TED-Ed
Slowing Down Time (in Writing & Film)
How do you slowmo a story? The narrator of a short video models how to slow down the pace of a narrative by using concepts drawn from slow motion filming. Just as slow motion in a film is achieved by speeding up the process so that more...
TED-Ed
How Did English Evolve?
War and conquest are not the only factors in language change and development, as the narrator of a short video points out in her lecture about the evolution of the English language. Using the phrases, "They gave us a hearty welcome," and...
TED-Ed
Inside a Cartoonist's World
Introduce your class to cartooning and the process of creating a comic. Liza Donnelly, cartoonist for The New Yorker, narrates the steps she takes to write and illustrate a cartoon. She also gets at the roles of a comic and how readers...
Curated OER
What's the Definition of Comedy? Banana.
Comedy eludes definition; however, there have been many attempts to assign a definition. The narrator explains concepts introduced by Henri Bergson and Aristotle as he approaches the topic. These ideas are animated with cartoons and are...
Curated OER
A Brief History of Plural Word...s
One of the most straightforward rules of the English language is to add an s to make a word plural, except for a few irregular words. However, English wasn't always like this. Watch a narrated, animated video that explains the history of...
Curated OER
Mysteries of Vernacular: Robot
Where does the word robot come from? Starting with a brief definition, the video explores the origins of the word, using neat animations to demonstrate the narration. The resource also comes with assessment questions, links to more...
Curated OER
Shakespearean Dating Tips
Want to get the attention of that special someone? Try out some metaphors! This colorfully animated video first points out the positives of Shakespeare’s works, before comparing complex metaphors about love to modern pick-up lines. The...
TED-Ed
Mysteries of the Vernacular: Bewilder
Help your class build an understanding of how words evolve over time with a video on the origins of bewilder. The narrator goes all the way back to Old English to find the beginnings of the word and moves through the centuries,...
TED-Ed
Tales of Passion
What is feminism? Listen as renowned author and activist Isabel Allende champions the cause of passionate individuals, and in particular, women who have gone against the grain and challenged the status quo in order to make the world...
TED-Ed
The Art of the Metaphor
Show this poetic and captivating video to your class to activate thought about figurative language. The narrator conjures up scenes with her use of metaphor and describes not only what a metaphor is, but what a metaphor can do. She uses...
TED-Ed
Insults by Shakespeare
Draw your class into Shakespeare's world with very old-school smack talk. Through these creative curses, Shakespeare efficiently sets the mood and develops relationships between characters. The narrator breaks down several examples from...
TED-Ed
The Case Against "Good" and "Bad"
Good and bad are put on trial for covering up the truth with vague descriptions. How dare they lie like that! See if the presenter can convince your class to ban these words and replace them with more precise, descriptive, and...
TED-Ed
How Fiction Can Change Reality
Stories are much more than they seem. They can change a person's point of view and provide beliefs. Challenge your class to consider the role of classic and modern literature in shaping the world. The video provides several examples,...
TED-Ed
A Host of Heros
Why do we need heroes? Acquaint your class with the epic hero, tragic hero, and romantic hero. The narrator defines each type with accessible language and provides an example from literature. Learners will enjoy the narrator's style and...
Curated OER
Mining Literature for Deeper Meanings
Literature teachers often ask their classes to find the big ideas in a text, but how does a writer do this successfully? Show the video to give your pupils some steps to keep in mind while they read and analyze. The narrator encourages...
TED-Ed
Mysteries of Vernacular: Earwig
Sometimes a folk tale takes root and, even if it is not true, can determine the development of a word and its associated meanings. Take earwig, for example. An earwig has a false reputation for crawling into your brain, but the name...
TED-Ed
The Punishable Perils of Plagiarism
For the purposes of this video, plagiarism is a criminal offense pursued by the Department of Plagiarism Investigation. Each type of plagiarism is given a catchy name, a creative description, and is demonstrated with a cartoon animation....
Imagine Learning Classroom
Gather Evidence to Support a Thesis
This video is sure to convince your class of the importance of including strong evidence to support a thesis statement! Young writers learn what type of information is needed to convince a reader, where to attain such information, and...
Educational Development Center, Inc.
Toshi Reagon
Singer songwriter Toshi Reagon says that if the music is the car, the words are the fuel. Have kids see what the collaborative writing and music process looks in action. Toshi shares her process, issues she faces, and how she writes...
Education Development Center
Hazel Dickens
Young writers will get a chance to see into the world of a real-life singer/songwriter. Country singer Hazel Dickson discusses her process, writing, inspiration, music, and self expression. A wonderful way to showcase the many avenues...
Sesame Street
One Of These Things: Balloons
Providing a group of objects in which one does not belong with the others, this video leads learners to use critical language arts. With three red balloons and one blue as part of the group, this is a simple lesson on classification that...
Sesame Street
Letter A (Letter of the Day)
Elmo introduces the letter of the day: A! He sings a catchy tune, asking kids to clap their hands along with him.
Sesame Street
Elmo's Bus: Part One
To show little ones the difference between front and back, Elmo gets in a cardboard bus. He sits in the front of the bus and then in the back.
Sesame Street
The Planet Of Huff & Puff
Trash Gordon battles the breeze in this story located on the planet of Huff & Puff. This is storytelling at its best!