TED-Ed
What Was So Special About Viking Ships?
Viking Longships could go where few ships had gone before. Due to their unique constructions, the wooden ships could navigate shallow waters, brave the rough Atlantic and North Seas, and even rivers and fjords. Find out what was so...
TED-Ed
"Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" by Clint Smith
An animated interpretation of Clint Smith's poem "Ode to the Only Black Kid in the Class" explores the stereotypes Black Americans encounter.
TED-Ed
The Myth of Jason and the Argonauts
Travel with Jason and the Argonauts in a short, animated TEDEd video that recounts the adventures of the crew as they journey to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
PBS
The Chronicles of Narnia
C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia is about far more than the adventures of a group of children in an imaginary kingdom. Find out what else it's about in a short Great American Read video.
PBS
Chosen Family and Ghost
There's something powerful about a book that speaks your language and experiences or introduces you to the language and experiences of others. A National Book Award winner, Jason Reynolds' novel, Ghost, is such a book. Find out more...
PBS
Looking for Alaska
Looking for Alaska is the subject of a short PBS video that encourages viewers to read John Green's award-winning young adult novel about first love.
PBS
The Hunger Games
The odds will be in your favor that young statisticians will volunteer to participate in this experiment. After watching a short video that is part of the PBS Math at the Core middle school collection, scholars engage in a lottery and...
TED-Ed
The Mysterious Life and Death of Rasputin
Prince Felix Felixovich Yusupov's determination to assassinate Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a Russian Orthodox Church monk and advisor to Tsar Nicholas II, is the focus of a short video. Viewers decide if Rasputin was a mystic or a conman.
TED-Ed
The Chasm | Think Like A Coder, Ep 6
It'd be a shame if the hero fell into the chasm. The saga of the hero trying to save the world continues, this time requiring a bridge to cross a ravine. The blocks for the bridge must form a palindrome, and the hero must program a robot...
TED-Ed
The Artists | Think Like A Coder, Ep 5
Create a diversion! Continuing the quest to save the world, the hero of the series needs to find an artifact inside a tower. To distract the guards, she programs a robot to vandalize some artwork. Viewers learn how to apply loops and...
PBS
Relatable Characters in Dark Tales and The Book Thief
Markus Zusak's The Book Thief is another novel high on the list of must-reads from The Great American Read collection. Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, and John Green of Crash Course series fame share why...
TED-Ed
The Maya Myth of the Morning Star
The Mayan Myth of the Morning Star is not only a tale of fraternal jealousy but also an astronomy story based on the Mayan calendar and the movements of the planets and the sun. Check out an amazing animated video that details the myth.
TED-Ed
Why Haven’t We Cured Arthritis?
The simple answer to the questions of why scientists have not found a cure for arthritis is that the term is used to describe over a hundred different conditions. Find out more about arthritis and how current treatments only deal with...
TED-Ed
How Does Laser Eye Surgery Work?
Everything you wanted to know about laser vision correction surgery but was afraid to ask; can be found in a short animated video. While highly technical, the animations that accompany the narration, make the surgery easy to understand....
TED-Ed
How Rollercoasters Affect Your Body
Rollercoaster riders are a passionate breed. There are even tours just for them. Find out how these thrill rides affect the body and how modern rollercoaster designers use the understanding of the forces on the body as they craft bigger...
TED-Ed
A Day in the Life of an Ancient Celtic Druid
A druid's work is never done. Viewers walk along with an ancient Celtic druid as she heals the sick, counsels the village leaders, and mediates conflicts.
PBS
Pride and Prejudice
Published in 1813 and considered by many to be the first romance novel, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice still tops the chart as a favorite read. Literary experts share why the tale of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy continues to win the...
PBS
Juan Seguín
Juan Seguin was unsung hero of the fight for Texas independence. An interesting video uses interviews with experts to explain the role Juan Seguin played in the fight for Texas independence. Young scholars also learn Juan Seguin's role...
PBS
Puerto Rico to New York
The video explains the mass migration of many from Puerto Rico to New York due to the Great Depression. Scholars also learn how many people from Puerto Rico had to assimilate into mainstream American society and forms of racism they faced.
PBS
One Hundred Years of Solitude | The Great American Read
One Hundred Years of Solitude introduces readers to magic realism. Told in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Nobel Prize-winning novel is a candidate for The Great American Read program and aficionados...
PBS
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams' hysterical send-up of bureaucratic thinking, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is the focus of a Great American Read video that urges viewers to vote for one of the greatest satires since Gulliver's Travels.
TED-Ed
A Brief History of Chess
Trace the history of chess and the changes in the popular board game from the Middle East to China to Europe and the now worldwide competitions with a short TEDEd video.
PBS
Frankenstein | The Great American Read
A top vote-getter for the Great American Read program is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Find out why the classic tale, adapted into over 50 films and numerous TV shows, has earned its spot on the favorites list.
TED-Ed
The Train Heist | Think Like A Coder, Ep 4
Robots come in handy when planning a train heist. The hero and her robot continue their quest to find artifacts to save the world. They must locate and steal the Node of Power on a specific car of a train by writing computer code for the...