Epic Learning Podcast

In the land once called Persia, you wouldn't want to go through the forest – but Merchant Ali has no choice. Let your children find out what happens to him in our version of this famous Grecian-Arabian tale!

"Merchant Ali and the 40 Brigands" was adapted by Chip Colquhoun, and is performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

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, a retired primary teacher and subsequent actor and author. Together they discuss the curriculum links within the hilarious Russian folk tale, "Fish in the Forest". Discover how to motivate your children to get past "blank page" fear in literacy, explore jobs, get fit through dance... and much more!

00:00 | Special announcement + introductions

03:02 | "Fish in the Forest" excerpt

04:54 | PSHCE, morals, and safeguarding (all ages)

11:54 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Numeracy, Science, and DT – shapes, materials, nets (11:54)
• DT – food (13:41)
• History, PE, and Core Skills – archaeology (15:18)
• PSHCE – jobs (16:39)
• Core Skills and multi-subject learning – role play, "Mantle of the Expert" (17:13); open-ended thinking, resilience, adaptability (24:47)
• Art, Geography, and Core Skills – open-ended thinking, surrealism, maps (19:34)
• Numeracy and Science – designing experiments, time vocabulary (21:42)
• Literacy – changing and retelling stories (23:24)
• PE – movement, dance (24:16)

26:06 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
• Core Skills – critical thinking (26:06); researching (27:31); engagement, "Mantle of the Expert" (39:05)
• History, PSHCE – changes in value (30:21)
• Literacy, PSHCE – viewpoint poems (32:15)
• Literacy and Art – avoiding "blank page" fear (34:35)
• Numeracy – planning, measurements, estimation, area, pricing (37:36)
• PSHCE – wisdom, fairness, coping with change (41:02)

42:48 | All Age curriculum links
• Core Skills – engagement, treasure & excavations (inc. indoors!), categorisation, motor skills (42:48)
• Numeracy and DT – food & farming (46:50)

48:36 | "Au revoir Janina"

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

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, a retired primary teacher and subsequent actor and author. Together they discuss the curriculum links within the hilarious Russian folk tale, "Fish in the Forest". Discover how to motivate your children to get past "blank page" fear in literacy, explore jobs, get fit through dance... and much more!

00:00 | Special announcement + introductions

03:02 | "Fish in the Forest" excerpt

04:54 | PSHCE, morals, and safeguarding (all ages)

11:54 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Numeracy, Science, and DT – shapes, materials, nets (11:54)
• DT – food (13:41)
• History, PE, and Core Skills – archaeology (15:18)
• PSHCE – jobs (16:39)
• Core Skills and multi-subject learning – role play, "Mantle of the Expert" (17:13); open-ended thinking, resilience, adaptability (24:47)
• Art, Geography, and Core Skills – open-ended thinking, surrealism, maps (19:34)
• Numeracy and Science – designing experiments, time vocabulary (21:42)
• Literacy – changing and retelling stories (23:24)
• PE – movement, dance (24:16)

26:06 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
• Core Skills – critical thinking (26:06); researching (27:31); engagement, "Mantle of the Expert" (39:05)
• History, PSHCE – changes in value (30:21)
• Literacy, PSHCE – viewpoint poems (32:15)
• Literacy and Art – avoiding "blank page" fear (34:35)
• Numeracy – planning, measurements, estimation, area, pricing (37:36)
• PSHCE – wisdom, fairness, coping with change (41:02)

42:48 | All Age curriculum links
• Core Skills – engagement, treasure & excavations (inc. indoors!), categorisation, motor skills (42:48)
• Numeracy and DT – food & farming (46:50)

48:36 | "Au revoir Janina"

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.

What's the best way to keep an incredible secret? How about turning it into an impossible one?! Let your children find out how in this tummy-tickling Russian folk tale.

"Fish in the Forest" was adapted from a Russian folk tale by Janina Vigurs, and is performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

Illustrated by Erica Terry-Rose.

For easy and fun 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.  

What's the best way to keep an incredible secret? How about turning it into an impossible one?! Let your children find out how in this tummy-tickling Russian folk tale.

"Fish in the Forest" was adapted from a Russian folk tale by Janina Vigurs, and is performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

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

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 storyteller Chip is joined by Epic voice artist Erika Sanderson (also an Epic mum!) as well as 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 classic folk comedy, "Muddled Jack". Discover how to get your children motivated to write, get fit, explore biology... and much more!

00:00 | Introductions

02:02 | "Muddled Jack" excerpt

04:02 | PSHCE and morals (all ages)

11:42 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Science – farming, animals (11:42); where food comes from (25:36)
• Core skills – general motor skills (13:09); open-ended problem solving (13:58); motivating to learn (14:53)
• Literacy – writing instructions (18:36); helping struggling writers (19:40); benefits of staggering a story (20:57)
• Numeracy – capacity (21:36); money (22:40)
• DT / Geography – identifying human and natural features on maps (26:39)

29:03 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
• Core skills – thinking skills (29:03); independent learning/revision (32:49)
• Science – solids, liquids, gases / setting up investigations (36:15); identifying physical displays of sensations & emotions (40:43)
• History & Geography – changes between time and place (36:46)
• Numeracy – weight and length (38:55); circles, perimeters, area (44:27)

45:02 | All-age curriculum links
• PE (45:02)
• Science / PSHCE – physical feelings (47:17)
• Core skills – laughter yoga / benefits of laughter (47:58)
• PSHCE – trust (49:03); responsibility (50:13)
• Literacy – non-fiction writing (52:38)

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

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 storyteller Chip is joined by Epic voice artist Erika Sanderson (also an Epic mum!) as well as 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 classic folk comedy, "Muddled Jack". Discover how to get your children motivated to write, get fit, explore biology... and much more!

00:00 | Introductions

02:02 | "Muddled Jack" excerpt

04:02 | PSHCE and morals (all ages)

11:42 | Curriculum links for ages 4 to 7
• Science – farming, animals (11:42); where food comes from (25:36)
• Core skills – general motor skills (13:09); open-ended problem solving (13:58); motivating to learn (14:53)
• Literacy – writing instructions (18:36); helping struggling writers (19:40); benefits of staggering a story (20:57)
• Numeracy – capacity (21:36); money (22:40)
• DT / Geography – identifying human and natural features on maps (26:39)

29:03 | Curriculum links for ages 7 to 11
• Core skills – thinking skills (29:03); independent learning/revision (32:49)
• Science – solids, liquids, gases / setting up investigations (36:15); identifying physical displays of sensations & emotions (40:43)
• History & Geography – changes between time and place (36:46)
• Numeracy – weight and length (38:55); circles, perimeters, area (44:27)

45:02 | All-age curriculum links
• PE (45:02)
• Science / PSHCE – physical feelings (47:17)
• Core skills – laughter yoga / benefits of laughter (47:58)
• PSHCE – trust (49:03); responsibility (50:13)
• Literacy – non-fiction writing (52:38)

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. 

When Jack gets his first job, everything is going perfectly – until he's given a silver coin. So begins a string of disasters – but how will they end? Find out in this fun adaptation of a traditional tale brought to us by Aberdonian storyteller Pauline Cordiner!

"Muddled Jack" was adapted from a traditional folk tale by Pauline Cordiner and Chip Colquhoun, and is performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

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.  

When Jack gets his first job, everything is going perfectly – until he's given a silver coin. So begins a string of disasters – but how will they end? Find out in this fun adaptation of a traditional tale brought to us by Aberdonian storyteller Pauline Cordiner!

"Muddled Jack" was adapted from a traditional folk tale by Pauline Cordiner and Chip Colquhoun, and is performed by Erika Sanderson (erikasanderson.com).

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 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)

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.