Podcasts are a terrific method to be taught one thing new, whether or not you’re at residence, within the automobile, or within the classroom. They cowl all kinds of matters, so there’s one thing to curiosity just about everybody. These podcasts for teenagers and youths are positive to have interaction younger listeners and begin fascinating conversations. Plus, we’ve instructed enrichment actions to associate with each!
Disclaimer: We’ve divided the record by grade stage as a result of some may be extra intense or cowl extra mature matters than is suitable for youthful college students. You’re the finest decide on your personal youngsters or college students, although, so we advocate vetting all materials earlier than sharing.
Finest Podcasts for Children in Elementary College
Circle Spherical
Circle Spherical adapts folktales from world wide into music-rich radio performs for teenagers. Every episode explores common themes like friendship, persistence, creativity, and generosity, and ends with an exercise that conjures up a deeper dialog between kids and grown-ups. That is a type of podcasts for teenagers that appeals to adults too!
Exercise to strive: Print the free coloring web page that goes together with every episode and let youngsters use their crayons or markers whereas they hear.
Radiolab for Children Presents: Terrestrials
Life on Earth could be awfully unusual, don’t you suppose? The parents at Radiolab, creators of standard podcasts for adults and youths, produce this particular sequence only for youngsters. Every episode has accompanying “shovels,” that are actions to assist youngsters dig deeper. This one is ideal for the classroom.
Exercise to strive: The drawing prompts for every episode are actually distinctive. Have youngsters full them, then show them on a bulletin board or slideshow for others to see.
Little Tales for Tiny Folks
These authentic audio tales are full of whimsy and surprise for younger listeners and their households.
Exercise to strive: Let youngsters write, illustrate, and make a recording of their very own authentic story.
However Why: A Podcast for Curious Children
Children have every kind of curious questions—it’s one of many issues we love most about them! This manufacturing, from Vermont Public Radio, tackles such matters as Why Do Folks Have Nightmares?, Do Animals Get Married?, and Why Do Lions Roar?
Exercise to strive: Have youngsters begin a log, utilizing a particular notepad, of all of the loopy questions they’ll consider. They need to take the pocket book with them in all places they go.
The Large Fib
In an period of pretend information, youngsters want to have the ability to decide what’s true and what’s false. And what higher method to try this than a recreation present that places youngsters within the driver’s seat, adults on the recent seat, and a sound-effects robotic strapped to the roof? Every week, a child interviews two consultants on a specific subject, one in every of whom is a real, credentialed skilled, the opposite a liar. Hilarious and fast-paced, the present teaches youngsters to ask insightful questions, weigh the proof earlier than them, and belief their intestine.
Exercise to strive: Play an in-class or at-home model of Two Truths and a Lie to shine truth-telling expertise.
KidNuz
There’s an entire lot occurring on the planet today, and never the entire information is kid-friendly. KidNuz informs in a method that explains however doesn’t overload youngsters. Their mission assertion says all of it: “To have interaction the following era with information that may inform with out worry and educate with out opinion.”
Exercise to strive: Decide a problem and do a “deep dive.” Particularly, search for the upside of a state of affairs—individuals serving to individuals, individuals bonding collectively, and so forth.
Brief and Curly
A fun-filled podcast for teenagers all about moral questions that get youngsters and adults pondering. “Do you must love your sibling?” “Are some lies really OK?” “Is it ever OK to combat again towards a bully?”
Exercise to strive: Have your college students write down inquiries to which they don’t know the solutions and focus on them (after vetting them, in fact).
Tumble
In the event you’re on the lookout for science podcasts for teenagers, this one tells tales about science discoveries with assist from precise scientists. They discover issues like why cats at all times appear to land on their toes and what a journey to the middle of the earth would appear to be.
Exercise to strive: Focus on the subject of any given episode as a category, opening it as much as questions and inspiring additional analysis.
The Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd
Comply with the continued battle between Dr. Floyd and the evil mastermind Dr. Steve (alongside along with his sock-shaped assistant, Fidgert). Throughout all their preventing, Dr. Floyd learns about historical past. With greater than 400 episodes, there are lots to select from.
Exercise to strive: Have college students write their very own episodes, together with a historic occasion that they love or that you’ve lined in school.
Brains On!
“Brains On!” options science and children. The host and her child co-host discuss with meals scientists and snake handlers, placed on performs, write songs, and a lot extra. It’s a science lesson on your ears!
Exercise to strive: Hearken to the episode “Books: How they’re made and the way your mind reads them.” Afterward, have a dialogue along with your class concerning the many ways in which studying is nice for them.
Storynory
That is a web-based treasure trove of free audio tales. You may take heed to a mix of authentic tales, fairy tales, and specifically tailored myths and histories. Storynory has revealed an episode each week since 2005, so there’s lots to like and one thing for everybody.
Exercise to strive: Have college students write an authentic brief story after which current it to the category.
What If World
Looking for podcasts for curious youngsters? Each two weeks, the inventive host of this podcast takes questions from youngsters and spins them into an entertaining story. Try What If Clouds Had been Fabricated from Cotton Sweet? or What If Magic Didn’t Exist?
Exercise to strive: Make a top-10 record of your individual What-Ifs. Write a narrative, create a comic book strip, or make a drawing to go along with your favorites.
The Rez
In a distant future that’s both actually dangerous or actually good (relying on whose facet you’re on), two unusual and unlikely champions embark on a sequence of adventures to cease a depraved A.I., and within the course of should wrestle to know “old style” concepts like “kindness” and “simply hanging out not doing a lot.”
Exercise to strive: Begin a dialogue on how gadgets akin to smartphones influence college students’ interactions with the individuals round them. Focus on the professionals and cons of know-how and the issues we are able to do to be extra linked with one another.
Treasure Island 2020
James Hawkins helps his mother run a motel in modern-day Montauk, Lengthy Island. When a mysterious man washes up on the seashore with a treasure map tattooed on his chest, James discovers that Billy Bones is, in reality, a time-traveling pirate from the 18th century. James and his new pals, Morgan and Max, observe the map proper right into a magical portal that leads them again practically 300 years and right into a swashbuckling journey.
Exercise to strive: Have college students write the story of what they’d do if they found somebody was a time-traveler. Would they wish to enter the portal and return in time?
The Mayan Crystal
Within the spirit of Mayan folklore, an 11-year-old Belizean lady by accident invokes an evil spirit that threatens to eat the rain forest. She goes on an exciting journey to save lots of her residence and her individuals.
Exercise to strive: Ask college students to write down their very own story of what they’d do to guard their residence. Do they see any similarities to the environmental issues we face immediately?
The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
Finn Caspian is an 8-year-old boy aboard the Well-known Marlowe 280 Interplanetary Exploratory Area Station. He and his pals Abigail, Elias, and Vale are Explorers Troop 301, taking off from the Marlowe to discover uncharted planets, assist the occasional alien, and clear up a thriller that threatens to destroy their area station.
Exercise to strive: Have college students create their very own illustrations of Finn’s adventures. Would they wish to be amongst his explorer pals?
Finest Podcasts for Children in Center College
Tai Asks Why
Tai has been uncovering the mysteries of the universe on this podcast since he was 11. 4 years in, he’s tackling matters like how one can repair recycling, why math is so exhausting to like, and different topics tweens can relate to.
Exercise to strive: Earlier than listening to a podcast, pose the title query to college students and ask them to suppose, write, or focus on their preliminary responses. After listening, see how their opinions stack as much as Tai’s findings.
Fierce Women
Although this podcast focuses primarily on Australian women and girls, their tales are significant world wide. Find out about athletes, scientists, adventurers, and extra.
Actions to strive: Problem college students to attempt to discover women or girls in their very own lives who’ve had comparable experiences to those featured on this podcast.
The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified
Pay attention as world-famous radio reporter Eleanor foils devious plots, outwits artful villains, and goes after the Large Story. Eleanor’s pursuit of fact takes her into orbit, out to sea, and even to the halls of Congress! Her adventures are entertaining and informative.
Exercise to strive: Have a dialogue about Eleanor and her values, particularly the significance of entry to info, being inclusive to totally different factors of view, and telling the reality. Then have your college students write about what their values are.
Flyest Fables
In the event you’re on the lookout for podcasts for teenagers who’re into hip-hop, this one for tweens may be simply their velocity. Episodes observe the primary character, Antoine, a boy who’s bullied and finds a magical e book that transports him to a different world.
Exercise to strive: Have college students create an illustrated model of the story as they observe together with the podcast.
StarTalk Radio
Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about all issues area: stars, planets, people in area, and a lot extra. He additionally interviews plenty of wonderful individuals, from astronaut Buzz Aldrin to actress Olivia Munn to former president Jimmy Carter.
Exercise to strive: Have college students analysis the science subject lined in a given episode, studying extra concerning the subject and sharing their findings.
The Allusionist
Discover the entire oddities of the English language! Full of good humor and levity, this podcast will assist college students discover the roots of phrases and phrases that we use every single day.
Exercise to strive: Have college students write their very own grammatical or linguistic jokes, utilizing these as starter examples.
Stuff You Missed in Historical past Class
On the lookout for historical past podcasts for teenagers? This title speaks for itself. Find out about individuals and occasions which are typically ignored in a typical historical past class.
Exercise to strive: Select a preferred unit of historic research, just like the Civil Warfare or Nice Despair, then have college students analysis the little-told tales associated to it. They may even write a readers theater based mostly on their findings.
Listenwise
Listenwise is an award-winning listening-skills platform, searchable by subject space or faculty topic. It advances classroom studying by offering further content material and constructing listening expertise. There’s additionally a give attention to present occasions that helps preserve the training tied to the true world.
Exercise to strive: Every episode comes geared up with instructing sources, so choose the subject that’s finest on your class and get listening.
The Previous & the Curious
People are a curious lot as this podcast attests to in its mission assertion: “True tales of inspiration, humor, and the unimaginable achievements of all varieties of individuals, a lot of that are sadly under-shared.”
Exercise to strive: Have your college students attain out to kin, pals, or neighbors and ask them to share tales from their previous.
Cupid and the Reaper
This thought-provoking podcast tells the origin story of center schoolers Marcus Aronson and Mondo Ramirez, also referred to as Cupid and the Grim Reaper. Can these two mismatched heroes overcome their variations and be taught to harness the powers of life, dying, and love?
Exercise to strive: Begin a dialog about what it could be prefer to be a teen with superpowers. Focus on the views of the primary characters. How would college students really feel in the event that they had been 13 years outdated and discovered they’re Cupid or the Grim Reaper?
Finest Podcasts for Children in Excessive College
Romeo y Julieta
Assist college students join with this centuries-old play utilizing this new bilingual podcast model. It’s preferrred for colleges the place Spanish is simply as prevalent as (or much more widespread than) English.
Exercise to strive: Ask college students to pick out a passage from the unique play and translate it into one other language. Reasonably than insisting on word-for-word translation, encourage them to rewrite the passage in a method that captures the rhythm and emotion of the unique.
Grownup Ish Youth Radio
Grownup ISH is a tradition, recommendation, and storytelling podcast produced totally by youths who’re virtually adults.
Exercise to strive: Have your college students choose a subject within the information immediately and write their very own podcast that shares their tackle the information.
Freakonomics Radio
A podcast created by the co-author of Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics, Stephen Dubner, invitations listeners to discover the hidden sides of all the things. And given his virtually 300 episodes on matters starting from Millionaires vs. Billionaires to How To Win a Nobel Prize, he’s nicely on his method to speaking about all the things.
Exercise to strive: Have college students choose an episode and discover the way it impacts their on a regular basis lives. These could be written or introduced to the category, permitting for dialogue and questions.
Welcome to Night time Vale
Tune in to the group radio of this desert city for the information on native climate, the mysterious lights overhead, bulletins from the Sheriff’s Secret Police, a canine park that prohibits canine, and dark-hooded figures with unknowable powers.
Exercise to strive: Problem college students with this immediate: You might have been employed by Night time Vale Neighborhood Radio to write down a phase. It could possibly be a continuation of a phase that already exists, like The Kids’s Enjoyable Reality Science Nook or Neighborhood Calendar, or a report of a wierd occurring within the city, informed in Cecil-fashion. These could possibly be carried out in entrance of the category, written, or put in podcast kind.
Stuff You Ought to Know
This podcast brings you the “ins and outs of on a regular basis issues,” from the “Pledge of Allegiance” to Mexican leaping beans to “Your Limb Is Torn Off (clearly for teenagers and older!).
Exercise to strive: Ask every scholar to provide a brief presentation on one thing they suppose all their classmates ought to learn about—no matter they discover fascinating!
Serial
Sarah Koenig tells one story week by week. The primary season covers the true story of Adnan Syed, convicted for the homicide of his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore. The issue: Adnan can not bear in mind what he was doing the day of the homicide. And as if that wasn’t dangerous sufficient, there’s somebody claiming that he helped Adnan disguise the physique.
Exercise to strive: Have college students discover a well-known crime in historical past and write a dialogue between themselves and the accused, having the accused inform their facet of the story. These tasks can be handed in, carried out in entrance of the category, or put into podcast format.
Radiolab
Radiolab is a present about curiosity the place sound illuminates concepts, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and human expertise.
Exercise to strive: Hearken to the episode Sight Unseen a few soldier’s final moments and the photographer who captured them. Divide the category in half, and have them put together after which conduct a debate on whether or not or not the photographer has the proper to publish the pictures.
Prison
Tales of people that’ve finished fallacious, been wronged, or gotten caught someplace within the center. Phoebe Choose explores matters from owls killing individuals to how one can faux your dying to the lifetime of a police canine.
Exercise to strive: Have college students choose an episode that pursuits them and do extra in-depth analysis on the subject, presenting their findings to the category.
Revisionist Historical past
Malcolm Gladwell, writer of Outliers and The Tipping Level, seems to be again by means of the ignored and misunderstood in historical past, reexamining the previous and asking whether or not we acquired it proper the primary time.
Exercise to strive: Hearken to the three-part sequence on school (season one, episodes 4-6), and have a category dialogue. Belief me, there will probably be lots to speak about.
This American Life
Every episode of This American Life facilities round a theme. Most are journalistic on the core, however some are comedic. This podcast is difficult to generalize, particularly after over 600 episodes. However the variety of episodes and the podcast’s large reputation ought to communicate for themselves.
Exercise to strive: Have college students take a theme from an episode and write their very own report or story surrounding that theme.
99% Invisible
99% Invisible is a story podcast hosted by Roman Mars about all of the thought that goes into the issues we don’t take into consideration—the unnoticed structure and design that form our world.
Exercise to strive: Ask college students to pay nearer consideration to the buildings and infrastructure of their city or metropolis. Have them make an inventory of issues that they had by no means observed earlier than.
Science Friday
Masking the outer reaches of area to the tiniest microbes in our our bodies, Science Friday shares information about science, know-how, and different cool stuff. Host Ira Flatow mixes it up by that includes individuals within the know and those that wish to be. The podcast regularly options listeners that decision in with their most riveting science questions. in case you’re on the lookout for science podcasts for teenagers in highschool, this can be a winner.
Exercise to strive: Select from a variety of matters akin to Racism and Psychological Well being, Privateness and Large Information, and Construction of Conspiracy Theories, and spark a dialogue.
Half-Time Genius
Will and Mango have plenty of questions. Will we ever dwell with out sleep? How do rats preserve outsmarting people? The place are the sunniest tax havens to cover your cash? Be part of these Half-Time Geniuses as they dive into ridiculous matters and uncover some fairly sensible stuff alongside the way in which.
Exercise to strive: Ask college students to give you an fascinating query. Then, as soon as their subject is accepted, have them share the reply with their classmates.
Let’s Be Actual With Sammy Jaye
This extremely acclaimed podcast delivers sincere and unfiltered conversations with celebrities, activists, athletes, and influencers specializing in real-life points—from psychological well being and political activism to popular culture and extra.
Exercise to strive: At 18, Sammy Jaye turned the youngest particular person to host her personal podcast on iHeartRadio. Have college students write a brief paper on whether or not they’d wish to have their very own podcast whereas reflecting on the challenges they may face.
What are your favourite podcasts for teenagers? Come share and ask for recommendation within the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Fb.
Plus, try The Large Checklist of Digital Writer Actions.
