With the weather warming, you and your out-of-school time crew will want to get moving outdoors. And there’s nothing better than The Walking Classroom’s podcasts to get you on your way to some environmental exploration! With an array of topics well suited to support you, you’ll be walking, listening, and learning (and increasing everybody’s environmental awareness at the same time!) in the fresh air and sunshine.
Life on Earth
From land to sea, there’s plenty to explore in this trio of podcasts addressing life in both realms.
- Animal Classification (4-#41, STEM-#32, Combined-#131)
- Food Chains (4-#42, STEM-#33, Combined-#130)
- Marine Life (5-#76, STEM-#34, Combined-#142)
Go beyond the podcast to provide your crew with plenty of additional information on animal classification. Have access to tablets or computers? Hop online to have them test their knowledge with an animal classification game or one of an array of interactive activities.
Then learn what keeps these animals alive with a study of food chains. Hands-on (and full-body involved!) activities are a great way to keep movement in the mix. Create a life-sized food web or explore another food chain activity to ensure engagement!
Hitting the high seas? Check out Our Oceans: Experiments and Activities in Marine Science by Paul Fleischer. Arranged by species, this book introduces images of each animal and plenty of fun facts too! You’ll be surrounded by experts in no time!
Looking for even more to do? Embark on a creative pursuit. Have your crew use their newfound knowledge to create an ocean life mural. You can even make an ocean in a bottle or try other hands-on activities about oceans.
Famous Folks
No study of the environment is complete without a peek into the lives of some famous folks. Be inspired by the work of environmentalists from the past, and encourage your crew to be good stewards of the earth too!
- John Muir (5-#12, STEM-#23, Combined-#166)
- Rachel Carson (5-#8, STEM-#37, Combined-#157)
- Inez Fung (5-#9, STEM-#38)
Follow chronological order as you encounter this trio of environmentalists. Study the man known as “Father of National Parks” – conservationist John Muir. Commemorate his life with a hands-on activity, or have your crew channel their own inner naturalist and take a closer look at the life all around them.
Wondering what to do next? Move on to a few female environmentalists! Learn all about the life and legacy of scientist and writer, Rachel Carson. To support your studies of Carson and her work, attempt one (or more!) of the many outdoor activity ideas for students that are provided by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service.
Once you’ve “met” Rachel Carson, introduce your crew to Inez Fung. Afterward, provide them with additional information about climate change. Stuck indoors? Introduce some creative conservation crafts!
What More Can You Do?
Expand your crew’s knowledge of famous environmentalists. Go beyond these famous folks and discover other environmentalists with an online visit to the Ecology Hall of Fame. Then challenge your crew to incorporate the facts they’ve found in the creation of an acrostic poem or Bio-cube, both fun follow-up activities! Showcase these during Earth Week, April 21-27!
Finally, wrap up your environmental exploration with Conservation (5-#7, STEM-#36, Combined-#129), a podcast about . . . that’s right, conservation! Then put what you’ve learned into practice with some hands-on conservation activities. Or, narrow your focus and find yourselves engaged in some energy or water conservation games and other adventures!
Yes! We used our Walking Classroom for our science class last week! It really added a new depth to learning and the kids loved the opportunity to get outside!