Epic Learning Podcast

Persephone has a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a queen! It's just a shame her mother isn't around to see it. And since her mother is the bringing of rain, Persephone's decision to leave could cause a disaster for the world...

"The Dance of Persephone" was adapted from the Ancient Greek myth by Janina Vigurs, and performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

Illustration by Heather Rose.

For easy, fun, and engaging ways to link this story to the UK National Curriculum, make sure you also listen to our Epic Learning podcast. Further storytelling and learning resources – including videos and creative challenges for your children – can be found at epictales.co.uk

After you've listened to this podcast, please leave us a review – we'd love to know what you think!

This audio is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 Licence. 

Persephone has a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a queen! It's just a shame her mother isn't around to see it. And since her mother is the bringing of rain, Persephone's decision to leave could cause a disaster for the world...

"The Dance of Persephone" was adapted from the Ancient Greek myth by Janina Vigurs, and performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

After you've listened to this podcast, please leave us a review—we'd love to know what you think!

Illustration by Heather Zeta Rose.

For easy and fun ways to link this story to a wide variety of learning outcomes including science and numeracy, make sure you also listen to our Epic Learning podcast. Further storytelling and learning resources—including storytelling videos and creative challenges for your children—can be found at epictales.co.uk

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Janina Vigurs 2021. Illustration copyright © Heather Zeta Rose 2021.

Epic Learning has had one mahoosive facelift! Search your podcast player for "Happily Ever Teaching", where you can now hear subject-specific off-the-shelf lesson plans 4 days a week every week! Get there before the Epic Learning Podcast disappears... Search for "Happily Ever Teaching" or visit epictales.co.uk/teachhappily

Join Epic storytellers and creative teachers as they discuss how to draw out curriculum links from this week's Epic Storytime podcast with easy, fun, and engaging activities.

This week, Epic storytellers Chip and Janina (also an Epic mum!) are joined by Helen, an EYFS and KS1 teacher from Milton Keynes, and Laura, an international English teacher who specialises in KS2. Together they discuss the curriculum links within the etiological Greek myth, "The Dance of Persephone". Discover how to get your children excited about exploring the history of Greece, household duties, gratitude... and much more!

00:00 | Introductions

01:56 | "The Dance of Persephone" excerpt

03:50 | PSHCE and morals (all ages)

13:12 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
...PSHCE – Responsibility (13:35); Science – Seasons (18:00); DT – Food, motor skills (18:53); Literacy – Vocabulary building (21:29); PE & History – Olympic Games (23:28)

24:40 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
...Numeracy – architecture and agriculture (25:00); PSHCE: Online safety – (30:50); PSHCE – Mindfulness and gratitude (32:57)

35:31 | All-age curriculum links
...Music (35:31); Cookery (38:09)

We'd love to hear how you get on with these ideas! Please leave us a review with your favourite podcast app, find us on social media @EpicTalesST, or email [email protected]

Have a learning outcome you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Email [email protected]

Stained glass illustration: Dave Hingley.

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Janina Vigurs 2021. Illustration copyright © Dave Hingley 2021.

Epic Learning has had one mahoosive facelift! Search your podcast player for "Happily Ever Teaching", where you can now hear subject-specific off-the-shelf lesson plans 4 days a week every week! Get there before the Epic Learning Podcast disappears... Search for "Happily Ever Teaching" or visit epictales.co.uk/teachhappily

 Can you believe there was once a time when there were no stories in this world? Anansi the spider was the first to ask the Sky God Nyambe to share them with the world – but could he alone rise up to the challenges set to him?

"Anansi's Quest of Quests" was adapted from an African Ashanti folk tale by Chip Colquhoun, and performed by David Ault (davidault.co.uk).

Illustrated by Erica Terry-Rose.

After you've listened to this podcast, please leave us a review—we'd love to know what you think!

For easy and fun ways to link this story to a wide variety of learning outcomes including science and numeracy, make sure you also listen to our Epic Learning podcast. Further storytelling and learning resources—including storytelling videos and creative challenges for your children—can be found at epictales.co.uk

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Chip Colquhoun 2021. Illustration copyright © Erica Terry-Rose 2021.

Epic Learning has had one mahoosive facelift! Search your podcast player for "Happily Ever Teaching", where you can now hear subject-specific off-the-shelf lesson plans 4 days a week every week! Get there before the Epic Learning Podcast disappears... Search for "Happily Ever Teaching" or visit epictales.co.uk/teachhappily

Join Epic storytellers and creative teachers as they discuss how to draw out curriculum links from this week's Epic Storytime podcast with easy, fun, and engaging activities.

This week, Epic storytellers Chip and Janina (also an Epic mum!) are joined by Helen, an EYFS and KS1 teacher from Milton Keynes, and Jane Bower, an actor, author, and former teacher for both KS1 and KS2. Together they discuss the curriculum links within the tricksie tale of "Anansi's Quest of Quests". Discover how to get your children excited about exploring the mechanics of pivots, the structure of stories, the animals of Africa... and much more!

*EPIC NOTICE*
We're proud to have produced these podcasts completely free for the benefit of schools and homelearning families since the start of the first UK lockdown. However, like many businesses, Epic is now struggling to survive this pandemic.

Can you help by sending us just £20? We only need to raise £200 to continue these podcasts in the New Year. If you find them of value, please consider donating via pod.fan/epictales

If you can't help financially, we'll still be enormously grateful if you could support us with a review on your favourite podcast app – or on your favourite social media site, tagging us in with @EpicTalesST

00:00 | Introductions

01:21 | "Anansi's Quest of Quests" excerpt

02:57 | Story structure (all ages)

08:22 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Science – animals (08:37)
• History (11:00)
• Art / Geography – maps and journeys (13:18)
• Literacy – sequencing and story structure (14:55); similes and metaphors (16:40); sounds and phonics (21:18)
• Numeracy – capacity and estimation (22:35), mathematical language (25:56)
• DT – catapults (24:00)

26:24 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
• DT / Science – forces, pivots, and levers (26:25); designing experiments (29:40)
• Literacy – fantasy and reality boundaries (31:53)
• Core skills – "Mantle of the Expert" (34:20); self-criticism (36:00)
• Numeracy – estimation and quantifying (38:07)
• Geography – maps (39:25); cultural heritage (42:00)
• PSHCE – deserving and earning (40:25)

48:20 | All-age curriculum links
• Core skills – play and imagination (50:30); problem solving (53:50)

If you enjoy this podcast, please do leave us a review – we'd love to know your thoughts!

Find more storytelling resources at epictales.co.uk, including videos and Creative Challenges for your children.

This audio is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 Licence.

 Can you believe there was once a time when there were no stories in this world? Anansi the spider was the first to ask the Sky God Nyambe to share them with the world – but could he alone rise up to the challenges set to him?

"Anansi's Quest of Quests" was adapted from an African Ashanti folk tale by Chip Colquhoun, and performed by David Ault (davidault.co.uk).

Illustrated by Erica Terry-Rose.

For easy, fun, and engaging ways to link this story to the UK National Curriculum, make sure you also listen to our Epic Learning podcast. Further storytelling and learning resources – including videos and creative challenges for your children – can be found at epictales.co.uk

After you've listened to this podcast, please leave us a review – we'd love to know what you think!

This audio is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 4.0 Licence. 

Join Epic storytellers and creative teachers as they discuss how to draw out curriculum links from this week's Epic Storytime podcast with easy, fun, and engaging activities.

This week, Epic storytellers Chip and Janina (also an Epic mum!) are joined by Helen, an EYFS and KS1 teacher from Milton Keynes, and Jane Bower, an actor, author, and former teacher for both KS1 and KS2. Together they discuss the curriculum links within the tricksie tale of "Anansi's Quest of Quests". Discover how to get your children excited about exploring the mechanics of pivots, the structure of stories, the animals of Africa... and much more!

00:00 | Introductions

01:21 | "Anansi's Quest of Quests" excerpt

02:57 | Story structure (all ages)

08:22 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Science – animals (08:37)
• History (11:00)
• Art / Geography – maps and journeys (13:18)
• Literacy – sequencing and story structure (14:55); similes and metaphors (16:40); sounds and phonics (21:18)
• Numeracy – capacity and estimation (22:35), mathematical language (25:56)
• DT – catapults (24:00)

26:24 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
• DT / Science – forces, pivots, and levers (26:25); designing experiments (29:40)
• Literacy – fantasy and reality boundaries (31:53)
• Core skills – "Mantle of the Expert" (34:20); self-criticism (36:00)
• Numeracy – estimation and quantifying (38:07)
• Geography – maps (39:25); cultural heritage (42:00)
• PSHCE – deserving and earning (40:25)

48:20 | All-age curriculum links
• Core skills – play and imagination (50:30); problem solving (53:50)

We'd love to hear how you get on with these ideas! Please leave us a review with your favourite podcast app, find us on social media @EpicTalesST, or email [email protected]

Have a learning outcome you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Email [email protected]

Stained glass illustration: Dave Hingley.

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Chip Colquhoun 2021. Illustration copyright © Dave Hingley 2021.

Epic Learning has had one mahoosive facelift! Search your podcast player for "Happily Ever Teaching", where you can now hear subject-specific off-the-shelf lesson plans 4 days a week every week! Get there before the Epic Learning Podcast disappears... Search for "Happily Ever Teaching" or visit epictales.co.uk/teachhappily

 Grace loves playing aboard her father's pirate ship with her best friend Donal. But when the entire ship succumbs to a deathly cough, what will save the day? The Mermaid Queen's healing water? Her instructions? Or Grace's quick thinking...?

"Pirate Grace and the Mermaid Medicine" was adapted by Janina Vigurs and performed by David Ault (davidault.co.uk).

Illustrated by Erica Terry-Rose.

After you've listened to this podcast, please leave us a review—we'd love to know what you think!

For easy and fun ways to link this story to a wide variety of learning outcomes including science and numeracy, make sure you also listen to our Epic Learning podcast. Further storytelling and learning resources—including storytelling videos and creative challenges for your children—can be found at epictales.co.uk

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Janina Vigurs 2021. Illustration copyright © Erica Terry-Rose 2021.

Epic Learning has had one mahoosive facelift! Search your podcast player for "Happily Ever Teaching", where you can now hear subject-specific off-the-shelf lesson plans 4 days a week every week! Get there before the Epic Learning Podcast disappears... Search for "Happily Ever Teaching" or visit epictales.co.uk/teachhappily

 Grace loves playing aboard her father's pirate ship with her best friend Donal. But when the entire ship succumbs to a deathly cough, what will save the day? The Mermaid Queen's healing water? Her instructions? Or Grace's quick thinking...?

"Pirate Grace and the Mermaid Medicine" was adapted by Janina Vigurs and performed by David Ault (davidault.co.uk).

Illustrated by Erica Terry-Rose.

After you've listened to this podcast, please leave us a review—we'd love to know what you think!

For easy and fun ways to link this story to a wide variety of learning outcomes including science and numeracy, make sure you also listen to our Epic Learning podcast. Further storytelling and learning resources—including storytelling videos and creative challenges for your children—can be found at epictales.co.uk

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Janina Vigurs 2021. Illustration copyright © Erica Terry-Rose 2021.

Join Epic storytellers and creative teachers as they discuss how to draw out curriculum links from this week's Epic Storytime podcast with easy, fun, and engaging activities.

This week, Epic storytellers Chip and Janina (also an Epic mum!) are joined by Helen, an EYFS and KS1 teacher from Milton Keynes, and Laura, an international English teacher currently based in Lanzarote who specialises in KS2, to discuss the curriculum links within the swashbuckling tale of "Pirate Grace and the Mermaid Medicine". Discover how to explore the science of displacement, PSHCE themes of hygiene and authority, even PE... and much more!

00:00 | Introductions

01:30 | "Pirate Grace" excerpt

03:30 | PSHCE and morals (all ages)

09:47 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Numeracy – doubling, halving (09:46); capacity (12:00)
• Science – slime and non-Newtonian fluids (14:00); floating, sinking, and designing experiments (23:25)
• Core skills – value of imaginative play (26:45)
• Geography – understanding of the world, maps (20:10)
• Art (21:44)

25:46 | Curriculum links for KS2
• Numeracy –  units of measurement, estimation (25:46)
• Core skills – resilience (30:20); learning through play (34:45)
• PSHCE – power and rules (31:28); safe and unsafe drugs (50:50)
• Literacy – persuasive writing (41:30)
• Science – predictions (42:55); germs (49:45)
• Geography – oceans and pollution (44:30)
• History – boats and real pirates (46:35)

51:58 | All-age curriculum links
• DT – boat-building (52:10)
• PSHCE – leadership (53:45)
• PE (54:00)
• Music – sea shanties (55:10)

We'd love to hear how you get on with these ideas! Please leave us a review with your favourite podcast app, find us on social media @EpicTalesST, or email [email protected]

Have a learning outcome you'd like us to cover in a future episode? Email [email protected]

Stained glass illustration: Dave Hingley.

This recording copyright © Epic Tales 2021. Story copyright © Janina Vigurs 2021. Illustration copyright © Dave Hingley 2021.

Epic Learning has had one mahoosive facelift! Search your podcast player for "Happily Ever Teaching", where you can now hear subject-specific off-the-shelf lesson plans 4 days a week every week! Get there before the Epic Learning Podcast disappears... Search for "Happily Ever Teaching" or visit epictales.co.uk/teachhappily