ERA’s Top Radio Picks 19th – 25th January 2019
Your newest radio recommendations for teaching and learning are here! There’s plenty of subjects covered this week, but Religious Studies and PSHE certainly take the spotlight.
Saturday 19th January
- Drama: Dangerous Visions: The Double
BBC Radio 4, 2:30pm – Recommended for… English Literature
Things get dark in this reimagining of Dostoevsky’s tale, this time including a mash-up of steampunk and modern-day elements. As for the story, a man is driven to insanity when a dopplegänger steals his life. - Archive on 4: Fake News: The Complete History of Audio Editing. Abridged
BBC Radio 4, 8pm – Recommended for… Sociology and Politics
With fake news becoming more and more frequent in today’s society, comedian Gareth Gwynn dives into archive audio material and uses them to show how the lines between fact and fiction can be blurred.
Sunday 20th January
- Something Understood: Hunger
BBC Radio 4, 6:05am – Recommended for… Psychology and Religious Studies
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand explores why fasting (and, by extension, food) are important to religious traditions. He also discusses the two ends of the spectrum – feeling hungry and feeling stated – and how this is key to human behaviour. - Heart and Soul: Raven
BBC World Service, 9:30am – Recommended for… History and English Literature
The raven is a bird that carries many symbols. In Britain, it often signifies death, whereas in other parts of the world it is seen as a symbol of power. This show investigates these differences, looking into the reasons behind the raven’s many faces. - The Hurricane Tapes
BBC World Service, 10:30pm – Recommended for… Sport, Sociology, and Policing
Back in the early 1960’s, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was one of America’s biggest boxing stars. But that all changed when he was convicted of helping another black man shoot four white citizens, three of whom died. However, he always maintained that he was innocent, and after 18 years, his sentence was finally overturned. This 12-part series collates a series of audio tapes that Carter made over the years, which reveal a lot about the man himself.
Monday 21st January
- James Burke’s Web of Knowledge
BBC Radio 4, 1:45pm – Recommended for… Music and Physics
In what sounds like a wonderfully weird new series, James Burke looks into surprising connections throughout history. This particular episode, for example, focuses on the link between Motzart and the helicopter. Strange indeed. - Crossing Continents: Japan’s Elderly Crime Wave
BBC Radio 4, 8:30pm – Recommended for… Geography, Sociology, and Japanese
In recent years, more and more elderly Japanese people have been committing small-scale crimes in order to be taken to prison. Why? Because in prison they are guaranteed a bed and a hot meal every day, which is not always guaranteed for them in the outside world. Ed Butler investigates the issue.
Tuesday 22nd January
- The Romanian Wave
BBC Radio 4, 11am – Recommended for… PSHE and Sociology
Did you know that Romanians now make up the second-largest nationality in Britain? Tessa Dunlop looks into why there has been a rise in Romanian immigration to the UK over the past few years, and what kind of challenges that these new citizens often face once they arrive. - Great Lives: Freddie Mercury
BBC Radio 4, 4:30pm – Recommended for… Music
It’s Matt Lucas that has nominated the legendary musician as his great inspiration. Here he chats to Mercury biographer Lesley-Ann Jones and presenter Matthew Parris about Queen’s frontman and why he was so important.
Wednesday 23rd January
- Hacking Happiness: Existential Cool – Buddhism and the Art of Acceptance
BBC Radio 4, 9:30am – Recommended for… Religious Studies
Leo Johnson’s quest to understand the philosophy of happiness brings him to Buddhism, where he finds out more about the state of Nirvana. - Thinking Allowed
BBC Radio 4, 4pm – Recommended for… Psychology
Laurie Taylor and guests discuss human behaviour and conventions and what they reveal about us.
Thursday 24th January
- In Our Time: Emmy Noether
BBC Radio 4, 9am – Recommended for… Maths and Physics
An often unsung hero of mathematics and physics, Emmy Noether outshone many of her peers and overcame the prejudice of being a woman in science during a period where this was mainly considered the field of men. Melyvn Bragg and guests discuss this inspirational mathematician and her impact on the world of science. - Free Thinking: Consent
BBC Radio 3, 10pm – Recommended for… PSHE
Sexual consent is something that has become more and more talked about over the past few years, and is as important as ever to talk about. Here, Shahidha Bari hosts a discussion about the topic and how it is portrayed on stage.
Friday 25th January
- Millennials in the Workplace
BBC Radio 4, 11am – Recommended for… PSHE and Business Studies
Ah, millennials – it seems that everyone has an opinion on what they are and what they represent. The word ‘snowflake’ is thrown around liberally, and they’re all obsessed with avocados… does that sound about right? There are even some claims that one of the most important things for millennials in the workplace is beanbags. However, here, presenter India Rakusen investigates why millennials are so mocked and underappreciated within the workplace.
