“This American Life” is one of my absolute favorite radio programs. Hosted by Ira Flatow, each show is based on a theme. The productions are amazing, top quality collections of real-life stories that will make you laugh, gasp, and cry.
I just found out “This American Life” has a page of Educator Resources. You can look up shows by theme or school level. Educators from all over have contributed ways that they have connected different episodes to their curriculum, and there is a direct link to the episodes to which they refer.
If you’ve never listened to this show, I highly recommend you reward yourself with the “Squirrel Cop” episode on a day when you really need a laugh. You can see what Greg Carsten, a middle school teacher, has to say about a great way to use “Squirrel Cop” in class.
As always, please preview any episode before playing it for your class!
Do you know what Greg Carsten is talking about when he mentions comprehension questions for the episode? Are there places to find these comprehension questions, or did he create them?
I am guessing that he made his own comprehension questions as I don’t think I’ve seen any available online.