Storynory
Helen of Troy
Helen of Troy is one of the most prevalent figures in poetry, mythology, and literature. Discover how the Trojan War began with her journey to Troy with an engaging audiobook accompanied by a written background and transcript.
Storynory
The Homecoming of Odysseus
The winding, incredible, seemingly never-ending adventure of Odysseus can be overwhelming to young readers. An engaging audio version of Homer's Odyssey introduces listeners to the fundamentals of the story without Homer's elevated...
Storynory
The Wooden Horse
One of the greatest tricks of all time is so well known that it has become its own colloquialism. Introduce elementary readers to "The Wooden Horse," an adaptation of the legendary story from Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid, with a...
Macat
An Introduction to C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity
A universal moral law governs human nature. A video summary of C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity explores C.S. Lewis' thoughts on that moral law and God in general. Additional illustrations help improve understanding of the classic text.
Macat
An Introduction to Thomas Paine's The Rights of Man
Should leadership be inherited? Is it the responsibility of a government to ensure the rights of its people? Thomas Paine argues in his Rights of Man that it is not only the obligation of a government, but also that revolution is...
Macat
An Introduction to T.S. Eliot's The Sacred Wood
Do poets need to be familiar with strategies and techniques use by past and contemporary poets in order to be successful? They do according to T.S. Eliot. An intriguing video offers an overview of the key ideas in T.S. Eliot's The...
Macat
Intro to Evans-Pritchard’s Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic among the Azande
Oxford professor E.E. Evans-Pritchard's Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic among the Azande is credited with developing the field of social anthropology. Introduce viewers to his argument that in the absence of science, societies like the...
TED-Ed
The Myth of King Midas and His Golden Touch
Go beyond the usual retelling of the myth of King Midas and his golden touch with a video that reveals the story of the rogue ruler's unusual ears.
TED-Ed
The Myth of Thor's Journey to the Land of Giants
Why are there tides? What caused the world to shift? Why are there valleys surrounded by mountains? The explanations for these phenomena are all found in the Norse myth of Thor's journey to Utgard.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "The Handmaid's Tale"?
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, published in 1985, remains a timeless and cautionary tale. Naomi Mercer offers a cogent argument for why Atwood's speculative fiction should should be a part of the modern language arts canon.
TED-Ed
The Myth of Arachne and Athena
The tale of Arachne is spun for viewers of a short video that details the fate of the beautiful, vain, young spinner who challenged Athena and was caught in the web of her arrogance.
TED-Ed
The Myth of Oisín and the Land of Eternal Youth
Viewers learn about Echtrai, an Irish myth genre, with the retelling of the myth of Oisin and his visit with Niamh to Tir na nOg, the land of eternal youth.
TED-Ed
How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English?
You don't need a time machine to travel through time—you just need the English language! Explore the 12 possible ways to describe something that happened, something that is still happening, or something that will happen with an engaging...
Macat
An Introduction to Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Most American are familiar with Thomas Paine's impassioned plea about the importance of liberty, but they may not be as familiar with the other ideas put forth in his pamphlet Common Sense. Introduce class members to Paine's...
Macat
An Introduction to Charles Darwin’s On The Origin Of Species
Macat introduces viewers to one of the key ideas in Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species with a short video that models how natural selection influences evolutionary change.
Macat
An Introduction to Sun Tzu's The Art of War
The heart of Sun Tzu's text, The Art of War, is about subduing the enemy without fighting. Introduce viewers to China's famous military strategist and philosopher with a short video that provides an overview of his ideas.
Macat
An Introduction to Confucius's Analects
Wisdom, self-knowledge, courage, and virtue. Introduce viewers to the ideas of Confucius with a short video analysis of his Analects, his guide for a moral society.
Macat
An Introduction to Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow
Is the War on Drugs responsible for the inordinate number of black Americans sent to prison for non-violent drug offensives? That's MIchelle Alexander's contention in her book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of...
TED-Ed
The Tragic Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice
Don't look back! Introduce viewers to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice with a short video that recounts the tale of the young poet and his love.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Charles Dickens?
Prisons, orphanages, slums, workhouses. Such are the settings of Charles Dickens' novels. Why would anyone (except for literature teachers, perhaps) want to read these tales? Find out why with a short video that explores the allure of...
TED-Ed
Can You Solve the Egg Drop Riddle?
100 floors, 100 Faberge eggs, one thief, and one escape vehicle. Young logicians put together what they know to determine how a thief can safely drop a fragile Faberge egg out a window of the city museum into her waiting truck and escape.
TED-Ed
How to Make Your Writing Suspenseful
Viewers get some tips on how to create suspense in their writing from a short video that draws on examples from Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and even Oedipus Rex. Remember: It's not what happens but...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read "Macbeth"?
All is fair in motivating readers. And something wickedly wonderful comes from using a short introductory video to double readers' enjoyment of Shakespeare's tragedy about the ambitious Thane of Glamis. It is a tale told by a genius.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Virgil's "Aeneid"?
Is Virgil's Aeneid, as Augustus believed, written in praise of the first Roman emperor, or a criticism of his rule? Introduce the famous epic poem with a short video that provides background information about the poet, the historic...