Day 4: Podcast Brainstorm
Thursday, March 19th, 2026
Warmup: What Makes a Good Podcast?
Think about a podcast, YouTube video, creator, or show you enjoy listening to. What makes it interesting? Write down your answers to these three questions:
Use Word online to write your answers. You can write in bullet points or full sentences — whatever works for you.
- What is your favorite podcast/channel about? (the topic)
- Why do you keep listening to that channel, creator, or podcast? (what hooks you)
- What makes the host good at talking about it? (delivery, personality, knowledge)
Be ready to share one of your answers with the class.
Work Session: Brainstorm Podcast Topics
A great podcast starts with a topic you actually care about. Before you commit to one idea, let’s explore a bunch of them.
Look at the topic categories below. For at least four categories, try to think of at least one specific topic you’d be excited to talk about for 2–3 minutes.
| Category | Think about… |
|---|---|
| Sports | A player, a rivalry, a rule you’d change, predictions |
| Books / Reading | A book you love, a character you relate to, a genre breakdown |
| Food | A recipe, a ranking, a food debate (pizza toppings, anyone?) |
| School Subjects | Your favorite element, a history event, a math trick |
| Music | An artist spotlight, a genre breakdown, how a song was made |
| Random Interests | Sneakers, animals, space, cars, fashion, technology — anything! |
Fill out the form below with a tentative title and 1–2 sentences for each of the four categories you choose. Simply summarize your ideas. You may provide specific details if you want. The goal is to start forming some ideas in your head. You do not need to make a final decision now!
Examples:
- Topic A: Best strikers in 2026 (Sports) — Topic B: My favorite element on the periodic table (School Subjects)
- Topic A: Why Minecraft is still the best game ever (Games) — Topic B: Ranking fast food french fries (Food)
Work Session: Write Two Podcast Intros
Now narrow down to your two best ideas. You’re going to write a podcast intro for each one.
Intro Parameters
Your intro must include all five of the following:
- A hook — Start with something that grabs the listener’s attention. A bold opinion, a surprising fact, or a question.
- Your name — Introduce yourself as the host.
- The podcast name — Make one up! It can be fun, serious, or simple.
- The topic — Clearly tell the listener what this episode is about.
- A preview — Give the listener a reason to keep listening. What will they learn or hear?
Your intro should be 4–6 sentences long and take about 20–30 seconds to read aloud.
Write your intros in Microsoft Word. Use Word online to ensure your work is saved. Here’s a link to Office 365.
Example Intro
“Did you know that there are over 100 elements on the periodic table, but most people can only name about ten? What’s up everybody, my name is Jordan and welcome to Brainwave — the podcast where we break down the stuff you learn in school and make it actually interesting. Today I’m talking about my favorite element: titanium. We’re going to get into what it is, why it’s so strong, and why it’s used in everything from jet engines to baseball bats. Stick around — this one’s going to be fire.”
Notice how this intro hits all five parameters: it opens with a hook (the surprising fact), introduces the host, names the podcast, states the topic, and previews what’s coming.
Tip: Read your intro out loud quietly to yourself as you write. If it sounds awkward when you say it, rewrite it. A podcast script is meant to be heard, not just read.