Video Transcript – Operation Exploration: The South, Part 3 – U.S. Geography for Kids! Video
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Transcribed by YouTube Transcription for www.Miacademy.co
Justin [0:00]
Hey everyone, Justin here! Today is a very special day – I am celebrating Take a Walk in the Park Day! Me and my family and all my friends like to do it, it’s kind of part of our culture. So, I just got back from our town’s park. It’s pretty famous around here because it’s, you know, in the center of town, it’s big, and right in the middle, there’s a statue of our town’s founder in it. That statue is a landmark. Now, it’s a small local landmark. some landmarks are so big and famous that people all over the country, or even all over the world, know about them. Let’s explore some of them today, shall we? Welcome to another Operation Exploration, where we will be exploring… regions of the United States!
[1:01]
In this video, we’re going to go over some of the most famous landmarks in the south region of the United States, as well as some cool fun facts. The southern states we’re going to be talking about in this video are Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas. Maybe you already live in one of these states and know some of the things we’re going to be exploring today
[1:36]
Oh, sorry, but you know I’m still celebrating Take a Walk in the Park Day so I gotta, you know, stretch a little. Stay flexible. I got another walk later, sorry about that. All right, let’s get started with our most northern southern state. Northern, southern. Okay y’all – hey, that’s a southern phrase for “you all!” Okay y’all, the most northern southern state is Delaware, located south of Pennsylvania while bordering the Delaware Bay on the east. This is the John Bell House, located on the green in the First State Heritage State Park. This park highlights important historical and cultural landmarks, paying special note to December 7th, 1787, the day when Delaware became the first state in our nation.
[2:32]
Speaking of important places in our nation, did you know that you could find our nation’s capital, Washington DC, in Maryland, the state south of Delaware? There, you could find the White House, or the President’s house. The U.S. Capitol Building, where congress goes to vote on laws, the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world, and NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that’s in charge of space research and exploration.
[3:08]
Also while in Washington DC, you can visit the National Gallery of Art which holds over 250,000 works of art spanning the entirety of U.S. history. In there, you can find many famous southern paintings, like this one, titled Southern Resort Town painted by Dana Smith in 1880. In their sculpture garden, you get to see sculptures like Kneeling Angel made by Giovanni Antonio Amadeo. Hey, I think he’s doing that he’s doing the arm stretch that I was doing earlier, huh. Oh, I almost forgot about Maryland. Did you know that the national anthem was first written here in 1814? And it was set to music in 1931.
[4:02]
You know, since we’re talking about southern states with a lot of U.S. history involved in them, we got to talk about Virginia. There you can go see Mount Vernon. After the White House, Mount Vernon might be the most famous home in America. Now, no one lives there anymore, so today it’s just a museum dedicated to the man that did live there – America’s first president, George Washington. After visiting Virginia, you’ll want to go to West Virginia so you can check out Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where hiking and history are experienced by over half a million people each year. And while you’re in the area, you’re definitely going to want to check out the New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville. This 3,030 foot long arch bridge is a sight to behold.
[4:54]
All right, I think it’s time to stretch on over to the land of trees – Tennessee. You will not find more trees than in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Nestled between North Carolina and Tennessee, this is the most visited national park in the United States. Wait, we can’t leave yet! Tennessee is famous for music, from Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame to Memphis’s jazz and blues ties, where you will find the second most visited house next to the White House in the U.S. – Elvis Presley’s Graceland. This mansion and property is a fun-filled attraction for the whole family. How cool is that?
[5:37]
Since we’re talking about cool, I should probably mention that Kentucky’s got the coolest landmark ever. No, I’m serious, it’s like 58 degrees Fahrenheit all the time in there. So, it’s nice, it’s cool, it’s huge. What is it? The Louisville Mega Caverns. Originally a mining cavern, this 4 million square foot, 100 acre limestone caverns is now an enormous storage system and tourist attraction, complete with a zip line, a tram ride, and plenty of caves to explore. The city of Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the Louisville Zoo and a major highway, sit on top of this amazing landmark.
[6:21]
Speaking of amazing, I’d love to head over to Arkansas so we can check out Arkansas’s Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, filled with works by five centuries of America’s best artists. The building itself is a work of art, designed by architect Moshe Safdie who made it to fit in with the natural landscape. Right in the middle of the Ozark Forest, this building is truly a sight to behold filled with history, with culture, with art. Like the pottery by David Drake, an enslaved potter on a South Carolina plantation in the 1800s, famous now beyond what he possibly could have imagined, all thanks to the many verses he wrote on his pottery.
[7:14]
Ooh. I mean, “Oh-klahoma.” This state’s culture is a mixture of that of the south and of the midwest, found in small towns like Ada, the birthplace of country music superstar Blake Shelton and NFL player Jeremy Shockey. The culture in Oklahoma is also influenced by their large Native American population. 39 American Indian tribes are headquartered in this state. Many of these tribes host annual heritage events, festivals, and powwows, or Native American Dances.
[7:52]
Let’s slide on from Oklahoma into, ooh, the big state – Texas. Aside from Alaska, Texas is the biggest state in America, and many people like to joke that everything’s bigger in Texas. One of the things texas is big on is NASA. It’s home to the Johnson Space Center in downtown Houston, where mission control and astronaut training are located. It’s one of NASA’s biggest facilities. Another thing Texas is big on is football. The Dallas Cowboys, one of the NFL’s most successful teams, have won five super bowls.
[8:37]
While Texas may be known for doing it big, Louisiana isn’t far behind. Every year, they throw one massive party. This festival, known as Mardi Gras, has been going on since 1703 and it’s an important cultural and historical event in New Orleans. Over a million people celebrate the magnificent floats parading through the city, as well as its events and many parties. All right, let’s try some spelling stretches now. M, I, S, S, I, S, S, I, P, P, I. Whoo, Mississippi’s Biloxi Lighthouse, built in 1847, is a national historic landmark. After a hurricane came through in 1860, knocking down many other lighthouses, the Biloxi Lighthouse still stood tall and its keeper, Mary Reynolds, said its light never went out.
[9:37]
So, grab your light as we hop over east a little bit into Alabama. Did you know that the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was written here in 1960. This important novel has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize. You know, while we’re here in Alabama, might as well take a little trip down south to Florida, a vacationer’s dream. Filled with warm sandy beaches and so much more. What’s so much more you ask? Well, Florida is home to the Kennedy Space Center, Nascar, and of course, Disney World.
[10:24]
Florida isn’t the only place to have an amazing adventure. Georgia is full of surprises. Lying right in the heart and soul of Georgia is Stone Mountain Park, a mountain that is truly spectacular. It’s also a great vacation spot where there’s golf, cable cars, lodging, events, activities, and more. Another thing Georgia is famous for is the Atlanta Braves. This baseball team is the oldest continuously operating professional sports franchise in America.
[10:55]
First coming to Atlanta in 1966, they’ve won 14 consecutive division championships and have made it to the World Series five times in the 1990s. They’re the only major league baseball team to have won the World Series in three different home cities. Directly north of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are both represented by the Carolina Panthers, a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They’ve won two conference championships in the NFL.
[11:35]
I am so ready for Take a Walk in the Park Day take two! I hope you enjoyed learning all about the culture and landmarks of the south region. Be sure to watch all of our other Operation Exploration videos to keep learning more. And in the meantime, remember to always be clever!