History Has a Voice

Frida Kahlo 🌺 History for Kids 🎙️ Episode 12

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture - European Union - NextGenerationEU. An educational podcast for children in which we travel to early 20th-century Mexico, specifically to the Blue House in Coyoacán, to meet one of the world's most iconic artists: Frida Kahlo. In this episode of “History Has a Voice,” we will discover how she turned her life and pain into works of art full of color and strength. Frida was a woman with a rebellious spirit who, despite suffering from polio as a child and a serious bus accident that forced her to stay in bed for a long time, never gave up. Thanks to a mirror placed above her bed and a special easel, she began to paint self-portraits, capturing her emotions and demonstrating that creativity can heal the soul. Proud of her roots, she brought Mexican culture to the world (from Paris to New York) through her traditional clothing and her paintings, which often featured animals such as monkeys and parrots. She will explain the meaning of her famous phrase: “Feet, why do I need them when I have wings to fly?” In this episode, we will understand why she claimed to have been born in 1910 (the year of the Revolution) instead of her actual date of birth, meet her spider monkey Fulang-Chang, and learn to see the beauty in difference. An emotional journey to understand the value of authenticity and resilience. A very useful and interesting resource for children. It is perfect for introducing 20th-century art in primary education, working on emotional intelligence and coping with adversity, and appreciating the richness of Mexican culture.

Marie Curie 🧪 History for Kids 🎙️ Episode 11

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture - European Union - NextGenerationEU. An educational podcast for children in which we travel back in time to 1920, to a laboratory full of formulas and test tubes, to meet the most important scientist in history: Marie Curie. In this episode of “History Has a Voice,” we'll put on our white coats to discover how her brilliant mind revolutionized physics and chemistry. Marie Curie, born Maria Skłodowska in Poland, had to face great injustices, as women in her country were not allowed to go to university. She will tell us how she studied in secret at a “clandestine university” and the pact she made with her sister to be able to travel to Paris, where she finally graduated from the Sorbonne and met Pierre Curie. Together with her husband, she researched mysterious minerals and discovered two new elements: polonium and radium, coining the term “radioactivity.” She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (and the first person to win two in different disciplines!), although her unprotected experiments put her health at risk. In this episode, we will learn what radioactivity is, discover the legacy of her daughter Irène (also a Nobel Prize winner), and reflect on her famous quote: “Nothing in this world should be feared, only understood.” An inspiring journey to encourage boundless curiosity. A very useful and interesting resource for children. It is perfect for introducing modern science in primary education, encouraging STEM vocations (especially in girls), and working on values such as effort, perseverance, and equality.

Velázquez 🖌️ History for Kids 🎙️ Episode 10

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture - European Union - NextGenerationEU. An educational podcast for children in which we travel back in time to 1656 to visit the Spanish Golden Age and meet one of the greatest painters in Spanish history: Diego Velázquez. In this episode of “History Has a Voice,” we will land in the court of Madrid to talk to the creator of "Las Meninas." Velázquez was born in Seville in 1599 and began training in the art of painting at the age of 11. His talent was so extraordinary that he became the official painter of King Philip IV. But he didn't just paint portraits of royalty; he also painted jesters, ordinary people and even slaves with great dignity, encouraging the world to see them in a more favorable light. In this episode, we will delve into the secrets of "Las Meninas," an immense work in which he painted to assert that artists are not mere craftsmen, but creators. He will explain how he achieved that effect of “reality” that makes the viewer feel part of the scene. We will also learn the moving story of Juan de Pareja, his assistant and slave, whom Velázquez granted his freedom and painted with great nobility. An inspiring journey to learn how to find beauty in everyday life and look at others with respect. A very useful and interesting resource for children. It is perfect for introducing Baroque art in primary education, fostering artistic appreciation, and working on values such as human dignity and equality.

Galileo Galilei 🔭 History for Kids 🎙️ Episode 9

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture - European Union - NextGenerationEU. An educational podcast for children in which we travel back in time to Renaissance Italy, specifically to the year 1609, to meet the man who forever changed the way we look at the sky: Galileo Galilei. In this episode of “History Has a Voice,” we will land in Pisa to chat with the man considered to be the father of modern science. Galileo was an extremely curious physicist, mathematician, and astronomer who, although he began studying medicine, preferred numbers and experiments in the end. We will learn the importance of the “scientific method,” which includes observing, questioning, and testing things before taking them for granted and is a way of thinking that laid the foundations for modern science. Thanks to the improvements he made to the telescope, he discovered the mountains of the Moon, the phases of Venus, and the four moons of Jupiter, confirming that the Earth was not the center of the universe, but rather revolved around the Sun. His revolutionary ideas caused him serious problems with the authorities of the time, but he never gave up searching for the truth. In this episode, we will discover the truth about his famous free-fall experiment in the Tower of Pisa, learn about inventions such as the military compass and the thermoscope (the “grandfather” of the thermometer), and look at the stars through his lens. A fascinating journey to learn not to be afraid of making mistakes. A very useful and interesting resource for children. It is perfect for introducing the Renaissance and astronomy in primary education, explaining what the scientific method is, and encouraging critical thinking and curiosity about the universe.

Miguel de Cervantes 📖 History for Kids 🎙️ Episode 8

Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture - European Union - NextGenerationEU. Educational podcast for children in which we travel to Valladolid in 1605 to meet the most important writer in the Spanish language: Miguel de Cervantes. In this episode of “History Has a Voice,” we enter his room filled with ink and paper to discover how a man with a life full of difficulties managed to create a masterpiece: Don Quixote de la Mancha. Miguel de Cervantes had a life worthy of an adventure novel. He was a soldier in the Battle of Lepanto, where he lost the use of his left hand (earning him the nickname “the one-armed man of Lepanto,” although he still had his hand), and spent five long years as a prisoner in Algiers, attempting to escape four times without success before being rescued. Upon his return to Spain, he worked as a tax collector, but a mistake with the accounts led him back to prison. It was there that, to escape his reality, he came up with the story of a dreamy nobleman and his realistic squire, Sancho Panza. He will explain how each character in the book is inspired by people he knew and how he transformed his misfortunes into humor. In this episode, we will understand why Sancho is the voice of reality in the face of Don Quixote's madness and receive valuable advice: do not fear failure, because mistakes can be the beginning of a great story. A very useful and interesting resource for children. It is perfect for introducing classic literature in primary education, encouraging reading, and working on values such as resilience and the power of imagination.