Curated OER
Animation Basics: The Art of Timing and Spacing
What distinguishes the visual rhythm of a golf, rubber, beach, and bowling ball? Explore the two fundamental principles—timing and spacing—of animation, as well as a variety of other features to consider when discussing the overall...
TED-Ed
Can Robots Be Creative?
What is creativity, anyway? Check out this fascinating video on the potential for creativity from artificial intelligence. The resource provides insight into the world of computer programming and algorithms, while at the same...
TED-Ed
Why Do We Have Museums?
How did the tradition of collecting and displaying interesting items to the public begin? How have museums evolved over time? Offer your young historians a fascinating look into a cultural pastime we so often take for granted...
TED-Ed
Einstein's Miracle Year
Why was Albert Einstein initially labeled as a "failed" academic, and what events occurred in 1905 that constituted a major turning point for this great scientist? Review Einstein's major theories regarding relativity, light...
TED-Ed
A Brief History of Melancholy
What is sadness? How is it part of the human experience, and does it have any value? Explore how the concept of sadness has evolved throughout history and across cultures, and discuss its ties to philosophy and implications for...
TED-Ed
Is Math Discovered or Invented?
Did mankind invent mathematical concepts, or is math the native language of the universe itself? Discover the beliefs of famous philosophers such as Plato and Euclid with regard to the place of numbers in nature, and take a brief look at...
TED-Ed
The Language of Lying
Did you know that we hear anywhere from 10 to 200 lies a day? This is an intriguing video that discusses the decisions made by the conscious mind, indicators of deception, and examples of famous individuals who were caught in a lie.
TED-Ed
Why We Love Repetition in Music
Why does music rely so heavily on repetition? This is an interesting video from which to explore not only the psychological answers to this question, but also the ways in which humans perceive and rate different types of music.
TED-Ed
Bringing a Pop-up Book to Life
Breath life into the pages of a text with this instructional video on creating pop-up books. From choosing a topic, through the planning and creation phases, this video examines how to develop engaging visual...
Crash Course
Taxes & Smuggling - Prelude to Revolution
Why are the American Revolution and the War for Independence not the same thing? Were taxes really the main point of contestation for the colonists? Listen as this fantastic presenter discusses the roots of the American Revolution,...
Crash Course
World War II Part 2
How did World War II affect the home front in the United States, particularly its economic development and in defining the idea of Americanism? This information-packed video details the expanding role of the federal government during the...
Crash Course
The Cold War in Asia
Dig deeper into the motivations and details of American involvement in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. This engaging video covers the events and profound effects of attempts made by the United States to prevent the spread of communism in...
Crash Course
Women's Suffrage
Discover why some term the period between 1890 and 1920 in the United States a "women's era," a period in which women saw greater economic and political opportunities and an overall shift in gender roles. This video details women's...
Crash Course
Westward Expansion
Take a closer look into the American movement to the wild west during the late nineteenth century and the drastic consequences this had for native populations. The video discusses the importance of the transcontinental railroad in...
Crash Course
America in World War I
What were the real motivations behind America's entrance into World War I? Beginning with a review of American neutrality at the onset of the Great War, this engaging video details the profound effects of the war on the home...
Crash Course
Growth, Cities, and Immigration
Take a closer look at America's shift toward a primarily urban population and into the world's largest industrial power in the early twentieth century. This video reviews the demographics of the first major waves of immigration into...
Crash Course
The Progressive Era
How did citizens in the United States work to solve problems associated with development of American industrial capitalism during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century? Discover the progressive era with an engaging and...
Crash Course
Gilded Age Politics
Discover the incredible degree of corruption that existed in urban political machines during the late nineteenth century. This video offers a great review of the workings of Tammany Hall and major scandals of the Credit Mobilier and the...
Crash Course
Reconstruction and 1876
How did the United States face the problem of needing to integrate a formerly slave and rebellious population back into the country? Your young historians will learn about the complex system of reconstruction that existed in post-Civil...
Crash Course
The Election of 1860 & the Road to Disunion
From the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law and construction of a transcontinental railroad to the conflicts that arose as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scott decision, this video will take your young historians through...
Crash Course
War & Expansion
How did the United States come to acquire two of its largest states? Your class members will learn about the sequence of events that led to and immediately followed the acquisition of Texas and California, including the Mexican-American...
Crash Course
Women in the 19th Century
How did women transform pre-Civil War America? Your young historians will learn about the cult of domesticity and discover the efforts of women to improve prisons, schools, and end slavery in the United States during the nineteenth...
Crash Course
19th Century Reforms
Take a closer look at the religious and moral reform movements in nineteenth century America, including the creation of utopian communities in response to the growth of the market economy, the fundamental ideals of Protestant...
Crash Course
Age of Jackson
Review the depth and complexity of Andrew Jackson's presidency and the beginnings of modern American politics with this engaging video. Topics covered include: the second bank of the United States, the Missouri Compromise, the rise of...