As you start the school year, take some time to peruse those podcast lists. No matter which program of The Walking Classroom you possess (Program 4, Program 5, or STEM), a simple scan of the topics makes it pretty simple to see some natural groupings. Whether by subject area, specific topic, or a special theme, you can combine those podcasts to construct (or support) a unit in your curriculum! The Walking Classroom can be a great starting point (or a super supplement) for covering class content while getting your class moving!
Grouping by Subject
An obvious choice is to sort by subject area, and with The Walking Classroom’s podcasts covering topics in science, social studies, and ELA, your three primary groupings are easily identified. Within those, simply classify into smaller categories.
In many cases, even these smaller categories can be sorted further. For instance, within science, three primary categories are life science, earth science, and physical science. Life science, the study of living organisms, could be broken down even more! Among The Walking Classroom’s podcasts, further groupings could include The Environment, Medicine, The Human Body, and Marine Life! Have a different focus? Have no fear! The same possibilities arise in earth science and physical science too.
Similar sorting could happen within the other subject areas as well. To assist you in identifying some possibilities, we’ve created two charts, grouping the podcasts in Program 4 and in Program 5. We’ve left them in spreadsheet form, so you can edit as you see fit. Go ahead! Personalize your podcast chart with categories that reflect your specific curriculum.
Once you’ve selected your focus, and found those perfect podcasts, build your unit around them. Get creative! Incorporate other resources and find hands-on activities to support your instruction centered around the specific topics you’ve chosen. Explore The American Revolution, poetry, or the environment, for starters, or branch out on your own. The possibilities in social studies, language arts, and science abound!
Building on Biographies
It’s not only the core subject areas that can be easily bundled. You can build a unit around biographies in general, or specific groups of noteworthy figures too! Celebrate all sorts of folks. Group podcasts about famous African-Americans, notable women, legendary literary figures, or scientists!
. . . and Other Options!
What else can you do? Once you begin categorizing, you will notice all sorts of creative combinations. Go deeper into biographies and make innovators your focus. Include an array of authors, artists, and inventors!
Or why not pick a language arts topic like myths and legends, or social studies idea like explorers? Connect the past with the present, and even introduce popular culture. The connections forged in cross-curricular studies like these help connect the students to the content and make it all the more meaningful!
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