Instructional Video

Why Are Some People Left-Handed?

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Most animals that show a paw preference are split 50/50 with half of the population preferring one side and the other half preferring the other, yet in humans only 10 percent are left-handed. The video explains what part of the brain controls handedness and language and the connection, or lack of connection, between the two. It ends up raising more questions than it answers, which is an important lesson for scholars to understand.

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Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Before the video, ask scholars, "What is a southpaw?"
  • Research religious or cultural beliefs about the left hand
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires no prior knowledge, though if your pupils already know Punnett Squares, you can lead a healthy debate
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Includes closed captioning in English for ease of note taking
  • Provides easy-to-understand cartoon diagrams
Cons
  • None