The Walking Classroom

Dive into cave weathering and erosion! Caves are hollow spaces underneath the earth’s surface with openings large enough for a person to enter. Many caves form in a karst environment, a type of landscape made of rocks like limestone, or dolomite, that slowly dissolve in the presence of water with a slightly acidic tinge. There are several different types of caves, and they are named by how they are formed. The most common type of cave is a solutional cave, a cave formed by the chemical reaction of water with limestone bedrock. While chemical weathering gets things started, caves continue to develop over time through ongoing physical and chemical weathering, as well as erosion.

Learn about the rich history of Mammoth Cave National Park. This geographic area has significantly impacted people in Kentucky and worldwide, from prehistoric times to the present, through exploration, saltpeter mining, and tourism. Beyond its historical importance, Mammoth Cave National Park boasts incredible biodiversity, with a vast array of plant and animal life.

In this episode of the Walking Classroom, you learn about the famous climate expert and top female scientist, Inez Fung.Dr. Fung teamed up with other scientists to bring attention to climate change and work towards stopping our Earth from getting too hot for us to comfortably live. She believed that we need to understand how our behavior will affect the earth in the long-term and that what we do on land is connected to what’s happening in the atmosphere.

Today’s Walking Classroom focuses on Leonardo da Vinci, a famous Italian inventor and artist who lived during the Renaissance. Da Vinci is well known for paintings like the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, although he also spent much of his time on other types of creations and inventions. His many interests went beyond painting and included anatomy, architecture, and engineering.

Today’s podcast focuses on the field of meteorology and the forces that create weather patterns and natural phenomenon like rain, thunder, and lightning. The kids discuss and explain how the weather is predicted and how it affects our everyday lives. Weather changes can be caused by temperature shifts that affect our atmosphere and cause the air to move differently. A meteorologist is someone who studies and predicts weather patterns and helps us understand what is going on in our atmosphere.

Today’s Walking Classroom podcast discusses hot springs and geysers, two related types of hydrothermal activity found in areas near volcanoes. Hydrothermal comes from two Greek words, hydro meaning water and therme meaning heat. Hot springs form when water that has risen to the surface of the earth collects in heated pools while geysers shoot fountains of water and steam into the air. Hydrothermal activity occurs all over the world, but is observed mostly in Iceland, New Zealand, and Yellowstone National Park.

Today’s Walking Classroom podcast focuses on the circulatory system. The circulatory system is made up of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. They all work together to deliver oxygen to the cells of your body and dispose of carbon dioxide waste. The heart is divided into four chambers, and each chamber has a special job.

Today’s Walking Classroom podcast focuses on the body’s defense shields, which are sometimes a bit slimy. The human body protects us through various defense systems and communicates various health conditions. Earwax, mucus, and sweat are among some of the defense systems that help keep us healthy and safe. Some things we normally think are gross can actually be important; it is valuable to appreciate the purpose in everything.

Today’s Walking Classroom podcast discusses America’s great humanitarian, Clara Barton. Barton began as a nurse working in an infirmary during the Civil War, but soon she was treating soldiers on the battlefield. She raised money for supplies and traveled through the night in wagons to help those in need. After working for the Red Cross in France, Barton established the American Red Cross.

Today’s Walking Classroom looks at America’s national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” and the historical battle that inspired its lyrics. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was originally written as a poem after a battle in the War of 1812, when Francis Scott Key saw the flag flying over Fort McHenry and he knew that the British had failed in their attack. The song is often sung at sporting events and other special occasions that allow us to celebrate our country and show our pride in America.

Narrative poems tell a story in poem form. “Casey at the Bat” tells a story about an over-confident Casey and what happens when he steps up to save the team. In this lesson, learn about narrative poems in general, that a stanza is a grouping of lines within a poem, and what can happen to someone who is over-confident. Access the lesson plan for Casey at the Bat, and all other lesson plans, in our Digital Program Guide, linked below.

Today’s Walking Classroom podcast talks about point of view in writing. First person is the “I” point of view where the narrator is a character in the story, often the main character. Third person is the “he” or “she” point of view where the narrator is not in the story, but rather watching the story unfold like a movie and describing it to others. When a story is told from first person, you see the story only through that character’s eyes. When a story is told in third person, the narrator can choose to share with the reader what many of the characters are thinking and feeling.

This Walking Classroom podcast focuses on idioms. Idioms are groups of words that, when said together, have an understood meaning that is different from what the words actually mean. For example, “to be on the moon” doesn’t actually mean that a person is on the moon, it is an idiom that people say when someone is very distracted or really excited about something. All languages have idioms, and sometimes it can be difficult for people who are learning a new language to understand the meanings behind them.

El pódcast Walking Classroom de hoy trata sobre la historia del Parque Nacional Cueva Colosal. El área que rodea la Cueva Colosal ha desempeñado un papel importante para las personas en Kentucky y para todo el mundo, desde los tiempos prehistóricos hasta la actualidad, desde la exploración hasta la minería del salitre y el turismo. Además de su importancia histórica, el Parque Nacional Cueva Colosal es también un lugar con una gran biodiversidad por su amplia variedad de vida vegetal y animal. Mientras la Cueva Colosal continúa siendo explorada, debemos hacer todo lo posible para preservarla. This podcast was produced in partnership with Cumbre Kids, and funded by a grant from the National Park Foundation.

El pódcast Walking Classroom de hoy trata sobre la historia del Parque Nacional Cueva Colosal. El área que rodea la Cueva Colosal ha desempeñado un papel importante para las personas en Kentucky y para todo el mundo, desde los tiempos prehistóricos hasta la actualidad, desde la exploración hasta la minería del salitre y el turismo. Además de su importancia histórica, el Parque Nacional Cueva Colosal es también un lugar con una gran biodiversidad por su amplia variedad de vida vegetal y animal. Mientras la Cueva Colosal continúa siendo explorada, debemos hacer todo lo posible para preservarla. This podcast was produced in partnership with Cumbre Kids, and funded by a grant from the National Park Foundation.