Crash Course
Things Fall Apart, Part 2: Crash Course Literature 209
In which John Green concludes teaching you about Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. You'll learn about the historical contexts of Things Fall Apart, including 19th century colonization and 20th century decolonization. We're going to...
Curated Video
Hunger in Gaza: Children pretend to eat toys amid food shortages, families struggle to survive
Children in Gaza pretend to eat toy food as aid dwindles, families face hunger, and farmers struggle with land destruction.
Curated Video
Exploring vocabulary for a setting description in 'Sherlock Holmes'
Pupil outcome: I can explore vocabulary that relates to Victorian London and suggest ways of including it in setting descriptions. Key learning points: - Writing is most successful when it is planned. - Vocabulary can be planned to...
Curated Video
Beowulf begins his quest
Pupil outcome: I can outline the key events and characters in the first two chapters of ‘Beowulf’ and I can explain the impression given by particular language choices made by the author. Key learning points: - 'Beowulf' is an epic poem...
Curated Video
Understanding the context of 'How To Train Your Dragon'
Pupil outcome: I can understand the authorial, geographical and historical context of 'How to Train Your Dragon'. Key learning points: - Understanding the context of a text enables readers to engage effectively with the content. - The...
Curated Video
Understanding the structure and historical context of ‘When the Sky Falls’
Pupil outcome: I can identify the structure of the story in ‘When the Sky Falls’ and I can describe the historical context of the climax of the book. Key learning points: - 'When the Sky Falls' is a complex novel with several plot lines...
Curated Video
Exploring characterisation in ‘When the Sky Falls’
Pupil outcome: I can explain how the author has shaped our initial impressions of key characters in ‘When the Sky Falls’. Key learning points: - 'When the Sky Falls' is set in 1941, during the Second World War. - A 12-year-old boy,...
Curated Video
Writing the first half of a setting description in 'Sherlock Holmes'
Pupil outcome: I can write the first half of a setting description in 'Sherlock Holmes'. Key learning points: - Writing is most successful when structure, content and vocabulary is planned. - Oral rehearsal is an important step in the...
Curated Video
Landmarks - Tate Modern
TATE MODERN TO THE CASUAL OBSERVER THIS VIEW BANKSIDE POWER STATION ON THE BANKS OF THE THAMES IN LONDON MAY SEEM UNREMARKABLE. BUT TO ART LOVERS AROUND THE WORLD IT IS A SITE OF INSPIRATION THIS IS HOME OF TATE MODERN, ONE OF THE MOST...
Curated Video
Introduction to a Queer Theory Reading of A Midsummer Night's Dream
This video explores a more complex reading of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," highlighting the sections that reveal desires outside of traditional pairings and the homoerotic subtext. The discussion includes the relationships between the...
Curated Video
Romeo and Juliet: Love and War in Romeo and Juliet
This video delves into the historical context and significance of the opening scene of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," where a street brawl between the Capulet and Montague servants underscores the long-standing feud between these...
Curated Video
Types of People in the Colonies
Colonial America housed many diverse inhabitants—from the enslaved to the gentry—each contributing to society in different ways.
Curated Video
Romeo and Juliet 1.5 Word Nerd: "prodigious"
This segment explores the etymology and evolving meanings of the word "prodigious," tracing its origins from Latin to its modern usage. The discussion highlights Shakespeare's utilization of the term in a negative sense to convey...
Curated Video
Romeo and Juliet 1.5 Word Nerd: "portly"
This video delves into the etymology and cultural evolution of the word "portly." It also provides historical context, highlighting Lord Capulet's original usage of the term to describe Romeo as a well-mannered gentleman in Act 1, Scene...
Curated Video
Romeo and Juliet 1.3 Performance: Nurse, Lines 18-26
In this performance excerpt from Romeo and Juliet, the Nurse reminisces about Juliet's upcoming birthday, reflecting on her own past and the memory of Susan, Juliet's deceased sister. Through nostalgic dialogue, the Nurse reveals...
Curated Video
Macbeth: Welcome to the Play
In just a few minutes, viewers are introduced to the historical context of 11th-century Scotland and Shakespeare's England, setting the stage for the play's exploration of ambition, loyalty, guilt, and sanity. With engaging narration and...
Curated Video
Macbeth 5.3 Word Nerd: Physic
This video explores the historical and linguistic context of the term "physic" as used in Shakespeare's "Macbeth." It details Macbeth's usage of the term in relation to the relief and pleasure he derives from royal hospitality,...
Curated Video
Macbeth 4.3 Historical Reference: "strangely visited people"
This video explores a significant scene from Act 4, Scene 3 of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," where Macduff and Malcolm discuss overthrowing Macbeth while in England. The focus shifts to King Edward's supposed miraculous healing powers,...
Curated Video
Julius Caesar 2.2 Historical Reference: Medieval Religious Practices
This video explores the historical and religious context of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," specifically focusing on the practice of preserving relics and its allegorical use in the play. The discussion illuminates how Brutus's reference...
Curated Video
Julius Caesar 1.2 Wordplay: “put to silence”
This video explores the nuanced interpretation of the phrase "put to silence" in Shakespeare's use, highlighting the historical context and linguistic evolution surrounding it. This analysis enhances understanding of the political and...
Wonderscape
The Importance of Setting in Storytelling
This video examines the role of setting in narratives, highlighting its significance in creating the backdrop and context for a story. Using "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" as an example, it demonstrates how settings influence the...
Wonderscape
The Fourth Amendment: Protection Against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures
Explore the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which safeguards citizens' rights against unreasonable searches and seizures. Understand the requirement of probable cause and the need for a search warrant issued by a judge. Learn...
Wonderscape
Understanding the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
Delve into the Second Amendment, which grants citizens the right to bear arms. Understand the historical context that influenced the Founding Fathers to include this right, reflecting on the colonial era's militia system and the measures...
Curated Video
Historical Context
Author and independent scholar Pankaj Mishra warns us not to essentialize, urging us to place the notion of "Asian Values" in historical context.