Are podcasts part of your lessons? There is an amazing Cult of Pedagogy blog post that shares how valuable they are for young people of all ages!
After reading that article, I’m sold for three reasons: listening comprehension, relevant information, and brain development. (Maybe I should have led with brain development?)
So, if you are looking for podcasts for your middle school students, our Alice Keeler Teacher Tech Community had a great conversation and shared their favorites with us.
Mars Patel
From their website , “The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel is a scripted podcast for middle grade kids, performed by middle grade kids. It is a fun, high-quality, serial mystery that can be described as Goonies meets Spy Kids meets Stranger Things for 8-12 year olds.” This podcast would be great for language arts, theater arts, and homeroom classes!
Smologies by Alie Ward
Looking for a humorous way to engage your students in science? A couple of teachers shared Smologies and described it as the “PG rated version” of Ologies, a podcast by Alie Ward. This podcast would be a great fit for science, math, social studies, language arts, and homeroom classes. If you want to share the Ologies version, definitely listen beforehand as it is intended for adult audiences.
Stuff You Missed in History Class
Stuff You Missed in History Class podcast looks Uh-Mazing! I’m ready to dig in with my kids already as a history buff! This right here is how we share the joy of learning with our students! Heck, share these podcasts with your students’ parents. I bet they’d love to listen in with their kiddos, and wouldn’t it be great if we could encourage more conversations about learning at home?
Smash Boom Best
There are just so many benefits for using Smash Boom Best podcast! Maybe you are teaching debate as a class? Whether you are trying to help your students become stronger writers, or just want to have some fun, this one is valuable in our classes! This is also a family-friendly podcast you can share with your parents as well.
Six Minutes Podcasts
Six Mintues Podcasts just screams FUN! Make this your Monday and Friday class cliffhangers for your last period. Teach Math? Teach any subject? It fits! Great! You can use it to end your classes as a fun way to decompress and keep the kids interested in coming back.
Podcasts for the Win
I’m sold on listening to podcasts with my students. I’m so grateful for the educators in our Teacher Tech Community on Facebook who are always sharing great resources, such as these. You are invited to join us, too.
Disclaimer: even though these are all geared towards our middle schoolers, it’s up to us to make sure they are appropriate within our own district guidelines.
About The Author
Melody McAllister is a wife, mother of five, educator, and author. She and her family relocated to Alaska from the Dallas area in 2019. McAllister is 2017 Garland NAACP Educator of the Year and author of the I’m Sorry Story. She is also the Logistics Manager for EduMatch Publishing and Alice Keeler, LLC. McAllister has spoken at ISTE and ASTE about equity issues in education, and writes about her journey in her blog, HeGaveMeAMelody.com. If you would like to schedule an author read with your class, please contact her on Twitter or email her at melody@mjmcalliwrites.com.
Join Melody’s BookChat every Wednesday at 8pm EST at YouTube.com/melodymcallister
