The Mammoth Cave Story

by Del Marie Vaccaro,  JCPS Volunteer

Perhaps it was not possible this year to take every fourth grader at St. Matthews Elementary to Mammoth Cave National Park for an onsite day’s visit. However, in January, the children were given the next best thing – an opportunity to participate in a week long unit called “The Mammoth Cave Story.” The goal was to teach an interdisciplinary unit about a nearby national treasure that has a compelling and complex history. The culminating activity of the unit was an “on demand” writing assignment that could take any number of forms, such as poetry, articles, or journal entries.  Mammoth Cave’s curriculum guide was provided for the teachers to use for supplementary material in other subjects.

Learning tools used during the week included a Mammoth Cave DVD that introduced the unit. It not only detailed the scientific process of a cave’s formation, it also took the students through the cave virtually. As my research focuses on narratives written by early visitors to the cave, I was pleased to share with them my presentation entitled, “Nineteenth Century Mammoth Cave Visitors: They Came, They Were Impressed, They Wrote About Their Experience!”

We began by looking at the cave and its setting today. Then we used our imaginations to travel back to the twentieth century communities of pre-National Park days. Finally, we arrived in the nineteenth century and we looked closely at the reactions and impressions recorded in the tourists’ travel narratives of the day. Responses to modes of transportation and road conditions; remarks about regional taverns and inns; feelings that travelers’ expressed about the darkness and solitude….those, and many more intriguing reactions to Mammoth Cave are found in the narratives. Early visitors were fascinated by its history, particularly the cave’s role in the War of 1812. The discovery of prehistoric Native American artifacts and the visitors’ use of poetry and art to express wonder and awe in their writings appeared to be of special interest to the children.   Writers’ descriptions of music and special sounds created for the entertainment of the visitors seemed also to make impressions on the children.

We set aside some class time to examine a collection of contemporary writings about Mammoth Cave and also to read aloud a few portions of nineteenth century narratives that were chosen for their relevance and appeal. Each child was given a Mammoth Cave vocabulary sheet, a Suggested Reading List (based on books available at the Louisville Free Public Library), and a brochure provided by Mammoth Cave. Now, after examining the brochure, they will be able to use the pictures and the maps as cues to tell their own version of the story of Mammoth Cave.

Top or Archives

Plan for Louisville Zoo's April Mulch and Compost Sale!

Provided by Kara Bussabarger
The Louisville Zoo

Be sure to mark April 5, 12, 19 and 26 on your calendar. That is when the Louisville Zoo will host its first Zoo Poopy Doo sales of the year. You can purchase quality hardwood bark mulch and Zoo Poopy Doo (which is made especially by our animals at the Zoo!) from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Saturday in April. Zoo Poopy Doo is a rich compost mixture comprised of Zoo hoof stock manure (like elephant, rhino, camels and giraffe), hay, straw and wood shavings.

Make your purchases at the ticket windows (in front of the Zoo entrance gates) and then collect your mulch or compost in the Zoo's bus parking lot. Mulch is $22.50 per load for a small pick-up truck and $35 per load for medium to full size pick-up truck. Compost is $30 per bobcat scoop.

Compost improves the aeration of the soil, increases root penetration and water retention, which reduces crusting of the soil surface. Mulch helps reduce weeds and retains moisture. Proof of the effectiveness of these two products is evident from all the healthy botanicals at the Zoo.

Top or Archives

Update From YouthBuild Louisville’s E-Corps

by William D. McPheeters Jr.

Hi my name is William D. McPheeters Jr. and I am a team member of the YouthBuild Louisville’s E-Corps. We’ve planted over 20 species of trees in school campuses all around the downtown area of Louisville.

Through classes and the work itself, I have learned how to correctly plant a tree and when the best times to plant are. I’ve done it so many times it just comes naturally to me now. Lately we have been learning how to do landscaping maps thanks to our MSD connection, Ms. Phyllis Croce. She has taught us some of the behind the scenes work of landscaping such as mapping the area. This comes in handy when you are figuring out how much area you are dealing with, what can fit and what can’t, and how much other material, such as mulch, you will need to cover the area. Ms. Donna Michael, from the Jefferson County Extension Service, has taught us about lawn care, testing of soil, bacteria and the physiology of plants.

Our future plans are to produce 500 rain barrels. Rain Barrels are 55 gallon drums retro-fitted to be hooked up to your house down spout so you can use the rain to water your plants. This will save you lots of money on your water bill and at the same time keep the sewers from filling up and flooding when a heavy rain comes. Also, since they reduce surface run-off, they can reduce the impurities washed into our water supply. It’s a nice environmental component.

It really has been a learning experience to plant numerous different trees at a school. If the kids are interested, they can observe E-Corps members plant the tree and I’ve enjoyed seeing how the kids that attend the school react to the new trees in their school’s back yard or playground. The smiles on their faces are priceless.

Top or Archives

3rd grader Anthonie Griffin assists Al Herring, Executive Director of the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice at U of L, as he dialogues with students about political violence. (photo by Aukram Burton; permission obtained for use of photo)
Bates Elementary 5th grader Shuavi Mtangi holds a poster as students discussed the manifestation of hate violence. (photo by Aukram Burton; permission obtained for use of photo)

On Thursday, March 20, 2008 the members of the Muhammad Ali Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of Louisville introduced Do No Harm, an educational media campaign designed to change the dialogue about violence and encourage a deeper understanding of the underlying social injustices that are at the root of violence.

The Do No Harm campaign seeks to raise awareness of the seven manifestations of violence-domestic, community, gun, economic, environmental, political, and hate-and how they are interconnected.

Participants in the Do No Harm program are members of Project Succeed at Bates Elementary. Project Succeed seeks to set high expectations that will result in all students attaining high levels of performance. The focus of Project Succeed is on making progress toward closing all achievement gaps and to provide opportunities to empower students to develop and enhance their academic and leadership skills through student engagement in developmentally appropriate activities such as service learning, peer mediation, conflict resolution, civic participation and extra-curricular activities. Project Succeed aims to promote positive attitudes, respectful behavior, and strong academic achievement.

Previous programs held for Project Succeed students addressed the six core values of Louisville’s icon Muhammad Ali: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality. The Do No Harm program precedes a Project Succeed field trip to the Muhammad Ali Center in the middle of May 2008. To learn more about the Muhammad Ali Institute visit http://louisville.edu/aliinstitute. To learn more about the Muhammad Ali Center visit www.alicenter.org.

Top or Archives

JumpStart Chinese Language Institute

Provided by Jami Baumgardner
Crane House, The Asia Institute, Inc.

The JumpStart Chinese Language Institute is an intensive 3-week program to develop verbal, written, aural/oral language skills for Mandarin Chinese and to expand Chinese cultural experiences. The institute is appropriate for high school students who are highly motivated to learn Chinese in an immersion program setting or with classroom experience in Chinese language study. There are daily classroom sessions, field trip and other activities. High school credit is awarded based on program completion and base school approval. University of Louisville credits are awarded based on qualifications.

The institute will be held on July 7 through July 25, 2008 at Kammerer Middle School at 9 am to 1 pm. The application deadline is April 18, 2008. For an application and more information, contact (502) 228-8246 or (502) 635-2240, or email startalk@insightbb.com.

Top or Archives

U of L Presents Social Justice & Engaged Scholarship, April 3-4, 2008

Provided by Aukram Burton
JCPS Diversity/Multicultural Education Office

The University of Louisville's recently established Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research is hosting its first Regional Symposium that will feature national speakers, roundtable discussions and sessions on engaged scholarship and its relevance to social justice ideals. What is Engaged Scholarship? It connects university research to problems and activities in the greater community. It engages faculty and students in sustained collaborations with community organizations.

The event will take place on April 3 in the Chao Auditorium of Ekstrom library and on Friday, April 4 at the Brandeis School of Law. For more information, call (502) 852-6142, or email cfosl@louisville.edu. Visit www.louisville.edu/annebradeninstitute/symposium.

Top or Archives

Yom Hashoah at Bellarmine, April 28

Provided by Keith Meador
Central High School

The Jewish Federation of Louisville will sponsor a Yom Hashoah ceremony in remembrance of the Holocaust at Bellarmine's Frazier Hall at 7 p.m. on April 28, 2008. All members of the community are welcome to attend. Dr. Rachel Korazim will be the keynote speaker at the ceremony. Dr. Korazim, the Academic Director of of Distance Learning at the Jewish Agency for the Israeli Department of Education, is a world-renowned speaker on Holocaust-related topics as well as Israel Diaspora relations and current Israeli literature.

During the Yom Hashoah ceremony we will honor both survivors of the Holocaust and those who we have lost over the years (including Ernie Marx, who passed away last summer, but dedicated so much of his time to educating young people about the Holocaust and the sacrifices of World War II).

For more information, please contact Alexandras Shklar at alexandras@jcfl.com.

Top or Archives