6 Minute Podcast Stories

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As I have mentioned in a few recent posts, like this one and this one, I am leaving my role as an Instructional Coach and returning to the classroom. I'm really excited about this prospect and I'm already organizing activities, lessons and flexible long range plans. Well, as much preparation as I can given that I don't know what grade I will finally land for September. 

The other day I spotted something promising in a post by Grade 5 teacher Tony Vincent. If you don't follow him, you should rectify that promptly by clicking this link to his page. He is an incredibly generous resource for lesson ideas, assessment strategies and easy-to-follow tech tips.

Tony posted a link to the website bestrobotever.com and a podcast called Six Minutes. It is, as you've likely guessed, a repository for a full series of six minute long podcasts. He got me intrigued with the caption ... "Six Minutes is an addicting podcast drama - my 5th graders are obsessed."

I am not sure if I am going to be teaching Grade 5 but, this seemed like the kind of things that had some range...maybe Grade 4-8? 

While driving between schools, I checked it out.

The podcast is presented like a radio play from the 40's, in the Golden Age of Radio. Live broadcasts of Dragnet or The Adventures of Superman had audiences entranced or, in the case of The War of the Worlds, in a literal state of hysteria. 

This iteration has the benefit of advances in multi-track, production technology; but, it still relies heavily on the convincing performances of its skilled cast of actors.

Episode 1 begins with the opening to a ominious and etheral melody that sounds vaguely similar to Gimme Shelter by The Stones. Layered on top is a narrator's ominous prologue

There are kids in this world who are different. Special. They look like us and they act like us. But they are not us...and one of them is missing.

We are introduced to the Anders family who are on a whale watching trip in Alaska. We learn, through dialogue, that the mother, Monica, is a doctor while the father is involved with the military in some mysterious, but clearly important, capacity.  

Their youngest child, a girl named Birdy, falls into the ocean and, after being pulled aboard, reports that there is another girl in the water. Her brother Cyrus dives in and rescues her...clinging to life she gains consciousness long enough to reveal that she remembers nothing...except her name...Holiday. 

It is the kind of story that is sure to hook young listeners. By episode two, more is revealed (often in subtle clues that only keen ears will detect). It ends on a cliffhanger that I am certain will have students, as Vincent put it, "obsessed".

I immediately contacted a Grade 5 teacher at a schools I support. She agreed to let me try out a few episodes with her students to gauge their interest and build some connections to her balanced literacy program. Hopefully, I will post those results and some lesson ideas soon.