The History of the Appalachian Mountains

Appalachian State University could not be better situated for teaching and learning about the history of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge province is a mountain belt stretching from Pennsylvania to Georgia and part of the southern Appalachian Mountains. It serves as an extension of our classrooms and labs. We have provided here some ideas for teaching about the Appalachian Mountains, but please contact us if you still have questions., the ASU GES department has experts in this field who would be happy to answer them. 

Loaner Kit:

Click on the box to the right for access to related activities. If you need to borrow the loaner kit (5 sets of Appalachian rock samples and manipulatives), please contact GES Outreach Coordinator Marta Toran (toranml@appstate.edu).

Additional resources:

  • What better way to teach and learn about the history of the Appalachian Mountains than taking a hike! There are many national parks, state parks and trails on the Appalachian Mountains and most will have educational resources related to their geology and the history of the Appalachians. Check out  this list curated by the USGS.
  • Provide some context with the "Assembling America" video published by the American Geosciences Institute or "How Continents Collide" by the McClung Museum.
  • NPS "Mountain Building" activity.