Best Knowledge Matters Campaign Podcasts (2025)

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Hougoumont: The fire at Waterloo 54:12

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3d ago54:12

54:12

On the 18th June 1815, three fires broke out in central Belgium, that would go down in the annals of military history. The first, and perhaps least well known, would actually prove to be pivotal in the scale of Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo, delaying the arrival of Bulow’s IV Prussian corps to the point that it would take them 12 hours to march fro…

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Bonus Episode: Following History's Stories, on Film | Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt 17:33

8d ago17:33

17:33

Thirteen colonies rose up, rebelled against an Empire, and won their independence. These unlikely victors built a new nation on democratic principles that inspired similar movements around the world. How should we tell the story of our nation’s founding? Guests Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, who co-directed The American Revolution with Ken Burns…

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Bonus Episode: Following History's Stories, on Film | History Matters Podcast 17:33

8d ago17:33

17:33

Thirteen colonies rose up, rebelled against an Empire, and won their independence. These unlikely victors built a new nation on democratic principles that inspired similar movements around the world. How should we tell the story of our nation’s founding? Guests Sarah Botstein and David Schmidt, who co-directed The American Revolution with Ken Burns…

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Mystery Train – Making Magic Into Technology in D&D 5e 49:09

10d ago49:09

49:09

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. Science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke formulated three adages known as Clarke’s Laws that he expounded on in his writings. The third of these is the most famous, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from ma…

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The Battle of Talavera: The Peninsular War Saga 45:44

10d ago45:44

45:44

In this episode, we dive into the fierce two-day struggle that became one of the defining moments of the Peninsular War: the Battle of Talavera. From the blazing July heat to the confusion of night assaults, we examine how Sir Arthur Wellesley—soon to become the Duke of Wellington—held his fragile Anglo-Spanish line against repeated French attacks.…

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Curiosity That Goes Beyond the Classroom | Laura Stam 16:39

15d ago16:39

16:39

In Thermopolis, Wyoming, second-grade students love learning about the War of 1812, from the swashbuckling sea battles off the coast of Louisiana to the bombardment at Maryland’s Fort McHenry that inspired the “Star-Spangled Banner”—engaging lessons that build knowledge alongside literary and historical thinking skills. This type of learning is pow…

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Curiosity That Goes Beyond the Classroom | History Matters Podcast 16:39

15d ago16:39

16:39

In Thermopolis, Wyoming, second-grade students love learning about the War of 1812, from the swashbuckling sea battles off the coast of Louisiana to the bombardment at Maryland’s Fort McHenry that inspired the “Star-Spangled Banner”—engaging lessons that build knowledge alongside literary and historical thinking skills. This type of learning is pow…

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The Talavera Campaign 1809: The Peninsular War Saga 57:12

17d ago57:12

57:12

In this episode, historian Josh Provan joins us to trace the tense, twisting campaign that led to the Battle of Talavera—a confrontation born not just of French ambition, but of uneasy alliances, political blunders, and the grinding realities of Peninsular warfare. We explore how Sir Arthur Wellesley set himself and his men on a collision course wi…

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The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | History Matters Podcast 17:39

22d ago17:39

17:39

Many teachers build history lessons on primary sources like letters and legal documents. But without context and historical thinking skills, students can’t make much meaning from them, say guests Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-founders of the Four Question Method for history instruction. “Primary sources, for us, are ways to practice doing what …

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The Four Questions That Make History Come Alive | Jonathan Bassett and Gary Shiffman 17:39

22d ago17:39

17:39

Many teachers build history lessons on primary sources like letters and legal documents. But without context and historical thinking skills, students can’t make much meaning from them, say guests Jon Bassett and Gary Shiffman, co-founders of the Four Question Method for history instruction. “Primary sources, for us, are ways to practice doing what …

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This Old Town: Craft A Captivating Starting Town For Your D&D Adventure! 47:37

24d ago47:37

47:37

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave return to the conversation started in Episode 174 and begin to build out the town that will be the start of most adventures in our Boomtown Campaign Setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation…

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Wellington & Napoleon: Your Questions Answered 1:22:30

24d ago1:22:30

1:22:30

Following the lively debate that sprang up around our episode on 'Who was better: Wellington or Napoleon', we took the time to sit down and carefully consider some of the interesting questions and counter arguments made by our listeners. Who was Wellington's Berthier? Is criticising Wellington anti-British? Was Wellington's political career really …

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Building Teachers' Historical Knowledge | History Matters Podcast 15:28

29d ago15:28

15:28

What do teachers need to successfully teach high-quality history lessons in elementary school? A strong curriculum is a great start, but teachers also need aligned professional learning and time to dig in and build the content knowledge that supports confident instruction, says guest Courtney Dumas. In this episode, she explains how her organizatio…

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Building Teachers' Historical Knowledge | Courtney Dumas 15:28

29d ago15:28

15:28

What do teachers need to successfully teach high-quality history lessons in elementary school? A strong curriculum is a great start, but teachers also need aligned professional learning and time to dig in and build the content knowledge that supports confident instruction, says guest Courtney Dumas. In this episode, she explains how her organizatio…

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Waterloo: Staging the Battle in the Capital 42:51

1M ago42:51

42:51

By 1815, London had long considered itself the centre of Britain and the wider Empire, so how did it respond when “the greatest victory which History records” (The Chester Chronicle) occurred a mere 200 miles from it? By co-opting it, naturally. Moving away from previous work on the Waterloo Banquet and Vauxhall’s Waterloo fete, this talk explores …

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Massachusetts' Big Move on Elementary History | Jennifer Lindsey 17:03

1M ago17:03

17:03

In Medford, Massachusetts, “social studies is a subject to be valued,” fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Lindsey explains in this episode. “It’s the place to teach kids how to talk to each other and negotiate conversations and digest information and form an opinion—but also listen to others’ opinions and back that up with evidence,” she says. This conte…

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Massachusetts' Big Move on Elementary History | History Matters Podcast 17:03

1M ago17:03

17:03

In Medway, Massachusetts, “social studies is a subject to be valued,” fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Lindsey explains in this episode. “It’s the place to teach kids how to talk to each other and negotiate conversations and digest information and form an opinion—but also listen to others’ opinions and back that up with evidence,” she says. This conten…

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If I Was the Priest: How Do Clerics Work in Your D&D Campaign? 47:33

1M ago47:33

47:33

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave finish out the discussion of how magic will work in our crowdsourced “Boomtown” campaign setting by asking “Where does divine magic come from?” Make sure to Join the Conversation! 1:40 “Where …

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Wellington vs Napoleon: The Great Debate 1:09:50

1M ago1:09:50

1:09:50

Who was the better battlefield general? Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, or Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, and darling (sort of) of the British army. Recently famed author of the Sharpe's series of novels Bernard Cornwell set the social media sphere ablaze by once again igniting this age old discussion. The response, predicta…

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History Can’t Wait Until High School | Ebony McKiver 17:19

1M ago17:19

17:19

In the typical American high school, 9th-grade history students are expected to dive into the historical content, grapple with complex ideas, and engage in deep inquiry. But teenage students often lack the historical knowledge such tasks require. If you haven’t learned much about the Civil War, for example, you won’t be ready to discuss whether the…

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History Can’t Wait Until High School | History Matters Podcast 17:19

1M ago17:19

17:19

In the typical American high school, 9th-grade history students are expected to dive into the historical content, grapple with complex ideas, and engage in deep inquiry. But teenage students often lack the historical knowledge such tasks require. If you haven’t learned much about the Civil War, for example, you won’t be ready to discuss whether the…

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Leipzig - The Battle of the Nations 1:11:30

2M ago1:11:30

1:11:30

Step onto the blood-soaked fields of October 1813 as we revisit the Battle of Leipzig, the titanic clash that earned the title “Battle of the Nations.” In this episode of the Napoleonic Wars Podcast, we sit down with acclaimed historian John H. Gill to unravel the epic story of the largest battle in Europe before the First World War. Gill guides us…

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The Power of Historical Knowledge | History Matters Podcast 16:55

2M ago16:55

16:55

The more history young students know, the more they want to know. That’s one of the joyful discoveries that elementary teachers are making in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. In this episode, guests Angela Barfoot and Lauren Cascio describe the rewards of using Bayou Bridges, a content-rich, knowledge-building social studies curriculum, in combination w…

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What Makes Great Elementary History Curriculum | History Matters Podcast 15:40

2M ago15:40

15:40

Teaching history involves balance: too many facts and it’s boring, too few and students don’t have enough information to make sense of what they’ve learned. In this episode, host Barbara Davidson speaks with Sean Dimond, a former middle-school teacher and Louisiana state social studies director who is now senior social studies editor at the Core Kn…

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Why D&D Towns Matter: Transform Your Town Design With a Simple Secret 48:08

2M ago48:08

48:08

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave begin to ask the most basic question when building a town: why is the town there? In our D&D Tombstone idea, we realize the short answer is money. And what drives that money? Magic. Make sure …

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Beyond Marriage: Sex, Desire, and Deviancy in the Napoleonic era 1:17:51

2M ago1:17:51

1:17:51

CONTENT WARNING: There is very strong language, and discussion of topics of a sexual nature from the very start and throughout this podcast. Listener discretion is advised. Why is the idea of 'normal' sex a bit of a myth? What does it mean to be 'sexually deviant', and who gets to make that call? What happens if you are found to be 'sexually devian…

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The Power of Historical Knowledge | Louisiana Teachers 16:55

2M ago16:55

16:55

The more history young students know, the more they want to know. That’s one of the joyful discoveries that elementary teachers are making in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. In this episode, guests Angela Barfoot and Lauren Cascio describe the rewards of using Bayou Bridges, a content-rich, knowledge-building social studies curriculum, in combination w…

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The Battle of Austerlitz: Napoleon's Masterpiece? 1:11:56

2M ago1:11:56

1:11:56

On 2nd December 1805 Napoleon achieved what was perhaps his greatest victory. Over the course of the short winter's day he shattered the coalition force arrayed against him on the Pratzen heights, in a victory that would help him to usher in a new order in Europe. But what actually happened on that bitterly cold day? Who was responsible for this cr…

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A Case for Teaching History in Elementary School | History Matters Podcast 15:44

2M ago15:44

15:44

Elementary schools spend almost no time teaching history. How did we get here, and how can we reprioritize this crucial foundation for literacy and knowledge? Host Barbara Davidson begins the eight-part “History Matters” podcast with a reflective and forward-looking conversation with guest Robert Pondiscio, an author and former fifth-grade teacher …

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What Makes Great Elementary History Curriculum | Sean Dimond 15:40

2M ago15:40

15:40

Teaching history involves balance: too many facts and it’s boring, too few and students don’t have enough information to make sense of what they’ve learned. In this episode, host Barbara Davidson speaks with Sean Dimond, a former middle-school teacher and Louisiana state social studies director who is now senior social studies editor at the Core Kn…

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A Case for Teaching History in Elementary School | Robert Pondiscio 15:44

2M ago15:44

15:44

Elementary schools spend almost no time teaching history. How did we get here, and how can we reprioritize this crucial foundation for literacy and knowledge? Host Barbara Davidson begins the eight-part “History Matters” podcast with a reflective and forward-looking conversation with guest Robert Pondiscio, an author and former fifth-grade teacher …

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: Revitalize Your Imagination: 3WD is Back for Real Time D&D World Creation! 41:45

2M ago41:45

41:45

Following on the heels of our last episode, we drive down deeper into our continued exploration of real-time worldbuilding armed with the comments of our listeners. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss how magic might work in this new world, how the environment helps to create the setting, and stumble into an idea for a setting that has u…

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The Eve of Austerlitz 1:04:13

2M ago1:04:13

1:04:13

In this episode of The Napoleonic Wars Podcast, we’re joined by world renowned historian Dr. Alexander Mikaberidze, acclaimed author of The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History, for the first of a two part deep dive into one of Napoleon’s greatest triumphs: the Battle of Austerlitz. Part One, The Eve of Austerlitz, sets the stage for the clash that wo…

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S6 E12: Influence in Latin America: The View from Brazil with Rogério Artoni of Race Communications 28:08

2M ago28:08

28:08

In our final episode on PRGN's 2025 Influence Insights research, Rogério Artoni discusses the significance of cultural and social values in public relations, especially in the Latin American context, with a sharp focus on Brazil. Download PRGN's whitepaper on insights from the 2025 global survey on Brand Influence. Rogério highlights that understan…

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Welcome to the History Matters Podcast 1:17

2M ago1:17

1:17

Welcome to the brand-new History Matters Podcast. I’m your host, Barbara Davidson, President of StandardsWork and Executive Director of the Knowledge Matters Campaign. This podcast was born out of a vision—one I believe all educators have—of inspiring our students to ask big questions, develop their love of learning through reading, and feel empowe…

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The Battle of Assaye 1:04:11

2M ago1:04:11

1:04:11

The Battle of Assaye has been called Arthur Wellesley’s first great victory, a clash that set the stage for his later fame as the Duke of Wellington. Outnumbered six to one by the mighty Maratha Confederacy, Wellesley’s 6,500 men faced a storm of cannon fire, disciplined infantry, and thousands of cavalry in a battle that could easily have ended in…

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Siege Warfare - An Unavoidable Evil 56:56

3M ago56:56

56:56

Ready to blast through the walls of Napoleonic history? In this pounding episode of the Napoleonic Wars Podcast, we talk to Dr Zack White about his edited collection An Unavoidable Evil - Siege Warfare in the Age of Napoleon. Discover how the era of Napoleon wasn't all about Austerlitz and Waterloo; from the fortresses of Izmail and Braila to Welli…

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Join the Ultimate D&D Experience: Real-Time World Building! 43:14

3M ago43:14

43:14

Worldbuilding. It’s one of the most talked about aspects of running TTRPGs, as it is the sandbox into which you will throw your party to adventure in. We’ve talked about tips and tricks in past episodes and articles, and have come down on both sides of the debate surrounding how much to do with a focus totally on your specific table and party. Howe…

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Bread, Boots and Bullets - Logistics of the British Army 1:10:50

3M ago1:10:50

1:10:50

Have you ever wondered how Britain’s redcoats marched across Europe with full bellies, coin in their pockets, and plenty of ammunition? In this episode, award winning historian Professor Kevin Linch returns to our British Army series to help us break down the gritty reality of military logistics behind the lines. We explore what was in a soldier's …

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Waterloo Medals 1:14:56

3M ago1:14:56

1:14:56

Why did Britain break its mould with the Waterloo medal? Were medals really that rare? And why do they matter? Expert auctioneer Robert Wilde-Evans joins Luke and Zack to discuss how you tell the real ones from the fakes, and what a Waterloo medal really represents. We discuss how they highlight a shift in attitudes to how the British soldier is vi…

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Too Much: Overcome D&D Idea Overload and Unleash Your Creativity 43:24

3M ago43:24

43:24

Movies. TV series. Books. Other DMs running games. There are a multitude of sources that provide fodder for our imagination in developing cool ideas that we want to play with in our own games. But how many ideas are TOO MANY ideas? Can you have too many ideas? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question from our “C…

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Wars of Revolution and Empire: The People's Perspective 1:00:34

3M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

What did ordinary Britons really think about the American and the French Revolutions as war erupted across the globe? In this lively episode of The Napoleonic Wars Podcast, we’re joined by Professor Emma Macleod of the University of Stirling to dig into the fascinating world of 18th Century Britain through the letters of two remarkable men: Rev. Ja…

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The Battle of Oporto - the Peninsular War saga 1:29:05

4M ago1:29:05

1:29:05

Following the disaster of the Corunna campaign, we again turn our attention to Portugal for the next phase of our Peninsular War saga. We talk about Napoleon's unrealistic ambitions for the second French invasion of Portugal, Britain's uncertainty about committing more troops to the defence of Spain and Portugal, and the challenges that both French…

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S6 E11: Drivers of Brand Influence in the Asia-Pacific Region with Andy See 32:23

4M ago32:23

32:23

Andy See discusses PRGN's 2025 Influence Insights survey results from an APAC perspective, highlighting the distinct challenges and opportunities for brands in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Andy, Bill, and Adrian talk about how cultural, regulatory, and market dynamics impact brand strategy and communication approaches in APAC and beyond. Their d…

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Hey There, Cthulhu! Building The Immersion and The Horror in Your TTRPGs 57:10

4M ago57:10

57:10

Our last episode was the preamble. Last week’s article discussed some of what we learned from playing with new people. But, in this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down with the newest addition to our gaming group, Elizabeth, to delve deep into what went into running the Call of Cthulhu one-shot, playing with brand new people, and how to build a…

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Napoleonic Monuments: The Committee of Taste 1:03:21

4M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

How do you celebrate a war hero? Both during and in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had to find an answer to this complex question. The answer took many forms, one of which was monuments to the fallen 'heroes'. Abercrombie, Moore, Nelson and many others became the focus of a multi-million pound national project to instal monuments to …

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Redcoats: Careers and Promotion in the British Army 1:07:27

4M ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Professor Kevin Linch joins us again for what is Act 2 covering all things rank and file careers, join us as we uncover the truth behind how a British soldiers career prgressed through pay, promotion and punishment. Professor Linch is a Professor of Modern History at the University of Leeds. He specialises in the history of Britain in the eighteent…

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S6 E10: Drivers of Brand Influence in the European Context with Joaquín Fernández 26:42

4M ago26:42

26:42

In this episode we continue to unpack the findings of the PRGN Influence Insights research study, which surveyed 550 business, marketing, and communications leaders in over 40 countries to uncover their priorities in public relations and communications. Bill Southard and Joaquín Fernández discuss on the survey results and their implications in the …

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Natalie Wexler on How Writing Promotes Clear Thinking | Literacy and the Science of Learning 29:20

4M ago29:20

29:20

Season 3 Episode 6 | “Teaching students to write clearly was actually teaching them to think clearly.” In the Season 3 finale, host Natalie Wexler brings listeners inside Monroe City Schools, a high-poverty Louisiana district where educators have paired a content-rich curriculum with explicit writing instruction. This combination has not only helpe…

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People Get Ready: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Character Backstory? 42:51

4M ago42:51

42:51

Backstory. Character development. It’s one of the most discussed topics in the TTRPG space. And the 3 Wise DMs were faced with the question when a friend offered to run a Call of Cthulhu one-shot for our group. This was followed by a Google Doc with twenty in-depth questions as to the character’s background, motivations, loves, and fears. For a one…