British Council
Romeo and Juliet
An engaging video featuring William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is accompanied by six activities designed to reinforce vocabulary, story elements, and comprehension. Scholars match words to pictures, place events in sequential order,...
British Council
Twelfth Night
Scholars experience Shakespeare's, Twelfth Night, with an engaging interactive. After watching the story, six activities extend the learning experience. Topics include characters, vocabulary, a sequence of events, comprehension, and...
British Council
William Shakespeare
After watching a three-minute video detailing the life of William Shakespeare, scholars take part in several activities designed to show what they know about the famous writer. Learners read a series of eight sentences and put them in...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read “Crime and Punishment”?
Dostoevesky's Crime and Punishment is known as the first psychological thriller and a critique of 19th-century Russian society. The narrator of a hauntingly bleak video sets forth a case for reading the infamous novel.
TED-Ed
The Chinese Myth of the Immortal White Snake
Do you believe in true love? Could you love a monster? What would you sacrifice for someone you love? An ancient Chinese myth poses these cosmic questions in a retelling of "The Myth of the Immortal White Snake."
TED-Ed
The Aztec Myth of the Unlikeliest Sun God
How did the sun arrive in the sky? Learners watch a short film that describes the myth of Nanahuatl, a weak Aztec god who sacrificed himself to become the fifth sun for his people.
TED-Ed
"Accents" by Denice Frohman
Denice Frohman's poem "Accents" becomes a visual and auditory feast for viewers as they watch an animated interpretation of her powerful poem.
TED-Ed
Titan of Terror: The Dark Imagination of H.P. Lovecraft
Science fiction and horror story geeks will love a carefully crafted video about H.P. Lovecraft. Those new to the Cthulhu Mythos and "Lovecraftian" fiction are introduced to the Great Old Ones, Yog-Sothoth, and Azathoth.
TED-Ed
"First Kiss" by Tim Seibles
Viewers have an opportunity to not only hear Tim Seibles read his poem "First Kiss" but to watch animations provided by a team of artists as well.
TED-Ed
The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen
More than 15 of Jane Austen's novels have been adapted into films. While viewers enjoy the lush sets, period costumes, and the depictions of eighteenth-century British gentry, what is often lost in these adaptations is Austen's satire. A...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Virginia Woolf?
Afraid to read Virginia Woolf? Check out a short video that presents arguments for why you should read the works of this famous writer.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Sci-Fi Superstar Octavia E. Butler?
Introduce science fiction fans to writer Octavia E. Butler with a short video that argues for why readers should add her works to their must-read list.
Poetry4kids
How to Rhyme – a Video Poetry Writing Lesson
A host details what does and does not rhyme in an informative video that focuses on creating words for a poem. He provides examples and discusses how rhyming makes a difference in tone and purpose.
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...