This post is part of our Walk This Way series, designed to share The Walking Classroom experiences of teachers and students across the United States. This post provides a glimpse into Amy Schott’s class.
Hello! Welcome to my fifth grade Walking Classroom! I was recently asked which podcast was my favorite. There are two that come immediately to mind, but another large list of podcasts I make sure the kids hear every year.
A Top Pick? Idioms!
The Walking Classroom podcast on Idioms (Combined-#3, 4-#7, 5-#3) is my favorite. I teach with many English Language learners, so in addition to being part of our ELA curriculum, idioms are an essential topic for my students’ language development.
The Idioms podcast clearly defines idioms as well as giving many common idioms and where they come from. Idioms from other places are also mentioned, giving the podcast a global flavor!
. . . and A New Favorite? Negro Baseball League!
The Negro Baseball League (Combined-#121, 5-#4) is a new favorite of mine. This quarter in reading, we are focusing on a text about Jackie Robinson. My students have great prior knowledge on Martin Luther King Jr. (marches, speeches, and peaceful protests), Rosa Parks (desegregating buses), and Ruby Bridges (desegregating schools).
However, they seemed surprised to hear that segregation also occurred in sports. This podcast allowed a quick overview without me having to prepare a lesson or spend a huge amount of my time (or class time!) explaining.
Other Must-Hears?
Other must-hears, no matter what grade or state, include the following:
- The Underground Railroad (Combined-#78, 5-#48)
- Women of the Civil War (Combined-#80, 5-#49)
- Harriet Tubman (Combined-#79, 5-#50)
- Emancipation Proclamation (Combined-#86, 5-#57)
- Alliteration and Personification (Combined-#5, 5-#67)
- Types of Conflict in Writing (Combined-#8, 4-#45, 5-#68)
- Greek and Latin Roots and Affixes (Combined-#13, 5-#69)
- Meteorology (Combined-#147, 5-#11, STEM-#11)
- Interjections (Combined-#16, 4-#8, 5-#20)
- Prepositions (Combined-#15, 4-#32, 5-#21)
- Westward Expansion (Combined-#99, 5-#34)
Those are The Walking Classroom podcasts I make sure to schedule each year. However, as you saw above, many move in and out of my favorites. In fact, Continental Divide (Combined-#135, 5-#30, STEM-#22) was a favorite until the landforms unit moved out of my standards.
I also had avoided Negro Baseball League in the past, leaving it as a choice, due to not having time for a baseball theme (and because I covered Civil Rights other ways). However, this year, it fit in perfectly!
I’m eager to hear which podcasts you prefer! Happy Trails!
Amy Schott
Fifth Grade Teacher
Fox Road Magnet Elementary
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