Recommendations for the History Classroom
One of the most popular episodes from season one was the Rosa Parks case. It investigates why Rosa Parks was chosen to be the face of the Montgomery Bus Boycott over Claudette Colvin, who was also arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus. If you haven’t listened to that episode, go back and have a listen. There are reflection questions in the show notes you can use with your classes and if you want to exercise the students’ analysis and evaluation skills, you can head on over the my Amped Up Learning store and buy a worksheet and PPT lesson that is tailored to the episode. You will also find a cover lesson worksheet bundle for all of the season one episodes, especially designed for those lessons when you are away for the classroom.
There are some amazing podcast episodes out there in all manner of topics related to our curriculum, but sometimes it is a tough slog wading through them all.
Today’s episode is designed to save you the work and is a practical list of 10 specific episodes that teachers can use in the classroom on various civil rights topics. There are a couple of honourable mentions thrown in for good measure.
Here is a link to a list of the podcast episodes that I mention today and at least 20 more episodes that you could use in your class. And you can download a PDF on How to Use podcasts in the classroom below.
Number 1
The first recommendation is episode 36 of the Aussie History Podcast called Peter Norman the Forgotten Hero. If you have ever seen that iconic photo from the 1968 Mexico Olympics of two black American sprinters standing on the podium doing the Black Power salute. There is also a third man in second place. This episode tells the story of Peter Norman, the Australian man in the photo and the price he paid for daring to support his fellow sprinters by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge during the medal ceremony. The episode is only 26 minutes long, so if perfect to listen individually or as a class and then have classroom discussions about the events.
Number 2
Number 2 is a podcast called Shooting the Past and the episode in question is called Zelda in Chains. This series looks at historical photos and drills down into the story behind them and every episode is fascinating. This particular episode focuses on a woman called Zelda D’Aprano who in a protest for equal pay, chained herself to the Commonwealth Building in Melbourne with a sign saying, “No more male and female rates, one rate only.” It also touches on the underrepresentation of women in statues, which makes an interesting topic for discussion.
Number 3
Number three is an episode of This American Life called The Problem We all Live with part one- this episode is deep in the back catalogue you may have to listen in your browser. The episode is 47 minutes long, so I recommend listening and selecting a shorter section to listen to and discuss. Quite a few years ago when I was teaching Civil Rights, I had some students hand in an assignment about Brown vs Board of Education saying how this was amazing and then school segregation was all fixed. Ever since then, I have played this episode to my classes and discussed the issues that are still happening in schools today. I realise the recent Nice White Parents series covers this topic, but I like this episode for students because it is told from the perspective of a teenager experiencing segregation in 2014 and the relationship between her and her mother is really touching.
Number 4
The fourth recommendation is from a Podcast called Speakola. The Speakola podcast and website look at great speeches throughout history. The episode in question is called The Unmasked Protestor ─ Brian Leung’s speech at the storming of Legislative Council, Hong Kong, July 2019. There are also a couple of other episodes that could be used: the Stan Grant debate speech on racism in Australia and another about the 5 speeches of Gandhi. These episodes are all quite long, so would suggest curating the sections you want to share with students.
Number 5
Number 5 is a Code Switch episode called Behind the Lies My Teacher Told Me. This episode is only 18 minutes long and is a wonderful stimulus for a debate on what exactly should be included in high school history textbooks.
Number 6
Number 6 is the second part of a double episode, by Stuff You Missed in History Class called Bayard Rustin and the Civil Rights Movement. This is really interesting because it blends both LGBTIQ and African American Civil Rights. There is also a great episode on the Australian Freedom Rides, which makes for an interesting comparison between the US and Australian civil rights movements.
Number 7
There is a new QLD senior modern history unit on the LGBTIQ civil rights movement, so the seventh episode comes from the Queer America: Teaching Tolerance podcast. The episode on the Lavender Scare is great, as it is Re-examining the 1960s part 1. Episodes tend to hover around the 40minute mark, so again you will need to curate.
Number 8
Number 8 is a Podcast called Backstory and this episode comes in a perfect 10minute little bite. It is called “Let Freedom Ring” from episode #075 “Fierce Urgency of Now”. It examines some of the Back story of Martin Luther King’s speech. I have always done a deep analysis of the I have a Dream speech in class, but this episode makes some excellent connections to the 100year anniversary of the Civil War and is an excellent lesson starter.
Number 9
The ninth episode I’d like to share from Versus History, number #12 – Suffragists & Suffragettes. I really like how this podcast takes the form of a historical debate. There are two historians, each takes a particular side on an issue and puts forth their case each supporting a historical argument, in this case who was more effective in the suffrage movement. This episode is roughly 30 minutes long.
Number 10
And finally, have you every listened to a podcast that completely shifts your thinking? This episode of Revisionist History did that for me. The episode in question is called, “Miss Buchannan’s Period of Adjustment.” It looks at the impact the Brown versus Board of education case had on black teachers. I cannot recommend this episode highly enough; it is such an important story.
Honourable Mentions
The final few honourable mentions are a couple of ABC Australia podcasts, firstly, the History Listen, and episode called Section 71: The Tasmanian Crime of Gay sex, Rear Vision- In the shadow of Terra Nullius. I have included all of these episodes in a link on the show notes. And Teaching Hard History is a great Professional Development for Teachers that I highly recommend!
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, there are many more episode that I did not include, and I am sure many more that I have not discovered yet.
This Kelly Chase, on the Case.