True Crime Podcasts for High School Forensics and a Free Podcast Worksheet
I have a confession to make. I’m a true crime podcast junkie. I have probably put in thousands of hours of true crime podcast listening on my personal time - but I absolutely love incorporating true crime podcasts into my forensics class as well. Listening to a podcast in class is a great way to reset after an exam, finish class when we end material early, and hear about how the concepts we have covered are applied in real-life investigations. Of course, I like to have my students actively listen which means I usually require them to complete a podcast episode worksheet every time we listen to an episode. You can grab a free copy of my podcast guide at the end of this blog post!
I have a whole list of podcasts that I love, and they all serve a different purpose. Podcasts with a new case every episode are an excellent way to incorporate a listening day here and there, and podcasts that spend an entire season or series on one case let students deep dive into a case and really discuss the nuances of the investigation. I also love to keep a stack of podcast episode worksheets handy for unexpected substitute days or for extra credit options for students who need a little boost.
One more note - forensic science has heavy and disturbing topics, so it goes without saying that true crime podcasts will also cover heavy and disturbing topics. However, I do tend to avoid podcasts marked explicit - even though we are already listening to and talking about sensitive topics, I do try to avoid unnecessary cursing and foul language when I play podcast episodes for my class, out of respect for my students. As far as I know, the following podcasts were not marked explicit for language reasons at the time I compiled this list. It’s always a good idea to screen episodes before listening as a class!
Podcasts With a New Case Per Episode:
•The Generation Why
•The Prosecutors
•Someone Knows Something
•Killer Psyche
•The Trail Went Cold
•Murderish
•Anatomy of Murder
•True Crime All The Time
Podcasts Spending a Season On a Case:
•Serial
•Unconcluded
•Your Own Backyard
•Bear Brook
•Mind of a Monster: Aileen Wuornos
If you love listening to true crime podcasts with your class, then this freebie is for you! Click here to grab a printable list of my favorite podcasts and a podcast episode worksheet that you can assign to students for any episode of any true crime podcast! I’ve included both a printable worksheet and Google Doc worksheet. Happy Podcasting!
