Criminal Podcast Listening Guide with Answers- Ep 38: Jolly Jane

This listening guide (questions with answers, along with discussion questions) in an editable .docx format goes along with an episode of Criminal, my favorite true crime podcast. Listen to the episode titled Jolly Jane HERE. GREAT FOR REMOTE AND HYBRID CLASSROOMS!!! A fantastic and engaging sub plan!

Episode 38: Jolly Jane- Jane Toppan was born in Massachusetts in 1857. She attended the Cambridge Nursing School, and established a successful private nursing career in Boston. Said to be cheerful, funny and excellent with her patients, nothing about “Jolly Jane” suggested she could be “the most notorious woman poisoner of modern times” responsible for the death of at least 35 people.

Criminal is an award-winning podcast about true crime. Host Phoebe Judge tells the stories of “people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle,” all with a voice that is soothing despite the sometimes gruesome subject matter. This podcast is “an unexpected and critical look at true crime that often leaves you questioning the criminal legal system and always shows there is more to the story.”

Benefits of using podcasts in the classroom: This worksheet will keep your students engaged while listening to the podcast. Using podcasts in the classroom is becoming more popular as the podcast medium itself continues to grow. 

GREAT for Remote learning– Students can listen at home, or over a zoom meeting, and answer the questions as they go. Its an editable .docx download so students can answer the questions digitally through a platform like google classroom.

Listening Skills– Listening skills are important, and it can be hard to find ways to foster them. Podcasts are a great solution to this.

Student Engagement– When students love what they’re doing they are instantly engaged- and who doesn't love a good crime story?!?

Student Independence- Letting students choose what to listen to is another great way to foster student engagement.

Reflective Thinking– Using podcasts in the classroom involves thinking, writing, and implementing skills like summarizing, comparing, and contrasting.

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If you liked Criminal, or season 1 of the Serial podcast, then you will LOVE Bear Brook, a facinating tale of a murder that would make forensic history! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bear-Brook-Murders-Podcast-Interrupted-Case-Study-Worksheet-Episode-1-4788564 Listen to episode 1 of Bear Brook and I promise you'll be hooked!!! Free listening guide of episode 1 available: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bear-Brook-Murders-Podcast-Interrupted-Case-Study-Worksheet-Episode-1-4788564. A “Top 10 Podcast of the Year”

Also see my video guide for the critically-acclaimed Chernobyl miniseries on HBO: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Chernobyl-Miniseries-Episodes-1-through-5-4678824

Want to try introducing an escape room into your forensics classroom? See my "Crack the Code" 3 room bundle HERE. Your kids will love it!!!

Another activity I love is this podcast activity (link below) that uses the popular Radiolab podcast to introduce the important but complex topic of the CRISPR gene editing technique. This question and answer worksheet has students follow along with the podcast, answering questions as they go, but "interrupts" the podcast to have students think more deeply about the ethics and implications of this powerful new technology. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/CRISPR-Interrupted-Radiolab-Podcast-printable-worksheet-4329465