Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie

Can Advertising Be Art?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's art with Ms Bates, who poses the question 'Can advertising be art?' as a way of starting a conversation about Pop Art - where did it come from? Why does it endure? And does being involved in advertising compromise an artist? We also find out which artwork Greg and Bella would shove a granny to get hold of (although they'd like to clarify that they would rather just pay for it). Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk. We'll read out some of our favourites in our BBC Sounds exclusive bonus episodes, Teach Me A Lesson - Break Time.

April 26, 2021

39 min

How Can We Move To The Moon?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's physics with Mr Hardie, who takes Greg and Bella through the science we need to understand in order to establish a human colony on the moon. You'll also find out how many seconds of fuel Neil Armstrong had left when he landed on the moon, how much it costs per kilo to send something there, and how rich we would all be if we shared a mineral-rich asteroid. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

April 19, 2021

41 min

Can We Trust Our Own Memories?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's psychology with Mrs Harrowell, who explains how memory works to Greg and Bella - demonstrating her points by testing their recollections of everyday objects and iconic film quotes, and teaching them a dance that means they'll never forget the name of a part of the brain they'd never heard of before this lesson. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

April 12, 2021

42 min

How much should you wee on a jellyfish sting?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's chemistry with Miss Assinder, who explores the idea that weeing on a jellyfish sting will neutralise the pain. Listen to the end to find out how much you need - and along the way you'll find out how Greg and Bella want to be disposed of after their death, how to get your kids to clean the bathroom, and how long it takes to dissolve a mouse. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

April 5, 2021

43 min

That's not so random!

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's maths with Mr Fisher (call him Rob) who teaches Greg and Bella why it really annoys him when people say "that's SO random", when the things in question aren't random. Along the way we learn what random actually means, with examples from the National Lottery and playlist shuffle, and why humans are so bad at choosing things randomly. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

March 29, 2021

40 min

How do you say "I have five red apples" in a language without words for colours or numbers?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's languages with Miss Morris, who teaches Greg and Bella about foreign languages - the sounds, the words, and the structures that make other languages different to English. It's essential listening for broadening your understanding of language, and for making sure you don't accidentally tell a French person they've got a nice bum. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

March 22, 2021

39 min

Why Do We Get Ill?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's biology with Dr Monks, who teaches Greg and Bella why we get ill. The lesson reveals what a germ actually is, the pivotal role pubs have played in keeping us safe, and discusses why it could be important to stick your fingers in dog poo. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

March 15, 2021

40 min

Should We Be Afraid Of Computers?

Greg James and Bella Mackie didn’t pay much attention at school. So they’re asking Britain’s most inspiring teachers to show them what they missed in this series of fascinating and fun lessons. This week it's Computer Science with Mrs Cunningham-Smith (Mrs C-S to you). She talks Greg and Bella through how computers have developed to the point they're currently at, and how algorithms actually work. We also find out how a woman in the 1840s created TikTok - and we find out exactly how Greg James crushed the dreams of a 16-month-old child. Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework. Get in touch with your funny school stories and teacher recommendations - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

March 8, 2021

45 min

Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie

About the podcast Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie

Categories

Can Advertising Be Art?

How Can We Move To The Moon?

Can We Trust Our Own Memories?

How much should you wee on a jellyfish sting?

That's not so random!

How do you say "I have five red apples" in a language without words for colours or numbers?

Why Do We Get Ill?

Should We Be Afraid Of Computers?

About the podcast Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie

Categories