Anderson County (WVLT) -- Some Anderson County students got to play outside Friday afternoon for class.

Every year, students at Briceville Elementary use their eyes and ears to discover the outdoors.

The special occasion marks Coal Creek Days and besides Mother Nature’s greatest glories, it helps the students at Briceville learn about some of her smaller treasures as well.

The kids, all Kindergarten through 5th grade got a taste of the great outdoors by getting right in the creek.

"It's just to get them more familiar with the creek,” said Charlie Saylor, a TVA biologist, “that is one thing and to help them appreciate what they've got here."

Coal Creek Days gives students a chance to catch fish and tie flies as well as learn to cast and dig up some history by learning how to sift through the dirt.

They were also trying to find glass and brick from the opera house that burned in the 1880's.

Even though they didn’t, teachers say what they did find, gives them a lesson they could never get in the classroom.

"This area is actually full of history and a lot of the students do not know that," said Sharon Templin, a Briceville Kindergarten teacher.

"If we can do that for them, when they grow up they'll appreciate it more and take care of the environment a little bit better," said Saylor.

With lots of dirty hands, a few dirty knees and one very big lesson, kids will head home with fun memories of the school day they spent outdoors.

"You forget a lot of things when you get older, but you always seem to remember being in the creek with bugs and fish," Saylor said.

It was the seventh year the Coal Creek Watershed has come to Briceville to teach the students.