TED-Ed
Why Sitting Is Bad for You
Our bodies simply aren't built for such a sedentary existence. Discover what happens to our bodies when we don't practice what we are built to do—move!
TED-Ed
Cell vs. Virus: A Battle for Health
Viruses act as alien invaders, but our cells are usually quite effective at counterattack. With cartoon animation, viewers learn how DNA is the mastermind behind making antibodies. Immunity rules in this land!
TED-Ed
Climate Change: Earth's Giant Game of Tetris
In this colorful animation, our current problem with climate change is likened to a block-stacking game of Tetris. Greenhouse gases are increasing in the atmosphere at an increasing rate. Can we place them properly before it's too late?...
TED-Ed
How Tsunamis Work
A flood of information about tsunamis can be learned by viewing this feature. How do they get started? How fast do they travel? How high can they rise? The answers to these questions, plus a little bit of history, are given for your...
TED-Ed
How Does Work...Work?
What makes a clock tick or a bulb light up? The concept of work is explained to a backdrop of clever animation. Physics fans learn that the amount of work equals the product of the force and distance, and that the rate equals the amount...
TED-Ed
Does Stress Cause Pimples?
After this video, make sure to give a pop quiz on pimples! The question that is answered is whether or not pimples are caused by stress. Stress hormones give our bodies what we need for a fight or flight, but what happens if we don't do...
TED-Ed
Poison vs. Venom: What's the Difference?
Did you know that poison and venom are not the same? Both are toxic, but poison must be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed, while venom must be injected into a wound. The narrator explains that some toxic compounds may be used for good, as...
TED-Ed
You and Your Microbes
Humans are like planets, hosting a plethora of microbial communities. This concept is explored with vivid narration and animation, bringing to light the benefits of the huge variety of microbes that live in and on our bodies. What a fun...
TED-Ed
Where We Get Our Fresh Water
This fresh resource explores the world's fresh water: where it can be found, and how humans use it. You might be surprised at the variety of domestic uses! Short, but sweet, this feature can be followed by a class discussion using the...
TED-Ed
The Science of Macaroni Salad: What's in a Mixture?
Mix things up in your physical science class by introducing mixtures. The three types are defined: suspension, colloid, and solution. It all depends on the size and type of the involved particles. With attractive animation and an...
TED-Ed
The Science of Macaroni Salad: What's in a Molecule?
After showing they quick-paced featurette on the breaking of bonds, hold a discussion using the accompanying Think questions. Complex molecules are broken down into smaller molecules during digestion. There are six main molecules that...
TED-Ed
How to Speed Up Chemical Reactions (and Get a Date)
How are chemical reactions like dating? A collision must first occur! In this hilarious approach to speeding up chemical reactions, viewers find out that five changes can increase the rate of reaction: smaller space, increased number of...
TED-Ed
How Polarity Makes Water Behave Strangely
Water is common? Not really! Learn how the polarity of the water molecule gives it tremendous properties that make is quite unique in the universe. Learners will understand surface tension, adhesion, and cohesion, as well as why these...
TED-Ed
Radioactivity: Expect the Unexpected
Several radioactive concepts are explained with the help of animated atoms, complete with their own facial expressions. As physical science pupils watch, they learn about gaining or losing atomic particles, alpha and beta particles, and...
TED-Ed
Biodiesel: The Afterlife of Oil
Use this slick video to introduce your environmental scientists to the wonders of biodiesel. They will learn about problems caused by our waste oil, how it can be recycled, and other benefits of using biofuels. Use the video, assessment...
TED-Ed
The Motion of the Ocean
What drives the ocean's motion? Get your class moving toward understanding by using this video. Viewers find that thermohaline circulation is caused by the concentration gradients of temperature and salinity. Using adorable animation in...
TED-Ed
The Brilliance of Bioluminescence
Illuminate the darkest corners of your marine biology or life science class with this feature about bioluminescence. Viewers see that luciferase and luciferin combine in a cool, light-producing reaction. This adaptation helps glowing...
TED-Ed
The Simple Story of Photosynthesis and Food
Meet adorable, animated chloroplasts as they produce glucose with the help of the sun. Viewers learn how carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and electrons are combined to form carbohydrates with an engaging video. The narrator also explains how...
TED-Ed
What Is Fat?
An animated fat molecule explains how some fats are beneficial and some are harmful. He describes triglyceride molecules and how the chemical bonding or overall shape determines the health value of each individual type of fat. This...
TED-Ed
If Molecules Were People...
By watching this droll and delightful animation, physical scientists consider what happens when molecules collide. In this film, however, parodic people bump into each other, exchanging limbs in the process, just as molecules might trade...
TED-Ed
What is a Fungus?
After watching a short film about the anatomy and physiology of fungi, discuss with your class the seven provided Think questions, or make up your own. The animation is in the style of colorful artistic drawings and text that appears in...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Air Pressure & Wind
Blow your class away with a gust of humor as they watch this video about air pressure and wind. Along the way, they find that the density of air (as determined by temperature, altitude, and water vapor content) leads to air pressure...
Scholastic
Study Jams! Animal Adaptations
Physical and behavioral adaptations are discussed by two teen girls as monarch butterflies flutter by. They also describe the process of natural selection. With colorful animation and relatable teen language, learners are sure to adapt...
National Science Foundation
Science of the Winter Olympic Games: Science of Snow
Physical science fans find out how supercooled water droplets in the clouds can become crystalline snowflakes. They learn about the categories of snowflakes (plates and columns) and the variables that determine their patterns...