
Classroom In The Clouds
Especially designed for school field trips to Grandfather Mountain, Classroom in the Clouds by Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation features programs tailored to N.C. curriculum standards for your grade level. Grandfather’s outdoor wonders provide real-world lessons about concepts learned in your classroom. We offer citizen science experiences beyond what students find on a screen!
School groups are welcome to take a self-guided tour of the Animal Habitats. If you would like a guided Habitat Tour, they are offered for all ages and are tailored to be grade level appropriate. Fourth grade Habitat Tours have their own program designed to fit your curriculum standards. Please see our complete program listing below for other opportunities for your class!
Pricing and Reservations
- $8 per student – One teacher/chaperone FREE per 8 students, $20 per additional adult
- Pricing includes admission to the park, educational programs (see list below) and a shuttle to and from the Swinging Bridge.
- Meals are not included in price, but be sure to inquire about our Express Eats and Mildred’s Grill lunch options.
- Financial assistance is available! See our website for more information on scholarships.
- Reservations for all of our programs must be made at least two weeks in advance. Interested in setting up a group visit? Please fill out our Group Inquiry Form and our staff will be in touch to book your visit. If you have questions, contact our Group Tour Coordinator at 828-733-2013 or nature@grandfather.com during weekday business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Groups must book in advance to receive the group rate.
- See many details for Planning a Group Visit.
School Group Programs
Choose from our programs by grade, subject and essential standard. We strive to meet “Scientific and Engineering Practices.”
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations and designing solutions
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information
Kindergarten through High School Field Trip Programs
- Plant Detectives (1 to 1.5 hours): Students explore natural communities to help understand more about one of our favorite living things on Grandfather Mountain: plants! We use observation skills to compare basic shapes of different plant types and the soils they grow in. We engage in small group discussions to better understand how some of Grandfather Mountain’s rare plants only survive in certain areas. Offered April through October, Standards covered:
Kindergarten – LS.K.1.1, LS.K.2.2, NC.K.G.1, NC.K.G.2, NC.K.G.5, I.1.6
First grade – LS.1.1, ESS.1.2, SL.1.1, SL.1.3, SL.1.5, I.1.6
Third grade – LS.3.2, LS.3.3, I.1.7, I.1.9, I.1.10 - Creepy Critters (1 hour): Students get to meet real-life animals in this, while examining the similarities and differences between living organisms. Students learn about what all animals need to survive, use observation skills to gather evidence, and examine animal life cycles. Offered year round, Standards covered:
Kindergarten – LS.K.1, LS.K.2, NC.K.CC.4, NC.K.CC.5, I.1.6, I.1.8
First Grade – LS.1.1, ESS.1.2, SL.1.1, SL.1.3, SL.1.5, I.1.6, I.1.8
Second Grade – LS.2.1, LS.2.1, SL.2.1, I.1.6, I.1.8 - Weather Wizards (1 hour): Students discover why we have weather and how to measure weather. Learners will have the opportunity to use tools that meteorologists use in the field to record the unique weather on the mountain. We also analyze and interpret the decades of weather data on the mountain to make predictions. Offered year round, Standards covered:
Second Grade – ESS.2.1, I.1.6
Fifth Grade – ESS.5.1.1, ESS.5.1.2, I.1.7, I.1.8, I.1.9, I.1.11
Seventh Grade – ESS.7.1.3, ESS.7.1.4, ESS.7.2, I.1.7, I.1.8, I.1.9, NC.7.SP.3b - Limitless Landforms (1.5 hours): What better place to learn about landforms than the top of Grandfather Mountain where mountains and valleys are in abundance? Students will explore different viewpoints and maps and apply their knowledge by making their own graphs and diagrams. Offered April through October, Standards covered:
Third grade – ESS.3.2, NC.3.MD.3, SL.3.4 - Rock Detectives (1 hour): Students review the rock cycle, work in groups to examine different types of rock and make hypotheses about how each was formed. Offered year round, Standards covered:
Fourth Grade – 4.P.2, SL.4.1 - Mineral Detectives (1 hour): This student-centered exploration routine provides ways for students to observe, research, and share discoveries about Grandfather’s immense minerals collection. Offered year round, Standards covered:
Fourth Grade – ESS.4.2, SL.4.1, SL.4.2, SL.4.3, SL.4.4 - Animal Adaptations (1 hour): In this specialized tour of our animal habitats, we observe the five different large animals we have in our care. We practice our powers of observation to determine the adaptations the animals have to help them survive. Offered year round, Standards covered:
Fourth Grade – LS.4.1
We also offer Habitat Tours for all other age groups! - Ecosystem Interactions (1.5 hours): Learners investigate components of Grandfather Mountain natural communities and explain the role they play in the ecosystem. We organize our observations by drawing models to demonstrate the connections within an ecosystem. Some classes will become investigators of the causes of the decomposition of parts of the ecosystem. Offered March through November, Standards covered:
Fifth Grade – LS.5.2.2, LS.5.2.3, I.1.7, I.1.9, I.1.11, SL.5.1, SL.5.4, SL.5.5
Sixth Grade – LS.6.2, I.1.10, I.1.11, SL.6.1, SL.6.4, SL.6.5
Eighth Grade – LS.8.2, SL.8.1, SL.8.4, SL.8.5 - Making Mountains: Weathering and Erosion (1.5 hours): This program is offered as a hiking program, or an indoor/outdoor option closer to our museum. Students review the rock cycle, examine different rock samples and discuss the formation of the Appalachian Mountain range. We will use the unique structure of Grandfather Mountain to observe the effects of tectonic plate activity. Students will be able to construct explanations for various examples of weathering and erosion and determine best land use practices for a particular parcel of land. Offered year round, Standards Covered:
Sixth Grade – ESS.6.2.3, ESS6.3, SL.6.1, SL.6.4
High School – ESS.EES.2.1, ESS.EES.2.3, ESS.EES.2.4 - Bio-Indicators (1.5 hours): We use our knowledge of natural cycles to determine the health of an ecosystem. Participants will have the opportunity to conduct a lichen and/or salamander investigation where we will collect and interpret data to determine the health of the Grandfather Mountain ecosystem. Offered March through November, Standards Covered:
High School – LS.Bio.4, LS.Bio.5.2, LS.Bio.10.1 - Stewardship of Native Plants (1.5 hours): Students will observe human impacts on native plant species and explain invasive species’ role in the environment. Students will gain hands on experiences on how conservation of natural resources by humans affects the environment from one generation to the next. Offered April through October, Standards Covered:
High School – LS.Bio.5.2, LS.Bio.9.1, LS.Bio.10.1 - Animal Populations (1.5 hours): Students learn about changes in animal populations based on the interdependence of living organisms within their environments. While touring Grandfather Mountain’s animal habitats, students will identify limiting factors influencing the survival of the animal species at Grandfather Mountain. Offered year round, Standards Covered:
High School – LS.Bio.5.1, LS.Bio.5.2, ESS.ESS.5.1 - Nature at the Bridge (1 to 1.5 hours): We explore the area around the Swinging Bridge and Linville Peak to learn more about the natural communities, rare plants and unique animals that call the high peaks of the Blue Ridge home. During this program we will stroll the relatively flat area under the bridge or hike the steep and rocky half mile Bridge Trail, based on your group’s interests. Available to all ages, offered April through October, can be tailored to state standards per request.
- Habitat Tour (1 hour): Visit live animals in our Environmental Habitats to see and learn more about large species that have called or still call the Blue Ridge Mountains home. Available to all ages, offered year round, can be tailored to state standards per request – 4th grade Habitat Tours are focused on adaptations.
Find out more: School Group Options | Plan a Group Visit | Mobile Classroom Outreach Programs | Things to Do on Grandfather