logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
41m 54s

How Did Exploding Rats Help Win WW2?

Bbc Radio 5 Live
About this episode

Greg James and Bella Mackie don their best spy gear for a lesson in wartime espionage from History teacher Miss Patel.

Greg (Codename: Agent BaeWhizz) and Bella (00-PAL) learn how wartime recruits to the secretive Special Operations Executive (SOE) were trained up and prepared for covert activities in occupied Europe. They’ll acquire cover stories, costumes and gadgets – possibly including some exploding rats – and discover how much these real-life stories, like the amazing Noor Inayat Khan and Virginia Hall, inspired the likes of James Bond and the modern-day SAS.

Bad students of all ages are welcome. Expect brilliant teachers, captivating subjects but absolutely no homework.

Get in touch with your funny school stories - email us at teachme@bbc.co.uk

Up next
Nov 2022
Can We Make Fast Fashion Guilt Free?
Greg and Bella get a lesson in ethical consumerism from Design and Technology teacher Mr Brandy.They'll start by looking at their own purchasing decisions: what's the last item they bought and why? They'll look at the oldest items in their wardrobes to see what that might tell us ... Show More
52m 15s
Nov 2022
Is Taylor Swift Our Greatest Living Poet?
Following the release of her latest album, 'Midnights', Greg and Bella find out if Taylor Swift is a great poet, as well as a great songwriter.English teacher Miss Tiddy is a Taylor Swift superfan, with an encyclopedic knowledge of Taylor Swift's music (and dating history!). In t ... Show More
42m 50s
Oct 2022
Halloween Special: How To Grow A Skeleton
It's a Halloween special as Forensic Anthropologist and now secondary school science teacher Miss Robinson gives Greg and Bella a lesson about how to grow a human skeleton.Miss Robinson will welcome Greg and Bella into her Forensics lab, to show them a host of props and remains t ... Show More
51m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
Sabotage & Secret Weapons: The WW2 Dirty Tricks Department
<p>What is a bat bomb? Why would you cover a fox in radioactive paint? And who are the masterminds behind the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA?</p><br><p>In this episode, Don is joined by John Lisle to discuss the creations of the Research and Development br ... Show More
36m 1s
Apr 2023
The Cambridge Spies | From Students to Spies | 1
<p>Kim Philby and Guy Burgess are two Cambridge students with a shared purpose: fighting fascism. When they’re introduced to a KGB recruiter in the 1930s, he tells them they could do just that by sharing British secrets with the Soviet Union. So how far will they go to further th ... Show More
49m 2s
Jun 2020
Preparing to Teach
In this episode, former Language Assistant team members Bethan and Beth share their top tips for teaching. They explore how to prepare, what to bring and activities to try for future language assistants to get the most out of their teaching experience! Teach English 
36m 54s
Nov 2023
The Secret Life of Josephine Baker - Josephine: L’héroïne
Josephine embarks on perilous spy missions…and her wartime service brings her face to face with the man who inspired her to join the Resistance. With Ariana DeBose. A transcript of this episode is available at https://bit.ly/3QUR3sq. 
28m 1s
Jul 2015
Learn English Funcast #141 - A difficult drunk test, navy admiral, and a pirate, and a chameleon in class
Today we learn Englih with the help of a drunk test, an admiral and a pirate, and also a chameleon in class. Don't forget to check out www.englishfuncast.com to get full text of this podcast. 
10m 14s
Sep 2019
S5E4 - 'Showering Ideas;;'
Belinda undertakes vital espionage training to prepare her for infiltrating Herr Bisch's operation... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
41m 30s
May 2024
Can you keep a secret?
Are secrets always negative? Or can they be positive too? Neil and Beth discuss this and teach you some useful vocabulary. [Image: Getty Images]TRANSCRIPT Find a full transcript for this episode and more programmes to help you with your English at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learninge ... Show More
6m 13s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami