Rye Middle School students have been creating and producing podcasts as a culminating interdisciplinary project in their classes. Drawing from topics studied throughout the school year, the students selected a post-World War II event, connected it to a current event and traced its history over time.
As part of their 6-to-10-minute podcasts, the students incorporated an interview with an expert to deepen their research. Working in collaborative teams, the students developed podcast topics, designed cover art and titles, conducted research using school databases and recorded and edited their podcasts on WeVideo. The topics included artificial intelligence, social media and propaganda, and global affairs.
“This project is incredibly rewarding for both the students and the teaching team – it’s a beautiful way to wrap up the year,” said teacher Francesca Miller, who launched the project at the middle school six years ago as a way of creating a meaningful, authentic, end-of-year project that showcased the students’ critical-thinking skills. “It highlights their ability to craft an original thesis, conduct independent research, interview an expert and produce a creative podcast that reflects their personality. For us, the best part is watching the students take complete ownership of their work.”
The concept was inspired by one of Miller’s favorite NPR podcasts, “Throughline,” which highlights a current event and traces its historical roots.
“The project is highly structured yet gives students the freedom to choose topics that genuinely matter to them,” Miller said. “Each group focuses on three main sections of research, exploring how two specific historical events help us understand a modern issue. Students discover firsthand how past events actively shape our world today.”
One group explored the Department of Education and the current debate over its future. Their research connected current news to historical developments, including the Native American boarding school movement, the creation of Head Start and the department’s establishment in 1980. The students also interviewed Jane Anderson to gain additional insight. Another group explored polarized news media, tracing it from 1890s yellow journalism to 1960s broadcasting, up to today’s networks. Other students interviewed a former NASA astronaut and Congressman George Latimer.
Miller said the experience helped transform abstract historical concepts into tangible tools the students can use to decode the nightly news.
“Ultimately, we want students to walk away with strong time management, collaboration and independent research skills,” Miller said. “Every structural piece we put in place throughout the school year was designed to set them up for success with this project and their future learning at Rye High School. On a broader note, we hope they realize that modern world events do not happen in a vacuum. Everything stems from the past, and the complexities and frictions we see today are deeply rooted in history.”