Audubon Learns About the Derby

The Kentucky Derby Museum outreach program will be conducting a variety of presentations for students at Audubon Elementary School tomorrow. Audubon will welcome a representative of the museum’s educational programming component, who will conduct a variety of engaging lessons for students at all grade levels.

As you can tell from the schedule below, the specific activities and their goals, are made fun by the process.

Audubon is located at 300 Worthington Road.

Time                                   Grades                                  Program

8 to 8:45 a.m.                                 Kindergarten                                     Horse Tales

8:45 to 9:30 a.m.                           Grade 2                                                Mathin’ Around the Track

9:45 to 10:30 a.m.                         Grade 3                                                Mathin’ Around the Track

10:45 to 11:30 a.m.                      Grade 5                                                Race Through Time

12:15 to 1 p.m.                              Grade 4                                                Probability

1:15 to 2 p.m.                                 Grade 1                                                Thoroughbred Care

HORSE TAILS (PK-2) Arts and Humanities

Program Summary
Horses take center stage as students participate in age appropriate stories featuring both fictional and nonfictional horses. We will explore the different elements that make up a story, as well as other early reading strategies.

Program Goals
Students understand the importance and fun of reading while strengthening basic reading skills. They understand some basic elements of Thoroughbred racing.

MATHIN’ AROUND THE TRACK (1-3) Math

Program Summary
What does it take to win the Kentucky Derby? It takes a fast horse, and a whole lot of MATH, of course! Students will solve problems taken from the “Five Big Ideas of Math” (Number Properties and Operations, Measurement, Geometry, Probability, and Algebra) as they prepare their horse for the Kentucky Derby in this real-world application of math.

Program Goals
Students understand that math is used in day to day activities – even while preparing a horse for the Kentucky Derby.

RACE THROUGH TIME (4-8) Social Studies

Program Summary
Six centuries of social history is covered in 45 minutes as we see how the roles of horses have changed over time. Students portray historical figures such as George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. to bring these stories alive. Our history lesson leads to May of 1875, with the running of the first Kentucky Derby.

Program Goals
Students understand the place of Thoroughbred racing in U.S. social history, including key roles played by African Americans. They understand reasons for and the process involved in the beginning of the Derby and Churchill Downs. They can incorporate this information with existing knowledge.

PROBABILITY (4-8) Math

Program Summary
Ratios and probability are the focus of this real-world application of math. Students gather data by observing past history, as well as conduct a scientific experiment to make predications. We conclude the program with a running of our own “Derby,” and utilizing probability to help make predications.

Program Goals
Students understand that probabilities can often be used in everyday problem solving. They understand structuring a situation in terms of ratios, and can then apply the use of probabilities in a variety of real-world applications. They understand the process for selecting the post-positions for horses in the Kentucky Derby.

THOROUGHBRED CARE (K-3) Science/Practical Living

Program Summary
Keeping a Thoroughbred happy and healthy is much like taking care of a pet at home. Students learn that teamwork is essential in preparing a horse for the Kentucky Derby, as they perform the many jobs in the stables. Bring the camera, as one of your students will get dressed up as a horse to compete in the Derby!

Program Goals
Students understand the importance of daily animal care both in home pet situations as well as professionally in the sport of Thoroughbred racing. They understand the basics of horse care and grooming. They can identify and explain the use of several pieces of grooming equipment.