Grade 7: Podcasting for a Purpose
In Grade 7 history, students have been learning about how a bill becomes a law. To do this, Grade 7 History Teacher Mr. Jeff Wolkoff split his students into several “subcommittees” to discuss what “laws” they would like to see passed at Graland. Upon agreeing on a topic, the students were asked to create a podcast with their group, explaining their proposed law and their reasoning behind it. In addition, students were tasked with finding experts on the topic around campus and interviewing them as podcast guests.
Before getting started, Mr. Wolkoff coordinated a time for his seventh graders to hear from professional podcaster Max Branstetter, the host of Wild Business Growth Podcast. Max has produced over 220 episodes where he interviews entrepreneurs on the creative and unusual ways they grew their businesses. During this meeting, students got to ask Max questions they prepared, such as: “What is the best way to start a podcast?”, “How do you recommend transitioning between subjects?”, “What kind of music do you recommend using?”, “What is the best way to grab viewers’ attention?”, and “How long does the editing process take?” In addition, Max offered expert tips, such as the ideal length for episodes, how to engage your audience, and the importance of being yourself.
After their meeting with Max, the students got to work writing scripts and crafting professional emails to their podcast guests. After recording their segments, students shared their work on topics such as preventing tests on Mondays, bringing football back to Graland, and the dress code. Stay tuned to see if any of the seventh graders’ proposed bills are brought to the “Graland Senate!”
Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
