Current Event January 17, 2021
Listen to hear about a coffee shop barista who was generously rewarded for his efforts.
Vocabulary: shame, haul
Read MoreCurrent Event January 15, 2021
Breakdancing is the latest sport to be added to the Olympic games. Breaking is an athletic dance style incorporating acrobatics, dance moves, and freestyle footwork. It was first performed on New York City streets in the 1970s, typically to hip hop music. Some say becoming an Olympic sport could cause breaking to lose its character as it moves farther away from its urban roots. But it might also inspire a new generation of young breakers. Listen to hear a veteran breakdancer’s response and then debate: Should breakdancing become an Olympic sport?
Read MoreCurrent Event January 3, 2021
Culture Community Theater/Drama Fantasy/Magical Realism
Listen to hear about a wizard from New Zealand who is passing on his wand.
Vocabulary: successor, possess
Read MoreCurrent Event December 10, 2020
Culture Religion Ancient Middle East
Jelly donuts are traditionally eaten to celebrate the holiday of Hanukkah, but even many Jews are not sure why. The holiday began in ancient times, when a miracle was declared after a small amount of oil burned for eight days. Eating foods fried in oil, such as donuts, reminds Jews of the miracle. But why the jelly? Listen to hear the story behind jelly donuts and how they became a traditional Hanukkah food.
Read MoreELA
Race Culture Poetry Writing Process
Poet Joshua Bennett has published a poetry collection of odes titled Owed that celebrates people, places, and objects that he feels have not received the positive recognition they deserve. In this interview, he reflects on his experience as a Black teenager attending an elite private school. He explains how it influenced the subjects of his poetry. Bennett also shares how his perspective has changed about his writing process and his family. Listen to learn more about Owed and to hear Bennett read excerpts of his work.
Read MoreCurrent Event November 18, 2020
Culture Earth and Space Science Native Americans
After 100 years of searching, scientists in Washington state have detected gravitational waves, vibrations in space caused by the collision of black holes. The historic news was translated into dozens of languages so people around the world could share in the celebration, including Blackfoot, an endangered language spoken by a local indigenous tribe. Listen to learn why scientists decided to announce their discovery in a native language, hear how it sounds, and learn why the gesture held special meaning for the Blackfoot community.
Read MoreCurrent Event October 27, 2020
The American spiritualist movement was founded on the belief that people can communicate with the dead. It began in the mid-1800s and, at its height, had millions of followers. Many early spiritualists were women, and they often used their voices to support women’s rights. In this audio story, an author describes her trip to a spiritualist community in Maine and what led her there. Listen to learn more about the history of spiritualism, and hear what happened when the author participated in a seance.
Read MoreCurrent Event October 21, 2020
One of the best lacrosse teams in the world was left off the invitation list to the 2022 World Games. The Iroquois Nationals are considered the third best team worldwide. The Native American members of the team come from a generations-long tradition of playing lacrosse, a sport that originated with the Haudenosaunee people. When another team heard how the Nationals were snubbed, they took decisive action. Listen to learn why the Iroquois Nationals were excluded from play and how others responded to what they saw as an injustice.
Read MoreCurrent Event October 18, 2020
Listen to hear about a family trip to McDonald’s in a cardboard car.
Vocabulary: craving, embarrassed
Read MoreCurrent Event October 15, 2020
Wildfires are burning out of control in California and other western states. Recently, officials have turned to traditional Native American practices to help combat them. For thousands of years before being removed from the land, Native people applied controlled fire to a variety of plants. The technique boosts new growth and helps clear away dead matter that could fuel uncontrolled wildfires. Listen to learn how cultural burning was suppressed in America and why officials believe that bringing it back could help reduce or prevent future blazes.
Read MoreCurrent Event October 9, 2020
Technology Culture International
A judge recently blocked President Trump’s order to ban all U.S. downloads of the video sharing app TikTok, which is currently owned by a Chinese company. Trump views the app as a national security threat, saying that the data it collects from American users may be accessible to the Chinese government. Defenders of the app say no evidence exists that the Chinese government could access American TikTok data, which is housed in the U.S. Listen to learn more about the controversy surrounding TikTok and then debate: Should TikTok be banned in the U.S.?
Read MoreCurrent Event September 27, 2020
Listen to hear about a mac-and-cheese accident of enormous proportions.
Vocabulary: tragedy, fiasco, damaged
Read MoreCurrent Event September 13, 2020
Listen to hear about how a generous customer helped support a diner during the coronavirus pandemic.
Vocabulary: anonymous, gesture
Read MoreCurrent Event September 6, 2020
Listen to hear about a young skateboarder setting a world record for landing a 1080-degree spin on a vertical ramp.
Vocabulary: uninspired, rotation, opportunity
Read MoreCurrent Event August 26, 2020
Drive-in movie theaters are having a resurgence during the pandemic. The first drive-in was created by Richard Hollingshead in the 1930s and quickly gained popularity as an easy, inexpensive place to go for a night out. At one point, the country had over 4,000 outdoor movie theaters, although as new forms of entertainment arose, drive-ins declined. Listen to learn how the inventor’s mother helped launch the idea and what people found most appealing about watching movies from their cars.
Read MoreCurrent Event August 23, 2020
Listen to hear about how two teenagers created a grocery shopping program for the elderly.
Vocabulary: connect, volunteer, appreciation
Read MoreCurrent Event August 16, 2020
Listen to hear about how a shower curtain helped a man safely hug his grandma during the coronavirus pandemic.
Vocabulary: solution, transparent
Read MoreCurrent Event August 9, 2020
Culture International Community
Listen to hear about special shoes that can help people keep a healthy social distance from others.
Vocabulary: typical, benefit
Read MoreCurrent Event August 2, 2020
Listen to hear about the adorable roller coaster riders replacing human visitors during the pandemic.
Vocabulary: hurtle, historic
Read MoreCurrent Event July 19, 2020
Technology Culture International
Listen to hear about two astronauts in space playing chess with an expert on Earth.
Vocabulary: versus, draw, anniversary
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