Ohio County High School students competed in an “Amazing Race” competition around Owensboro today (Tuesday, May 24, 2016).
OCHS students on nine teams faced challenges and found clues in various locations, racing the clock to be the first team to arrive to claim their ultimate prize package.
Spanish teacher, Jana Shultz, created this competitive format with this year’s curriculum to emphasize teamwork, problem-solving and learning about different world cultures.
As students completed certain tasks like tower building, sewing a team flag, and decoding Spanish songs, their teams earned points toward a foot race similar to that of the long-running television program Amazing Race.
“Owensboro is an ideal venue with a variety of tourist attractions and restaurants,” Shultz said.
The student Amazing Race was meant to showcase Owensboro’s history and culture, as students explored local parks, alternative transportation, and fun encounters within the city.
Stops and challenges throughout the city included:
- Owensboro Regional Airport
- Boro Bikes on the Green Belt
- geocaching with Owensboro Parks & Rec
- live snake challenge in Legion Park (pictured)
- sculpting bread and tossing dough balls at Great Harvest
- taste challenge at Ph Juice Co. to identify ingredients
- Fire training drill
- obstacle course at iTumble & Bounce
- paper boat challenge, floating a paper boat through a water course at Owensboro Museum of Science & History
- singing and dancing downtown
- speaking Spanish live on air at WBKR
- speaking Spanish with bilingual care providers at Killian Migrant Head Start
- drunken goggle challenge at Owensboro Police Department
- Theater Workshop of Owensboro face painting
- cleaning-up trash at Germantown Park
- public transportation ride
- learning trivia about native Ohio Countian Bill Monroe at Bluegrass Museum, where they had to learn and perform two dance steps
The day made quite an impact on the students. Junior Shelby Roller said, “The race was very active and fun!”
2016 graduate, Olivia Goodman, said she saw places in Owensboro today that she had never seen before, like several of the parks and iTumble & Bounce .
Tracy Sandefur and Denise LeBaron were impressed by the parks. “They were beautiful and incredibly clean,” they said.
“I am so pleased with my students’ use of Spanish in solving clues and facing the challenges,” said Ms. Shultz. “Great Harvest, PH Juice Co, Boro Bikes, and the science museum have been enthusiastically supportive of our Amazing Race.”
