Fairy tales aren’t just “once upon a time…” and “happily ever after.” They can connect us to people across the world! In our final episode of Crash Course Kids Literature, we compare and contrast different versions of “Little Red Riding...

The sun rises in the east, the moon rises in the east, and the stars rise in the east... but solar eclipses, oddly, come from the west. If total eclipses are caused by the sun and the moon, why don't they behave like the sun and the moon?

An early bird rises with the sun, springing out of bed abuzz with energy. Meanwhile, a night owl groggily rises much later, not hitting their stride until late in the day. How many people are truly night owls or early birds? And are our...

Researcher Kwabena Boahen is looking for ways to mimic the brain's supercomputing powers in silicon -- because the messy, redundant processes inside our heads actually make for a small, light, superfast computer.

The brain of luchador Hanko wants to take on the worlds fastest supercomputer, "K," in a cage match for bragging rights - which one is the most impressive information processor?

TED Fellow and education innovator Larry Irvin envisions a world where every child can see themselves reflected in their teachers. With his team at Brothers Empowered to Teach, Irvin is providing pathways to careers in education for...

We live in an age of protest. On campuses, in public squares, on streets and social media, protestors around the world are challenging the status quo. But while protest is often necessary, is it sufficient? Eric Liu outlines three...

When we say a planet is habitable, we aren't REALLY saying what we think we are saying. 'Habitable' means something else. Is Kepler 186f habitable, in the true sense of the word? And if not, what other planets should we be looking at?...

The smartphone you use reflects more than just personal taste ... it could determine how closely you can be tracked, too. Privacy expert and TED Fellow Christopher Soghoian details a glaring difference between the encryption used on...

In 1815, Lord Byron proposed a challenge to a few literary guests he had gathered in his house on Lake Geneva: Who could write the most chilling ghost story? This question sparked an idea in eighteen-year-old Mary Shelley who, over the...

It may seem counterintuitive, but comedy is often key to a serious story. As a writer, you need your audience to experience a range of emotions, no matter what your genre. Comic relief is a tried-and-true way of creating the varied...

What makes you, you? Psychologists like to talk about our traits, or defined characteristics that make us who we are. But Brian Little is more interested in moments when we transcend those traits -- sometimes because our culture demands...

In this video Paul Andersen compares and contrasts mechanical and electromagnetic waves. Both types of waves transfer energy through oscillations but mechanical waves requires a medium. Several examples of each type of wave are included.

This video provides an insightful overview of the fundamental principles of layout and composition in design. It emphasizes the importance of these elements in providing structure, clarity, and visual appeal to various forms of creative...

This video, entitled "Clarifying Relationships," explains how and why authors use juxtaposition.

This video provides valuable tips on how to decipher unfamiliar words by utilizing context clues. By examining the surrounding words and phrases in a sentence, such as definition clues, synonym clues, antonym clues, and example clues,...

This video emphasizes the importance of historical documents in understanding the past by showcasing how they reveal the thoughts and perspectives of people from different time periods. It highlights the significance of analyzing...

In this video, the concept of theme in storytelling is explored, emphasizing how authors convey their central messages through various elements such as character dialogue, actions, names, contrasting characters, and outcomes. Viewers are...

This video, entitled "Contrasting Themes," describes how to contrast the themes of two different poems.

This video, entitled "Connecting Points," describes how to compare and contrast to find connections between ideas.

The seven common ways authors organize informational text

Howcast - Learn how to do a front kick karate move from karate instructor Richard Amos in this Howcast video.

Howcast - Want to be the kind of woman who gets every man's attention when she walks into a room? Try these proven strategies to attract men like a magnet.

Howcast - Learn if infants see in color or in black and white from pediatrician Dyan Hes, M.D. in this Howcast video about newborn and baby development.