|
Additional Lessons |
 About These
Lessons
The following classroom lessons are great for students
who want additional listening and reading practice. |
-
Travel America -
Beginner
Level. Do you love America and American
English? Learn before you travel. Facts and other
cool stuff about your favorite U.S. state. Great
English reading practice.
|
 Travel
America - Kentucky
(Beginner -
Reading)
Learn some interesting facts and read interesting
stories about Kentucky. |
 Kentucky
Daniel Boone and other frontiersmen settled in
Kentucky, the "Bluegrass State," in 1769. Its name
comes from the Iroquois Indian word "Ken-tah-ten,"
or "land of tomorrow." Admitted into the Union in
1792, Kentucky is the 15th state and the first state
west of the Appalachian Mountains. Today, Kentucky
is associated with coal mines and horse farms and
racing. America's most prestigious horse race, the
Kentucky Derby, is held in Louisville annually. The
state flower is the goldenrod, the cardinal is the
state bird and Frankfort is the capital. |
Kentucky
State Flag
The Kentucky state flag was adopted in 1962. The
state seal design is featured in the center, with the state
motto: United We stand, Divided We Fall.
Pledge of Allegiance to State Flag of
Kentucky
I pledge allegiance to the Kentucky flag,
and to the Sovereign State for which it stands,
one Commonwealth, blessed with diversity,
natural wealth, beauty, and grace from on High. |
|
Source:
State Symbols USA |
|
|
 Kentucky
State Facts
Picture: state seal of Kentucky |
|
State Capital |
Frankfort |
|
Nickname |
Bluegrass State |
|
Motto |
United we stand, divided we fall |
|
Statehood |
June 1, 1792 (15th) |
|
Origin of Name |
Based on the Iroquois Indian word "Ken-tah-ten,"
meaning "land of tomorrow." or "dark and bloody
ground" |
|
Largest Cities |
Louisville |
|
Border States |
Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee,
Virginia, West Virginia |
|
Area |
39,732 sq. mi.; 36th largest |
|
State Bird |
Cardinal |
|
State Flower |
Goldenrod (solidago altissima) |
|
State Tree |
Tulip Poplar |
|
State Song |
My Old Kentucky Home, Blue Moon of Kentucky
(bluegrass song) |
 Travel and tourism
site for Kentucky - This state travel and territorial
tourism site provides ideas for your vacations, meetings, and more. |
|
|
Kentucky Stories |
|
|
Churchill Downs
Name America's most famous horse race. If you said
the Kentucky Derby, you'd be right! But do you know
where the race is held? Every year since 1875, this
race has been held at Churchill Downs racetrack in
Louisville, Kentucky.
Horse breeding and racing are extremely popular in
Kentucky. Horse racing in Louisville dates back to
1789, when races were held down Market Street.
During a trip abroad in 1872-1873, 26-year-old
Colonel M. Lewis Clark came up with a plan to create
the Louisville Jockey Club for conducting race
meets, after meeting with prominent racing leaders
in France and England. When he returned, Clark
developed a racetrack, which would become known as
Churchill Downs and would showcase Kentucky's
breeding industry.
The Kentucky Derby, held the first Saturday in May,
is the first "leg," or competition, of horse
racing's "Triple Crown." Can you name the other two
races? They are the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and
the Belmont Stakes in New York. |
|
|
W.C. Young Community Center
You probably have heard of Cesar Chavez (an "Amazing
American"), a famous labor leader who fought for
rights for his fellow farm workers. But have you
ever heard of W.C. Young?
Like Chavez, Young worked on issues of poverty and
injustice with honesty, understanding and nonviolent
actions. He started a community center in 1976, the
Paducah Community Center, to help the people of
Paducah, Kentucky, overcome poverty and obtain
decent housing. Twenty years later, in 1996, it was
renamed the W.C. Young Community Center to honor its
founder.
The W.C. Young Community Center is the home of the
annual Eighth of August Emancipation Celebration, an
event that honors the slaves who were emancipated
(set free) in southwestern Kentucky after the Civil
War. Activities include a memorial service, a
parade, and a picnic. Different states celebrate
Emancipation Day on different days, often depending
on when the Union Army arrived to enforce Abraham
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, in which he
stated that all slaves should be free. |
|
|
Trail of Tears Powwow
In 1828, gold was discovered on land belonging to
the Cherokee Indians in Georgia. This made the land
even more desirable to white settlers who had begun
expanding south and westward. In the fall and winter
of 1838-1839, 15,000 Cherokees were forced out of
their ancestral lands to make room for those
settlers. They were made to move to what is now
Oklahoma, a journey of 1,200 miles. About 4,000
Cherokees died on the way.
The route that they followed is known as "The Trail
of Tears" or "The Trail Where They Cried" because of
how much they suffered on the way. Hopkinsville,
Kentucky, was a stopping point on that journey. In
1993, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park opened
in Hopkinsville to honor the Cherokees and all
Indians, the original inhabitants of America.
Every September, there is a powwow in the park. This
is a gathering of Native Americans and those who
enjoy or want to learn more about Native American
culture and traditions. Dancing in native costume,
singing, storytelling, and craft demonstrations are
all part of the celebration. Thousands of people
come from all over the country to participate. |
|
|
Kentucky Horse Country
Kentucky is a state that is known for its horses.
For more than 100 years horse breeding, shows, and
racing have been popular in Kentucky. The state's
many grassy farms are considered by many to be the
best place to raise and breed horses. Horses have
been an important part of Kentucky since the early
frontiersmen came on horseback through the
Cumberland Gap. Early on, the settlers began racing
and breeding their horses. Many early races were on
straight quarter-mile roads or paths. By the 1780s,
the first-known circular horse racing track had been
constructed in Kentucky. The most famous horse race
in the United States is the Kentucky Derby. It has
been held at Churchill Downs in Louisville every May
since 1875. Can you name any horses that have won
the race? One of the greatest was named Secretariat. |
|
|
Trigg County Country Ham
Festival
Where can you go to eat the world's largest country
ham and biscuit and to kiss a pig, all in the same
day?
The Trigg County Country Ham Festival! Trigg County,
Kentucky, has been holding the festival every year
since 1977. Each October, tens of thousands of
people from all over the country come to sample the
county's famous country cured hams, see arts and
crafts, listen to music performances, and of course
watch the parade to see "Ms. Triggy."
The world's largest country ham and biscuit is made
here each year as part of the festivities, and many
contests are held, including the pig derby, a
greased-pig catching contest, and a kiss a pig
contest. Just hope it doesn't kiss back! |
|
|
Tater Day Festival
Festivals devoted to foods like garlic, strawberries
and pumpkins are held all over the United States.
The Tater Day Festival, which may be the world's
only festival devoted to sweet potatoes, is held in
Benton, Kentucky.
The three-day Tater Day Festival had its beginnings
in 1843. Farmers from the countryside would bring
their products to the town square to sell or trade
on county court days. One of the things they would
bring is sweet potatoes, which grow well in the
Southern climate. "Tater" is a nickname for potato.
In Benton, this eventually turned into an annual
festival honoring the sweet potato, complete with a
parade, carnival, fiddling contest, gospel singing,
and baking and canning competitions, beginning on
the first Monday in April. Did you know that sweet
potatoes are not related to the common white
potatoes? They are actually related to the Morning
Glory vine. Have you ever tried sweet potatoes? They
tend to be a popular dish at Thanksgiving. |
|
|
National Thumb Pickers Hall
of Fame
Have you ever heard of thumb-picking? It is a style
of guitar playing in which the fingers pick out a
melody and the thumb picks out bass notes. Have you
listened to folk musicians such as Jewel, James
Taylor or Paul Simon? All of these artists have used
thumb-picking on their recordings.
One form of thumb-picking developed in Muhlenberg
County, Kentucky, back in the 1920s and was made
famous by guitarists such as Merle Travis and Chet
Atkins. In Muhlenberg, this particular style of
guitar playing is so popular that there is even a
Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame and an annual Thumb
Picking Contest!
Most thumb-pickers use a flexible plastic pick on
their thumb to pluck the strings. The effect makes
it sound as though two guitars are being played at
once -- a rhythm guitar and a lead guitar. This
style of playing was first heard in country music in
the 1920s, and was passed down from generation to
generation. Its popularity grew, and today many
players of rock and folk also use this style. |
|
Source:
Library of Congress |
|
 National
Forests, Parks, and Monuments of Kentucky
The following is a description of national
forests, parks, and monuments in the state
of Kentucky. If you plan to visit or live in
Kentucky for awhile then you should
definitely plan to visit some of these
fantastic places. |
|
|
|
National Forests |
 Daniel
Boone
Encompassing part of the Cumberland Plateau
and Appalachian Mountains, Daniel Boone
National Forest has two wilderness areas and
several reservoirs. Scenic areas include
Cumberland Falls, Red River Gorge, Yahoo
Arch and many caves. |
 George
Washington & Jefferson
In the Appalachian Mountains, the highest
point of the forest is Mount Rogers, also
the highest point in Virginia at 5,729 ft
(1,746 m) in Mount Rogers National
Recreation Area. There are 230,000 acres
(93,000 ha) of old-growth forest here, and
the Blue Ridge Parkway and Appalachian Trail
both run through the forest. This national
forest is also partially located in the
states of Virginia and West Virginia. |
 Land
Between The Lakes
Land Between The Lakes National Recreation
area is located in Western Kentucky and
Tennessee, and encompasses over 170,000
acres of forests, wetlands, and open lands
on the largest inland peninsula in the
United States. It is located between
Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. This
recreation area is also partially located in
the state of Tennessee. |
|
|
|
National Parks |
 Mammoth
Cave
With more than 400 miles (640 km) of
passageways explored, Mammoth Cave is the
world's longest known cave system.
Subterranean wildlife includes eight bat
species, Kentucky cave shrimp, Northern
cavefish, and cave salamanders. Above
ground, the park provides recreation on the
Green River, 70 miles of hiking trails, and
plenty of sinkholes and springs. |
|
|
|
National Monuments |
 Camp
Nelson
Established in 1863 as a depot for the Union
Army during the Civil War, Camp Nelson
became a large recruitment center for
African American Union soldiers: a key site
of emancipation for those soldiers and a
refugee camp for their families. |
|
|
Travel America |
|
|
Mammoth Cave National Park
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson which shows you an interesting place in America.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Great English listening and reading practice.
This video is all about Mammoth Cave National Park. |
|
Travel
America
Do you love America and American English? Learn before
you travel. Facts and other cool stuff about your
favorite U.S. state. Visit the Fun Easy English Travel
America pages. Read about the beautiful National
Forests, Parks, and Monuments. Great English reading practice. |
 Drive America
Planning to drive in America? Learn the rules and
regulations. Great English reading practice. |
|
