Curated OER
The Story of 'True'
The history of the English language is a long and winding road, forsooth. Here’s a short video that traces the truth about the history of the world true, from its Old English origins to modern usages. Consider generating a list of words...
TED-Ed
An Anti-Hero of Ones Own
The antihero, the flawed protagonist of so much of contemporary literature such as Fahrenheit 451, is the subject of a short video that traces the fall from grace of the divine heroes of classical literature to the flawed, far more human...
TED-Ed
Learning from Smallpox: How to Eradicate a Disease
Throughout history, humans have been forced to overcome diseases that have threatened the survival of our species. This short instructional video focuses on one such disease—smallpox, the first and only disease to be completely...
TED-Ed
A Brief History of Religion in Art
Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language."
TED-Ed
The Evolution of the Human Eye
Vision is arguably the most important of the five senses, but exactly how did we come by this amazing ability? Find out with this engaging video on the 500 million year evolution of the human eye.
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...
TED-Ed
Who Am I? A Philosophical Inquiry
The narrator of this short, animated video uses Plutarch's "Ship of Theseus" to launch an exploration of the philosophical question, "Who Am I?"
British Council
Stratford 2: The Lost Years
Before Shakespeare moved to London, he found inspiration in Stratford. Part of a thorough series on Shakespeare, an intriguing video describes the Bard's early years in Stratford when he was newly married and had three young...
TED-Ed
What Is a Butt Tuba and Why Is it in Medieval Art?
Before picture books and animated videos, there were hand-copied manuscripts whose margins were filled with fantastic images. A short video examines the tradition of illuminating books and considers what some of the more bizarre images...