What do the Montauk lighthouse, a school mural, a trampoline accident, a forced migration, and the Quartering Act of 1765 have in common? These are the subjects of winning podcasts submitted by fourth graders to NPR's Student Podcast Challenge.
For the last six years, our contest has brought the voices of fifth through 12th graders to the airwaves. And every year, we'd get emails from teachers asking, "what about fourth graders?" We decided to give it a try this year, but honestly, we weren't sure if podcasting would be too hard for 9- and 10-year-olds. Boy were we wrong!
NPR received entries from students all around the country. Fourth graders explained poltergeists, offered insights about cuttlefish, unpacked the origins of Hello Kitty, debated gas vs. electric cars, and made impassioned arguments for why every kid should have their own bedroom.
Our judges picked their five favorites. In alphabetical order, here are the fourth grade winners of NPR's Student Podcast Challenge:
Bouncing Back
Students: Lucy Luria, Kenley Taylor, Remy Gunn, Molly Ward, Sadie Boyle, Henry Snyder, Quinn David, Vivi Oziel, Olivia Christensen, Sophie Weenig and Itzel Mas
School: Magnolia Elementary School, Carlsbad, Calif.
In Bouncing Back, students in Magnolia Elementary's broadcast extracurricular told the story of their classmate, Leeland Korman, a 9-year-old whose life took a dramatic turn at a family birthday party. After a severe trampoline accident, Leeland spent months in the hospital and underwent multiple surgeries. The students, with their broadcasting teacher, Andrew Luria, used interviews and audio from videos to tell the story of Leeland's accident — and document the ways the community came together to support him in his recovery.
Diary of a 4th Grade Mural
Students: Ella Jessup, Linzeth Suchite Escobar and William Sanchez Aquino
School: Randolph Elementary School, Arlington, Va.
When these fourth graders found out that they'd get to help put a mural up in the library of their school, they had a lot of questions. Why the library? What would the theme be? Were their fellow fourth graders excited about it?
So they took it on like any good reporter might, by interviewing their classmates, teachers, even the mural's designers. This podcast is a reminder that walls don't have to be blank and boring! They offer tips and inspiration so other students can advocate for a mural in their own school!
Far From Home – A Story of Forced Migration
Student: Ameya Desai
School: Williams Elementary School, San Jose, Calif.
Ameya Desai's grandfather was born in Uganda. His parents had migrated from India and his father found work at a sugar cane factory. He tells Ameya about his childhood there, "We used to play a lot of sports by the side of sugarcane fields, anytime you were hungry or thirsty we broke a sugar cane and chewed on it for instant sugar rush." But by the time her grandfather was studying at university, the country's leader, Idi Amin, had ordered the expulsion of all South Asians.
In her podcast, Ameya tells the story of her grandfather's attempts to build a new life and offers a lesson for us: "My friends and I want to be that generation that keeps talking about the stories of displacement, like my grandfather's, that don't get told often enough. I think when we share the pain and suffering of our history, we can ensure it doesn't happen to others."
The Quartering Act of 1765
Students: Santiago Ucciferri, Alexa Susca, Samantha Cohen and Kai Sudo
School: Fulton Avenue School 8, Oceanside, N.Y.
Every year, the students in Jennifer D'Amelio's fourth-grade class study the lead-up to the American Revolution. She asks the students to study events like Paul Revere's ride, or the Stamp Act from multiple perspectives — and make a podcast about it. This group of students took on the Quartering Act of 1765, with excellent research and even better accents. Should American colonists have to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers in exchange for their "protection"? We hear from a poor farmer, a British General, Samuel Adams, and King George himself!
Will Erosion Cause the Montauk Lighthouse to Fall into the Ocean?
Students: Ella Chen and Brahmani Srirama
School: George A. Jackson Elementary School, Jericho, N.Y.
These two young reporters took on a big environmental issue and looked at how it's affected their community. "All across Long Island, erosion is a major issue. Many of the beaches are nearly washed away and too dangerous to hang out in." With help from their teachers, Lauren Kawasaki, Reshma Seth, and school librarian Danielle Melia, the students researched the topic. They discover past attempts to protect the Montauk Lighthouse from erosion and offer insights on protecting it for future generations.
Thanks again to all our fourth-grade podcasters! We'd love to hear from you again next year. Please reach out to studentpodcastchallenge@npr.org with any questions.
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