When you are a teacher for a group of eleven rough and tumble gifted fourth grade boys, it can be difficult to keep the classroom on track and focused. I see my students in the afternoon after lunch and recess and my boys just want to move! The Walking Classroom is a great way to allow my students in grades 3 to 6 to learn while giving them the opportunity to move.
Once they enter the classroom and do their bellwork, they know it is time for The Walking Classroom! Each student grabs their listening device, headphones, and then waits in line. They trade off as pacesetters and cabooses, and then we are off! We head down past the buildings on the winding path through our field. On rainy days, we snake our way through the commons and cafeteria.
In just one semester, my students learned about Ancient China through Marco Polo (5-#78, Complete-#53), Christopher Columbus (5-#79, Complete-#54), and Physical vs. Political Maps (4-#29, STEM-#25, Complete-#140). We have also learned all about animals using the Food Chains (4-#42, STEM-#33, Complete-#130), Conservation (5-#7, STEM-#36, Complete-#129), and Animal Classification (4-#41, STEM-#32, Complete-#131).
In the second semester, our focus turned to finances and my students learned about How Taxes Work (5-#94, Complete-#113), Money (5-#95, Complete-#114), Stock Market Crash (5-#86, Complete-#115), and The Great Depression (5-#87, Complete-#116).
The Walking Classroom gives teachers a way to present information to students in a fun and engaging way that is different from most other classes! I am grateful to have the opportunity to bring the Walking Classroom to my students!
Nicole Kuiper
Gifted Teacher
Columbia Elementary
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