Support notes for teachers
Key Stage 2: Around the world: make a podcast
The final page of these notes can be copied and given to students who you think
may need additional support during the session, or to adult helpers.
About this session
This session takes place in the Samsung Digital Discovery Centre. Students work in
groups to research objects from the Museum’s collection, which are all from the
same period in time, but from different countries. After they have researched the
objects, students script and record their own short podcast about them. The
podcasts are then sent back to school.
Session outline
• Students are split into 5 groups. Each group is given an object from the
Museum’s collection.
• The session begins by introducing the word ‘podcast’ to the students. They
then play a short listening game.
• Students are then set the task of researching and recording their own podcast.
They are given specific roles in their group (e.g. researcher, sound engineer),
and given some information to help them learn more about their object. They
must then write their own script for a short podcast. These include a news and
weather report, a sports report, a red carpet interview, a live action report and
an advertisement.
• It concludes by students performing and recording their finished podcast.
•
•
Key themes of the session are podcasting, research, objects from all around
the world but from the same time period,
Key vocabulary includes podcast, radio, Mexico, Olmec, Egypt, Nubia, ancient
Greece, Assyria, China, bronze, amphora, relief, sculpture, sound recording,
microphone, script
Preparing for your session
•
•
Locate Egypt, China, Greece, Assyria (Northern Iraq) and Mexico on both
ancient and modern maps.
Discuss podcasting with students, ask them what they think would make a
good podcast, and play them some examples. You may wish to use the British
Museum’s A History of the World in 100 Objects podcasts, which can be
downloaded here http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/ahow
Following up your session
•
•
Find out more about the specific objects used in the session on the British
Museum website www.britishmuseum.org
Edit the podcasts from the session further to create a radio show
Support notes for teachers
•
Use the website Voicethread http://voicethread.com/ to discuss other
objects from the British Museum
•
In Literacy, students could write their own longer scripts for radio
programmes.
Curriculum links
KS2 History – ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, Aztecs
Galleries with objects used in the session
Chinese Bronze Bell (Room 33)
Eastern Zhou period, China, about 6th – 5th century BC
This bell was originally from a set
Olmec Jade Votive Axe (Room 27)
Mexico, 1200-400 BC
A votive axed used in religious ceremonies, from the Olmec civilisation
Sphinx of Taharqo (Room 65)
From Temple T at Kawa, Sudan, about 680BC
Shows the face of the Kushite King Taharqo, who ruled
both Egypt and Kush
Assyrian Lion-Hunt frieze (Room 10a)
645 – 635BC from Nineveh, North Palace
Part of a larger frieze showing King Ashurbanipal hunting lions
Panathenaic Prize Amphora (Room 20)
c.400 BC, Athens, Greece
A trophy vase given to winners of the Panathenaic Games
This vase is not on display, but its two twin vases are. What
sports do they show?
Support notes for teachers
Ground and First Floor map
Third Floor map
Support notes for teachers
Key Stage 2: Around the world: make a podcast
Summary sheet
In this session you will learn about:
• objects from all over the world but from the same time period
• podcasts and how to record your own podcast
Key words
Podcast
Research
China
Mexico
Assyria
Nubia/Egypt
Greece
You will be put into five teams.
What is a podcast?
• First, we will talk about podcasts and listen to some examples.
• Then, we will play a short listening game.
Researching your podcast
• Your team will be given an object to find out about.
Writing your podcast
• Your team will write a podcast about your object.
Recording your podcast
• At the end of the session, everyone will record their podcast.