Discover Resources
Browse curated homeschool resources from the community
How to Read Music Tim Hansen
Like an actor’s script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you've gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and clefs, you're ready to rock. Tim Hansen hits the instrumental basics you need to read music.
Rhythm in a Box the Story of the Cajon Drum Paul Jennings
Many modern musical instruments are complicated pieces of machinery with many moving parts. But the cajon is simply a drum and a stand and a seat all in one box. Paul Jennings explains the history behind the cajon and how it has become one of the most versatile and popular percussion instruments in the world today.
Grammar s Great Divide the Oxford Comma Ted Ed
If you read "Bob, a DJ and a clown" on a guest list, are three people coming to the party, or only one? That depends on whether you're for or against the Oxford comma -- perhaps the most hotly contested punctuation mark of all time. When do we use one? Can it really be optional, or is there a universal rule? TED-Ed explores both sides of this comma conundrum.
The Hawaiian Story of the King s Betrayal Sydney Iaukea
Long ago, the Hawaiian wind goddess wielded a gourd that housed the winds of the Islands. It came to hold her bones, along with the life force they carried, and was eventually passed to her grandson, Paka'a. Like his father before him, he became the trusted attendant to the king of Hawaii. But his privileged status also made him a target. Sydney Iaukea shares the tale of the king's betrayal.
A Street Librarian s Quest to Bring Books to Everyone Storybook Maze
As a self-proclaimed radical street librarian, Storybook Maze makes books appear where they’re scarce. Through initiatives like free, public book vending machines and street corner story times, she eliminates book deserts by making books accessible for children in underserved communities. (And in case you're wondering, she shares how you can become a radical street librarian, too.)
Become a Slam Poet in Five Steps Gayle Danley
With enough passion and practice, becoming a slam poet is within your reach. Explore a distant memory on paper, then read it out loud. Edit. Try reading it out loud again, and add your finishing touches. Gayle Danley offers five steps to being a slam poet -- while being downright poetic in the process.
Why Don T Tough and Dough Rhyme Arika Okrent
Spelling reformers have been advocating for changes to make English spelling more intuitive and less irregular. One example of its messiness: take the “g-h” sound from “enough,” the “o” sound from “women” and the “t-i” sound from “action,” and you could argue that “g-h-o-t-i” spells “fish.” So, how did English get like this? Arika Okrent explores the complexity of English spelling conventions.
Jabberwocky One of Literature s Best Bits of Nonsense
As Alice wanders through the dreamscape of Looking-Glass Land in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There," she happens across a book written in an unintelligible language. Inside, she discovers an epic poem filled with nonsense, fearsome creatures, and whimsical language. Dive into Carroll's legendary poem, "Jabberwocky" and see if you can make sense of the nonsense.
TED-Ed: Writing & Composition Lessons
TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated lessons, create customized lessons, and share your big ideas.
What Orwellian Really Means Noah Tavlin
If you’ve watched the news or followed politics, chances are you’ve heard the term Orwellian thrown around in one context or another. But have you ever stopped to think about what it really means, or why it’s used so often? Noah Tavlin dissects the term.
Insults by Shakespeare
“You’re a fishmonger!” By taking a closer look at Shakespeare’s words--specifically his insults--we see why he is known as a master playwright whose works transcend time and appeal to audiences all over the world.
The Electrifying Speeches of Sojourner Truth Daina Ramey Berry
Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in late 18th century New York. Fleeing bondage with her youngest daughter, she renamed herself Sojourner Truth and embarked on a legendary speaking tour. She became known as an electrifying orator and her speeches impacted thousands of people in communities across the United States. Daina Ramey Berry details the life of the outspoken activist.
Japan s Scariest Ghost Story Kit Brooks
Oiwa’s only hope for ending her marriage to the cruel and dishonorable samurai, Iemon, was her father. But after he tried to end the union, Iemon murdered him in cold blood. With plans to marry another, Iemon conspired to poison his wife and left her for dead. But unfortunately for Iemon, it wouldn’t be the last of Oiwa. Kit Brooks shares the chilling tale of Oiwa’s ghostly revenge.
Why Should You Read Macbeth Brendan Pelsue
There’s a play so powerful that an old superstition says its name should never be uttered in a theater. A play that begins with witchcraft and ends with a bloody, severed head. A play filled with riddles, prophecies, nightmare visions, and lots of brutal murder. But is it really all that good? Brendan Pelsue explains why you should read (or revisit) "Macbeth."
How to Design a Library That Makes Kids Want to Read Michael Bierut
When Michael Bierut was tapped to design a logo for public school libraries, he had no idea he was embarking on a years-long passion project. In this often hilarious talk, he recalls his obsessive quest to bring energy, learning, art and graphics into these magical spaces where school librarians can inspire new generations of readers and thinkers.
What Happens When You Die a Poetic Inquiry
Death, a kindly gentleman riding in a horse carriage, comes to collect a woman for her journey to the afterlife. So begins Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death,” an exploration of both the uncertainties of death and its inevitability. Dive into one of Dickinson’s most celebrated works, which speaks to life’s greatest mystery: what happens when you die?
Did Shakespeare Write His Plays Natalya St Clair and Aaron Williams
Some people question whether Shakespeare really wrote the works that bear his name – or whether he even existed at all. Could it be true that the greatest writer in the English language was as fictional as his plays? Natalya St. Clair and Aaron Williams show how a linguistic tool called stylometry might shed light on the answer.
TED-Ed: Speaking Lessons
TED-Ed celebrates the ideas of teachers and students around the world. Discover hundreds of animated lessons, create customized lessons, and share your big ideas.
The World s Most Mysterious Book Stephen Bax
Deep inside Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library lies a 240 page tome. Recently carbon dated to around 1420, its pages feature looping handwriting and hand drawn images seemingly stolen from a dream. It is called the Voynich manuscript, and it’s one of history’s biggest unsolved mysteries. The reason why? No one can figure out what it says. Stephen Bax investigates this cryptic work.
Write Your Story Change History Brad Meltzer
The idea that youth is wasted on the young? Wrong. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the creators of Superman were all under 30 when they wrote themselves into history. In this inspirational TEDYouth 2011 Talk, Brad Meltzer encourages us to dream big, work hard, and stay humble.
How to Be Fearless in the Face of Authoritarianism Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
How do you stand up to authoritarianism? In this powerful talk, housewife-turned-politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya describes her bid to defeat Belarus's long-time autocratic leader in the nation's 2020 presidential election. She shares a meditation on the link between fearlessness and freedom, reminding us that we all have what it takes to stand up to injustice— we just need to do it together.
The Lost Art of Democratic Debate Michael Sandel
Democracy thrives on civil debate, Michael Sandel says -- but we're shamefully out of practice. He leads a fun refresher, with TEDsters sparring over a recent Supreme Court case (PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin) whose outcome reveals the critical ingredient in justice.
Making a Ted Ed Lesson Bringing a Pop Up Book to Life
In ‘The Pangaea Pop-up’ Lesson, animator Biljana Labovic decided the best way to illustrate moving, shifting tectonic plates was to use a physical object that could also move and shift. Here, Labovic explains how she and her team of animators created a pop-up book to visualize Pangaea -- and how you can make your own.