I love a good podcast! From hearing stories about how people live around to world, to addressing questions you never knew you had, to diving deeper into current events, the possibilities with podcasts in the classroom are truly endless. Last year I came across Wow in the World, a podcast for kids from the folks at NPR.
With short, engaging episodes, this podcast – with dozens of episodes to jump into – is a fantastic choice for students. I featured it as one of the kid-friendly podcasts on this list, and I’m excited to share more details about this terrific podcast for kids.
Podcast for Kids
Wow in the World tackles topics and questions related to a range of topics. The hosts Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas wonder aloud as they think about a wide array of issues and phenomenon in different corners of the world. From exploring why onions make people cry to why flamingos are pink in color, the topic of each podcast may vary, but it’s all under the umbrella of wondering about our amazing world.
You don’t have to listen to the podcast episodes in a particular order which makes it easy to dive into the list right away. You can scroll through the episode list to search for a topic related to student interest or an idea you’d like to explore with your class. If you know a student in your class has a specific interest in a particular topic – like they are always choosing books about worms or slugs – you might recommend a specific episode to a student or their family to explore.
In the classroom, the Wow in the World might connect to areas students are super interested in learning more about with this podcast for kids, you might decide to choose an episode to explore that connects to a specific topic you will investigate in your classroom. One example I love is the 3D printing episode. It provides background information on how 3D printing is different than traditional paper printing and provides context for how 3D printing is used in various industries. In addition to spotlighting the power of 3D printing in medicine, students will learn about the implications 3D printing has for creating products in outer space.
