The Walking Classroom has been such a welcome addition to our classroom this year. The students look forward to walking outdoors, even when the weather is not ideal! They have so much fun listening to the podcasts; especially because they are narrated by other students.
The information matches our science and social studies curriculum perfectly. We have even listened to several of the podcasts more than once. For example, prior to taking our exam for the Chapter 6 topic of our science curriculum, Earth’s Systems, we listened to Water Cycle (4-#30, STEM-#12, Complete-#148), Tornadoes (4-#31, STEM-#14, Complete-#149), and Hurricanes (4-#28, STEM-#13, Complete-#150) for a second time. This was very beneficial in driving home the content.
The Walking Classroom has helped support the other curriculum we are using to address these standards. For example, through Water Cycle, we heard a message about the importance of getting enough Vitamin D through sunshine. This led to several discussions about how much time we spend inside playing video games, and also the importance of wearing sunscreen.
We have had very rich discussions that are based on what we listen to, but often segue into current events. It has been so rewarding to watch students make those connections across disciplines.
In our state we are mandated to record and report all minutes for physical education. The beauty of the Walking Classroom is that I can use our walking minutes as part of our PE minutes as well. We also implement stretching before we walk, and it has been great to discuss some stretching techniques and strategies with the students.
Many of my students were initially not used to walking at a brisk pace; normally they were either walking slowly or running. They hadn’t realized that walking at a brisk pace can actually increase your heart rate. The first few lessons they especially enjoyed taking their pulse before and after the brisk walk!
Libbi Swanson
Teacher
Calavera Hills Elementary
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