The Kentucky Derby is leaving the grandstand and heading into elementary classrooms across the country. Louisville’s Kentucky Derby Museum is offering free virtual field trips that turn the race’s history, culture and economics into ready-to-use lessons for students who may never make it to the museum in person.
The program is designed for fourth- and fifth-grade students and is available nationwide, according to Spectrum News 1. Museum Education Director Emily Dippie said the digital format helps extend the Derby experience to students in places including California, Michigan and New York.
Instead of treating the Derby as a one-day sporting spectacle, the museum’s program breaks it into three curriculum-focused modules, as outlined on the Kentucky Derby Museum website. “Derby Basics” focuses on English language arts and writing, “Derby History” connects to social studies, and “Derby Math” uses mathematics and economics to examine the business behind the race.
Two Ways For Classrooms To Enter The Starting Gate
Teachers can choose between a facilitated classroom experience and a more independent digital option. The teacher-led version includes videos, printable activities and assessment materials, while the Kahoot-based format lets students compete against one another as they work through the material, Spectrum News 1 reports…