Great Smoky Mountains - Educational Ideas Part 3
4 07 2007When you visit the Smoky Mountains, a trip to the Ripley’s Aquarium is an absolute must. Your children are certain to be thrilled with the many close encounters they will experience. In addition, there are several great photo opportunities that will provide you with photos that will bring a smile to your face years after your trip - particularly the “aquariums” that allow your children to feel what it is like to be a fish.
When your child jumps into the “aquarium” and pretends to be a fish, this is a great opportunity to test his or her fish knowledge. Ask your child what else he would need if he were really a fish. Then, ask him to describe to you what the life of a fish would be like. Based on this discussion, you can then challenge your child to come up with a non-rhyming poem created from the word “Fish.” To create this poem, simply have your child think of four lines to the poem, with the first line starting with an F, the second starting with an I, the third starting with an S, and the last line starting with an H. The poem can be as silly or serious as you like. For example:
Funny swimming creatures
In and out they weave
Stop and be sure to watch them
How beautiful they are
If your child seems to enjoy this activity, challenge him or her to create similar poems based on the names of the other creatures you encounter during your visit. Then, have your child put them together in a book and illustrate the poems - what a great momento of your trip that would be!
