Self-Guiding Field Trip Activity - Battlefield Hike & Scavenger Hunt

Preparation

Thank you for making Stones River National Battlefield part of your education experience! We hope you and your students will enjoy your exploration of the battlefield while creating meaningful connections to this important piece of our national, state, and local history.

Prior to your visit, we hope you will have had a chance to begin you classroom activities focused on the American Civil War. We suggest a visit to the park is best suited for a time following your discussion of the causes of secession and the early war period through the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. No matter when you bring your students to the battlefield. Please take some time to help familiarize them with the terms in the glossary.

The Safety and Logisitics sections below will help you plan for a safe and enjoyable battlefield experience.

 

Glossary

artillery - the part of the army that uses cannons.

cavalry – The part of the army that rides horses.

Confederate – Soldiers representing the states that seceded from the United States. They wore gray uniforms.

earthwork - a wall or fort made by piling up dirt

emancipation - the act of freeing or setting free

fortification - a fort or other physical defense position

infantry - the part of the army that walks or marches from place to place and uses muskets

regiment - a group of a few hundred to one thousand soldiers.

secede - to break away from

Union – Soldiers fighting for the United States of America. They wore blue uniforms.

Safety & Preparedness

Your battlefield hike will cover about 1 ½ miles and take about 1 ½ to 2 hours to complete. Please follow the guidance below to ensure your class has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Some trails are paved while others are gravel or dirt. Our staff can assist in planning a route for students with accessibility needs.

• Ensure your students and adult supervisors are physically ready for a 1 ½ mile hike lasting up to two hours.
  • If you have concerns about the capabilities of students or adults completing the hike, consider touring the battlefield by bus with shorter walks at the tour stops.
• Ensure you have enough adult supervision and share this guide them.
  • We suggest at least one adult per ten students.
  • There are two places on your route where you will cross the tour road. Students should be instructed to cross only when directed to do so by an adult.
• Ensure all students are dressed appropriately for the weather. In the event of severe weather such as thunderstorms we suggest cancelling or rescheduling your field trip.
• Make sure each student has a full water bottle.
• Instruct students to walk while exploring the battlefield and to maintain visual contact with adult supervision at all times.
• Cross tour road as one group when possible and post adults to monitor for approaching vehicles.
• Ensure all adult supervisors have cell phones and are instructed to call 911 in the event of an emergency.
• Call or text your park point of contact (POC), who will be designated when you make your reservation, when you arrive and leave the park. You should also contact the park POC in the event of an emergency after you have contacted local emergency services using 911.

Logistics

• Make sure you have printed out enough worksheets for your students. You will also need clipboards and pencils.
  • We suggest having students work in groups of 3-5 sharing a worksheet, clipboard, and pencil.
• Make sure students and adults utilize restrooms before departing from your school.
  • You may stop by our visitor center, if restroom break is needed.
  • If you take a restroom break at our visitor center, send students in small groups of 4-5, and monitor their behavior.
• If adult supervisors cannot fit on the bus or are arriving separately, they should park in the gravel Recreational User/Overflow parking area and carpool to Tour Stop 2. We have limited parking at our tour stops, so we ask that adult supervisor vehicles parked at Tour Stop 2 be limited to no more than three.
  • Once the hike is finished, adult supervisors will need to coordinate retrieval of vehicles parked at Tour Stop 2.
• If you are planning on having lunch in our picnic area, ensure you have adequate storage space on the bus. We cannot store your lunch items in the visitor center.

 

Battlefield Scavenger Hunt Hiking Map

NPS Image

Route Map

 

Leading Your Battlefield Hike

Follow the directions below and use to safely lead your students to the locations where they can complete the Battlefield Scavenger Hunt.

 

Tour Stop 2

Bus will drop off at the pull-off parking area. Once the drop-off is complete, the bus can go to Tour Stop 4 or the visitor center parking to await the group’s arrival.

Students should exit the bus and pass around the front to walk in the grass to the paved trail.

Follow the route on the mapand direct students to the exhibits where they can complete their scavenger hunt questions.

Exhibit 1 - "Boys, you must get out of here."

Question 4 directs students to carefully enter the rock outcroppings. Have adults lead the way and stay on the ground! Direct students not to climb on or jump from the rocks.

When you leave the rocks turn left on the dirt trail and find the next exhibit at the edge of a field.

Exhibit 2: Sheridan Saves the Day

Walk north on McFadden/Van Cleve Lane until you reach the exhibits at Tour Stop 1. Cross the tour road as a group with adult guides monitoring for oncoming vehicles.

 

Tour Stop 1

Exhibit 3: Waiting Anxiously for Tomorrow’s Fate

Exhibit 4: Exploring the Promise of Freedom

Tour Stop 3

Cross the tour road at the Tour Stop 3 parking lot and follow the gravel trail to find the next exhibit. Cross as a group with adult guides monitoring for oncoming vehicles!

Exhibit 5: This Far, But No Farther

Continue walking on the dirt trail until you reach a paved road that is now only used by pedestrians and bicyclists. Turn right and follow the road and then merge onto a narrower paved trail which takes you to Tour Stop 4 and the exhibit near the cannons.

It’s a good idea to post an adult at the intersection of the dirt trail and old tour road to ensure everyone turns right.

Tour Stop 4

Exhibit 6: "Stand Fast!"

Follow the trail that runs through the artillery exhibit to the Pioneer Brigade earthworks. Caution students and adults to stay on the trail! Climbing on the earthworks can damage them.

Exhibit 7: Digging In!

 

After Your Hike

 

Visitor Center Restrooms

If you take a restroom break at our visitor center, send students in small groups of 4-5, and monitor their behavior.

Lunch at Our Picnic Area

The picnic area is first come, first served and cannot be reserved.

We will issue you trash bags and ask that you place them near our public trash cans when full.

Visitor Center & Bookstore

We ask that you explore the museum in groups of no more than 25 at a time.

Students should enter the bookstore in groups of 10 or less and should generally be limited to those who intend to make a purchase.