Homeschool History

Join Greg Jenner for a fun Homeschool History lesson on the life of Mary Seacole. Follow her adventures as she travels the world in her ambition to always care for others.

From life as the daughter of a hotelier in Jamaica to owner of the famous British Hotel in Crimea, where she volunteered to set up a business caring for injured soldiers, earning her the name Mother Seacole.

The Athletic production for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner for a fun Homeschool History lesson on life in Roman Pompeii, as we share what archeologists have discovered from the town that was frozen in time 2000 years ago.

How did they brush their teeth? What was the name of the local pub? And just how do we know so much about what they ate?

Historical Consultant: Professor Mary Beard.

An Athletic production for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner for a fun homeschool history lesson on the life of palaeontologist Mary Anning.

Due to her gender and social standing, Mary’s vast contributions to palaeontology were often overlooked by the science community during her lifetime. She has since been voted one of the most influential women in the history of science.

Historical Consultant: Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes

An Athletic production for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner for a fun history lesson on the medieval Scottish Wars of Independence. Why couldn’t England and Scotland get along? Why should you never battle on a bridge? And what on Earth does a spider have to do with anything?

Historical Consultant: Dr Iain MacInnes

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner for a fun homeschool history lesson exploring the many Gods and belief systems of Ancient Egypt. In a world of hippo-crocs and party cows (yes really!) discover how the path to the after-life was determined by the goodness of your heart and how mummification was really all about transformation and not preservation.

Join Greg Jenner in 16th century England to meet the bard himself, one of England's greatest writers, William Shakespeare.

How did he go from the son of a glove maker in Stratford Upon Avon to a famed theatre owner, actor and writer in London? What was life really like in a Shakespearean theatre? And which Disney film was influenced by his work hundreds of years later?

Produced by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner in 15th-century Italy to meet Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most influential artists to ever live.

While Leonardo is renowned for creating the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the world, he was also a fantastic inventor and dreamed up all kinds of marvellous creations that wouldn’t become reality for another 500 years.

Script: Gabby Hutchinson Crouch, Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner

Produced by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner in 17th-century London as an out of control fire razes much of the city to the ground. Why did it spread so quickly? Why wasn't it extinguished immediately? And why didn't anyone make the most of the opportunity to build a better London?

The Historical Consultant for this episode was Rebecca Rideal.

A production by The Athletic for BBC Radio 4

Join host Greg Jenner and travel back over 2,000 years to meet the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi. Learn all about the discovery of his world famous Terracotta Army, the fierce lengths he went to in order to unify China and why he was so fixated on discovering the secret to eternal life.

Presented by Greg Jenner

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4

Join Greg Jenner in Ancient Egypt to meet the famous Queen Cleopatra. Learn all about her remarkable reign, the reason she was prevented from ruling alone, and why she once had to make an entrance wrapped in a duvet.

Presented by Greg Jenner

A Muddy Knees Media production for BBC Radio 4