In my classroom, I listen to the Podcast Six Minutes with my students. Six Minutes is a mystery/adventure podcast that follows the life of an 11-year-old girl named Holiday. Holiday faced a terrifying accident and woke up unknowing of who she was, where she was, or anything about her history. Throughout the podcast, we learn of Holiday’s *special* abilities and those who are like her, all while the government is trying to capture her.
My favorite part of this podcast is that each episode is six minutes long- the perfect amount of time for a small brain break in the middle of the day or after PE to calm our minds. My students are always engaged in the podcast, making predictions about what will happen next. This podcast is also excellent to help students visualize a story. I like to use Podcasts as a whole group read aloud, but also as a station in my classroom for independent choice.
A few years back, I went to the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) conference. While at VSTE, I attended a session about Podcasts. I learned of some fun and engaging Podcasts for kids, listed below with topic descriptions:
–Brains On!– Science & social emotional learning
–Smash Boom Best– Episodes compare and learn about two cool things and students decide which is better
–Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day– Each two-minute episode gives a new word each day, the meaning, and the origin.
A 6 minute podcast is a great length for classroom use!
I love a short podcast. The shorter the better, especially for classroom use.
Yes- keeps them engaged but doesn’t drag on!
It is great to hear how you have used podcasts in the classroom. You found some great ones to use! I can’t wait to check them out.
Wow, thanks for recommending this! I love podcasts that take the format of the radio plays that used to be so popular. I used to be really into Limetown, and my husband loves Welcome to Nightvale, neither of which are great for our younger son. I’m going to have to try this one with him!
Out of all of the podcasts that I have read about so far, 6 Minutes is my favorite! That is a perfect amount of time to keep them engaged and then move on to something else. I have it saved it my favorites to try out next year. Thanks!
This sounds like a great idea! I tried an hour long podcast and I lost my students within the first 5 minutes!
I’m so glad to hear your students are so engaged in the podcast, considering they all discuss it with each other and are making predictions. What a great way to build community and a love for stories. I’m still learning more about podcasts, but this sounds like such an excellent use to catch student interest in any subject.
Oh this is such a good idea. I like longer podcasts, but my kids definitely check out. I’ll have to look into this!