Six Minutes

Eleven-year-old Holiday is pulled from the icy waters of Alaska with no memory of who she is or where she came from. Are her mom and dad really who they say they are? When she begins to develop incredible abilities, she’ll soon discover she’s not alone in the world.

SIX MINUTES SYNOPSIS

“There are kids who are different… special… and one of them is missing.” So begins each episode of the story of Holiday and her adoptive family.

When a young girl is pulled from the water in Juneau, Alaska, the only clue to her origin is a mark on her hand and the foggy recollection of her name: Holiday. Because Holiday is lost and alone, with no memory of who she is or where she came from, Monica Anders abruptly tells her that she and her husband, James, are Holiday’s parents. But one year later, Holiday is visited by a mysterious boy named Badger who comes and goes in a flash, and seems to know all about her. She learns she wasn’t born into the Anders family after all. And that she may be something more than any other kid.

With the help of her older brother, Cyrus Anders, and little sister, Birdie, along with her parents, James and Monica, Holiday sets off to find out who she is, where she came from, and how she wound up in the water with no memory of her past. But the more clues she uncovers, the more the mystery deepens, and a secretive and dangerous world begins to emerge from the shadows, where “extra” kids are chased by ruthless Childcatchers, danger threatens to consume her new family, and she is drawn closer to a mysterious group of renegade kids known collectively as “The Four.”

Six Minutes has been widely adopted in 3rd to 5th and 6th to 8th grade level classrooms as part of an ELA curriculum. The fast-paced story and short episodes (5-8 minutes) support heavy classroom engagement and spark focused discussion around core issues.

Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Science Fiction
Themes: Family, Loyalty, Bravery, Identity
Avg. Episode Length: 6-7 minutes
No. of Episodes: 204 Episodes (26 hours)

Read along with the script of episode one here.
Buy the scripts for the entire series here.

OVERVIEW OF CLASSROOM RESOURCES

Hey Educators! You’re excited to use Six Minutes in class, and maybe you’re asking yourself where do I start or what’s the best way to listen? The answer is that thousands of teachers across North America use Gen-Z Media podcasts in dozens of different ways for multiple grade levels, classroom-wide, for breakout groups, to reward learning, and as homework. To the right, you’ll find customized materials that support a flexible and powerful staged approach to engaging with the podcast, which also aligns with common standards. And they’re free!

The Listening Guide offers a simple and effective way to guide your students through themes of story and character development, help guide their search for clues and evidence, and encourage their development of bigger ideas. It is available in both digital and printable versions, and is designed to be simple and intuitive to use. The accompanying video demonstrates ways to use the Listening Guide in more detail.

The Explore Board is a resource for students both before they start listening to the podcast and while listening. The Explore Board resource, customized to each podcast, introduces students to concepts, themes and topics of the podcast and helps them hone skills for deeper learning engagement with the podcast. Because you may have specific ideas you want your students to explore while listening, the Explore Board can be easily edited so that you can tailor it to fit student and classroom needs. A separate video, “Workflow Options,” and accompanying text instructions on the “Where Do I Start” page lays out the simple steps for modifying and sharing the Explore Board and other resources. Microsoft users, there are instructions in that video for you too, explaining how to convert these resources to OneDrive.

The Choice Board is a resource for students to use after they have finished listening to the podcast. The Choice Board, customized to each podcast, takes a deeper dive into major themes, concepts and topics introduced in the podcast. The Choice Board features a combination of anchor assignments and lighter exercises, so you’ll find helpful direction and support for every student. Like the paired Explore Board to support student engagement before and during listening, the Choice Board can also be easily edited so that you can tailor it to fit student and classroom needs. A separate video, “Workflow Options,” and accompanying text instructions on the “Where Do I Start” page lays out the simple steps for modifying and sharing the Choice Board and other resources. Microsoft users, there are instructions in that video for you too, explaining how to convert these resources to OneDrive.

Here is a handy link to a PDF of Standards associated with Six Minutes classroom engagement.

To listen to Six Minutes with captions visit our YouTube Page