TED-Ed
"Three Months After" by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
What does despair feel like, and what does it look like? Pupils explore the theme of sadness with the sixth episode from the first season of the "There's a Poem for That" playlist. They watch an animated representation of Cristin O'Keefe...
TED-Ed
"All the World's a Stage" by William Shakespeare
"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players" ... and so begins one of English literature's most quoted plays. Scholars watch a visual interpretation of William Shakespeare's poem "All the World's a Stage" from As...
TED-Ed
"The Second Coming" by William Butler Yeats
War, anarchy, destruction ... William Butler Yeats's poem "The Second Coming" has a little something for everyone! With episode four from season one of the "There's a Poem for That" playlist, scholars watch an animated version of the...
TED-Ed
"The Nutritionist" by Andrea Gibson
How can poems help people express their innermost feelings? With episode three from the first season of the There's a Poem for That playlist, pupils listen to the narrator share about her inner world. As Andrea Gibson reads her poem,...
TED-Ed
"To Make Use of Water" by Safia Elhillo
How can someone manipulate language to describe an essential resource such as water? Pupils consider the question with the second episode from season one of the There's a Poem for That playlist. Learners watch an animated version of the...
TED-Ed
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
What happens when people take the road less traveled? Scholars explore the topic using the first episode from season one of the There's a Poem for That playlist. Viewers watch an animated adaptation of Robert Frost's classic and...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Sylvia Plath?
Are the works of Sylvia Plath relevant to the modern reader? The narrator of a short video argues for why viewers should read the works of Sylvia Plath, citing lines from Plath's poetry and images from her stories.
TED-Ed
How Do Ocean Currents Work?
Find out what puts the motion in the ocean with a short video about how ocean currents work. An animated video uses the story of little yellow ducky bathtub toys to show how currents flow through the world's oceans.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Flannery O’Connor?
There is more to literature of the American South than Civil War battles and Scarlett O'Hara. A short video introduces viewers to the works of Flannery O'Connor and her world of unique characters that causes readers to consider the dark...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Shakespeare's "The Tempest"?
Why should you read a story about a magician, his daughter, a slave, a monster, a sprite, a witch, and a prince? Find out what William Shakespeare's The Tempest all about and why it is still a worthy read, despite being written over...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Kurt Vonnegut?
In the midst of darkness, there's hope. A video lesson shares key themes found in Kurt Vonnegut's writing, including the idea of hope in darkness. After watching the video, viewers take a short quiz to test their understanding, answer...
TED-Ed
The Myth of Hercules: 12 Labors in 8-bits
Hercules had to slay a lion, capture a bull, and steal a herd of cattle from a three-headed giant, and he was just getting started. Scholars watch an inventive animated video that uses a video game format to describe the 12 labors of...
TED-Ed
Zen KōAns: Unsolvable Enigmas Designed to Break Your Brain
Why do people attempt to explain the unexplainable? Scholars explore the topic by learning about ancient philosophical thought experiements known as kōans. After watching a brief yet informative video, pupils answer questions and engage...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "One Hundred Years of Solitude"?
How does One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez represent the genre of magical realism? Scholars explore the topic by watching an informative video. Next, they answer quiz questions and join an online...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "Don Quixote"?
What value could there possibly be in a story about a man who sets out to fight windmills? Turns out, quite a bit! A video and interactive lesson about the novel Don Quixote sets out to explain the answer to the question. Viewers track...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "Waiting for Godot"?
Sometimes life feels like a tragic comedy. A video about the play Waiting for Godot describes the play as a tragic comedy. Viewers see a summary of the famous drama and its history before answering multiple-choice and open-ended...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Edgar Allan Poe?
Edgar Allen Poe's writing goes far beyond the familiarity of "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." An intriguing video lesson explores the work, history, and style of the famous Gothic writer. Animations engage viewers in the video, and...
TED-Ed
The Myth of Sisyphus
Having an eagle eat your liver sounds like a form of cruel and unusual punishment. As explained in an interesting video lesson, it's nothing compared to the punishments doled out in "The Myth of Sisyphus." A summary introduces the...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "A Midsummer Night's Dream?"
Set the stage for a study of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with an engaging animated video that is sure to stoke the interest of readers as it gets to the bottom of the key themes of the comedy. The narrator's arguments...
Crash Course
Mythical Language and Idiom: Crash Course World Mythology #41
Learning about mythological idioms can be quite an odyssey. The 41st and final installment in the Crash Course World Mythology series makes the topic manageable and interesting. Scholars explore the language of mythology and investigate...
Crash Course
Witches and Hags: Crash Course World Mythology #39
Where did the term nightmare originate? According to Norse mythology, hags (known as "mares") come at night and are responsible for bad dreams. Scholars explore the topic further using the 39th of 41 videos in the Crash Course World...
Crash Course
Cities of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #35
Grab a compass and road map ... it's time to explore some mythological cities! With the 35th video of 41 from the Crash Course World Mythology series, viewers meet two characters from Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus. Scholars also...
Crash Course
Mythical Trees: Crash Course World Mythology #34
Hopefully scholars won't make like a tree and leave before watching the 34th video in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Pupils analyze stories about mythical trees from Biblical, Norse, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions. In addition,...
Crash Course
The Epic of Gilgamesh: Crash Course World Mythology #26
Meet a scary demon named Humbaba in the 26th installment of the 41-episode Crash Course World Mythology series. Scholars learn about The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian poem. Viewers also consider how the epic relates to...