Ping and Echo: Ida Lewis and Her Lighthouse
How a fifteen-year-old became a world famous lighthouse keeper
Welcome to Ping and Echo, a daily newsletter that links to one amazing podcast episode that is guaranteed to be a great listen for kids and their families. Each newsletter includes links to articles, videos and activities related to the podcast so you can turn every episode into an adventure.
Today’s podcast episode is from the Memory Palace, one of our favorite podcasts. This episode focuses on Ida Lewis who became a caretaker of a lighthouse off the coast of Rhode Island in 1878 when she was 15 years old. It is a story of heroism, determination, and service to others. Over the course of her life she saved many lives and became known around the world, including as a symbol of the women’s suffrage movement that was fighting for women’s right to vote.
Podcast: The Memory Palace
Episode: Ida Lewis
Length: 15 minutes
🧐 You Should Know
I’ll always give you a heads up if there is anything in the podcast that might surprise or worry kids. This is a history podcast, and so it does talk about her death at the end of the story, and mentions her father’s death briefly.
💡 Try This
After you listen to the episode you can shine a light on other aspects of the story with the links and activities below:
Draw Lighthouses with Easy Drawing Step by Step Instructions - How to Draw
Check Out These Lighthouse Curriculum Materials - U.S. Lighthouse Society
🔎 Explore More
Read up on the people and place behind this episode with these links:
How is the Light of a Lighthouse Magnified so That it Can be Seen Many Miles Out at Sea? - Library of Congress
History and Grave of Ida Lewis – Newport, Rhode Island - Atlas Oscura
Lime Rock Lighthouse (Ida Lewis Lighthouse) - Rhode Island - Rhode Island History
The name Ping and Echo comes from sonar technology which relies on sending out “pings” and receiving back “echos” to discover the world around you. You can send us pictures of the art and activities created by your kids. Email them to pingandecho@gmail.com and we’ll post all your echos on our Twitter page.
Thanks for lending us your ears and your inbox.
Toby, Ruby, and Josh