Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: What Is Abstract Expressionism?

For Students 9th - 10th
If you visit a museum with a collection of modern and contemporary art, you're likely to see works that sometimes elicit the response, "My cat could make that, so how is it art?" But is it true? Could anyone create one of Jackson...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Why Is This Painting So Captivating?

For Students 9th - 10th
On first glance, the painting "Las Meninas" ("The Maids of Honor") might not seem terribly special, but it's actually one of the most analyzed pieces in the history of art. Why is this painting by Diego Velazquez so captivating? James...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How Ancient Art Influenced Modern Art

For Students 9th - 10th
The term modern art sounds like it means art that is popular now, but the style actually originated over 150 years ago and includes artists like Picasso, Matisse, and Gauguin. What's more ironic is that this movement they pioneered-...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Complex Geometry of Islamic Design

For Students 9th - 10th
In Islamic culture, geometric design is everywhere: you can find it in mosques, madrasas, palaces, and private homes. And despite the remarkable complexity of these designs, they can be created with just a compass to draw circles and a...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Unexpected Math Behind Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

For Students 9th - 10th
Physicist Werner Heisenberg said, "When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." As difficult as turbulence is to understand...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Making a Ted Ed Lesson: Bringing a Pop Up Book to Life

For Students 9th - 10th
In 'The Pangaea Pop-up' Lesson, animator Biljana Labovic decided the best way to illustrate moving, shifting tectonic plates was to use a physical object that could also move and shift. Here, Labovic explains how she and her team of...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Corruption, Wealth and Beauty: The History of the Venetian Gondola

For Students 9th - 10th
It's hard to imagine Venice without the curious, banana-shaped gondolas that glide down the canals. How did these boats come to be the trademark transportation of Venice? Laura Morelli details the history of the gondola, explaining why...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: The Many Meanings of Michelangelo's Statue of David

For Students 9th - 10th
We typically experience classic works of art in a museum, stripped of their original contexts, but that serene setting can belie a tumultuous history. Take Michelangelo's statue of David: devised as a religious symbol, adopted as a...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Doodlers, Unite!

For Students 9th - 10th
Studies show that sketching and doodling improve our comprehension- and our creative thinking. So why do we still feel embarrassed when we're caught doodling in a meeting? Sunni Brown says: Doodlers, unite! She makes the case for...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: From Aaliyah to Jay Z: Captured Moments in Hip Hop History

For Students 9th - 10th
Jonathan Mannion once convinced rapper DMX to climb into a pool of blood- all in pursuit of the perfect photo. In this passionate TEDYouth talk, the photographer shares how fighting for the moments he needs to capture has helped him tell...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Building a Museum of Museums on the Web

For Students 9th - 10th
Imagine being able to see artwork in the greatest museums around the world without leaving your chair. Driven by his passion for art, Amit Sood tells the story of how he developed Art Project to let people do just that. [5:35]
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Pixar: The Math Behind the Movies

For Students 9th - 10th
The folks at Pixar are widely known as some of the world's best storytellers and animators. They are perhaps less recognized as some of the most innovative math whizzes around. Pixar Research Lead Tony DeRose delves into the math behind...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How Many Lightbulbs?

For Students 9th - 10th
A look at sustainable energy and what we use our energy for. [6:15]
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: On Being Wrong

For Students 9th - 10th
Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we're wrong about that? Wrongologist Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for not just admitting but embracing our fallibility. [17:52]
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How Do Animals See in the Dark?

For Students 9th - 10th
To human eyes, the world at night is a formless canvas of grey. Many nocturnal animals, on the other hand, experience a rich and varied world, bursting with details, shapes, and colors.Anna Stockl uncovers the science behind night...
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Magnesium: Periodic Table of Videos

For Students 9th - 10th
The team at Periodicvideos has created a TED-Ed Lesson for every element of the periodic table. This one is about the first useful metal on the periodic table, magnesium. It famously burns very brightly when exposed to flame. [6:36]