Millstone. Have the students guess what it is and how it was used.
- Tell the Students that the Page family build the mill in 1810 to ground flour and corn. Everyone in the area used the mill and it was also a popular place for social gatherings, like the annual Easter dance.
- Have students measure the diameter of the stone, the diameter of the inner circle of the stone. They should also measure the width of the stone. Students will later use these calculations to figure out the volume of the millstone.
9. Take another water break and ask the students to go around in a circle and share one thing that they've learned from the hike. What seemed significant to them? Prompt them to pose additional questions about the park. If the teacher is unable to answer them, these questions might be turned into research questions.
10. Finish the hike back to the parking lot and go to the amphitheater for your history lesson.
History Highlights
Explain the History of Umsted
- Farming families were given land grants in the late 1700s, early 1800s (Blakes, Warrens, Dillards, and Pages).
- It was later purchased by the federal government in 1934 as part of the relief plan during the Great Depression. The Civilian Conservation Corps knocked down the buildings and created paths, turning the property into the Crabtree Creek Recreational Demonstration Area.
- During WWII, the land was used to practice battle maneuvers.
- Shortly after WWII, the federal government sold the land back to the state for $1.00.
- For a time, the park was segregated. Black guests to the park could only use the Reedy Creek area of the park until 1966.
- Now the park is used for hiking, biking, camping, etc.
Guest Speakers?
- Rangers?
- Members of the Umstead Coalition?
- Teachers should contact the State Park and the Umstead Coalition to inquire about guest speakers to teach students about the history of Umstead.