Sequoyah, Smokies, Songs, & Summitt: Creating, Implementing, & Evaluating the Tennessee Junior 4-H Camp Curriculum

The purpose of this project was to create, implement, and evaluate an interdisciplinary curriculum for Junior 4-H Camp at the University of Tennessee Extension Clyde Austin 4-H Center in Greeneville, Tennessee. Four lessons were developed using research-based practices in experiential learning and instructional design, including the Richards Working Model of Curriculum Development and Robert Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction.

During the summer camping season of 2017, 1,184 students learned about Tennessee history and life skills while developing their skills in art, music, science, math, and language arts at 4-H camp. Campers in grades 4-6 learned about Sequoyah’s invention of the Cherokee syllabary, endangered species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Pat Summitt’s leadership as the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Volunteers Basketball team, and the history reflected in the state songs of Tennessee.

Responses from camper evaluations indicated that 54% of the sampled population learned from the curriculum, and evaluations from volunteer leaders and 4-H agents showed frustration with various aspects of the educational sessions. This feedback and practitioner reflections guide future recommendations for future curricula.