Discover Resources
Browse curated homeschool resources from the community
From Dna to Silly Putty the Diverse World of Polymers Jan Mattingly
You are made of polymers, and so are trees and telephones and toys. A polymer is a long chain of identical molecules (or monomers) with a range of useful properties, like toughness or stretchiness -- and it turns out, we just can't live without them. Polymers occur both naturally -- our DNA is a polymer -- and synthetically, like plastic, Silly Putty and styrofoam. Jan Mattingly explains how polymers have changed our world.
How Many Verb Tenses Are There in English Anna Ananichuk
How many different verb tenses are there in a language like English? At first, the answer seems obvious — there’s past, present, and future. But it isn't quite that simple. Anna Ananichuk explains how thanks to something called grammatical aspect, each of those time periods actually divides further.
The Life Cycle of a Cup of Coffee a J Jacobs
How many people does it take to make a cup of coffee? For many of us, all it takes is a short walk and a quick pour. But this simple staple is the result of a globe-spanning process whose cost and complexity are far greater than you might imagine. AJ Jacobs traces the journey of this caffeinated elixir from seed to cup.
How Do Investors Beat the Stock Market Richard Coffin
Every day, billions of stocks are traded on the New York Stock Exchange alone. But with over 43,000 companies listed on stock exchanges around the world, how do investors decide which stocks to buy? And what do individuals and institutions achieve by investing in stocks? Richard Coffin explores the tactics of different investing strategies.
What Causes an Economic Recession Richard Coffin
For millennia, the people of Britain had been using bronze to make tools and jewelry, and as a currency for trade. But around 800 BCE, that began to change: the value of bronze declined, causing social upheaval and an economic crisis— what we would call a recession today. So what causes recessions? Richard Coffin digs into the economic fluctuations that affect our modern markets.
Can the Ocean Run Out of Oxygen Kate Slabosky
For most of the year, the Gulf of Mexico is teeming with marine life, from tiny crustaceans to massive whales. But every summer, disaster strikes. Around May, animals begin to flee the area. And soon, creatures that can’t swim or can’t swim fast enough begin to suffocate and die off in massive numbers. What's going on? Kate Slabosky dives into the lethal conditions that create dead zones.
Can You Trust Your Memory Sheila Marie Orfano
A samurai is found dead in a quiet bamboo grove. One by one, the crime’s only known witnesses recount their version of the events. But as they each tell their tale, it becomes clear that every testimony is plausible yet different. And each witness implicates themselves. What’s going on? Sheila Marie Orfano explores the phenomenon of warring perspectives known as the Rashomon effect.
The Last Living Members of an Extinct Species Jan Stejskal
In the savannahs of Kenya, two female northern white rhinos, Nájin and Fatu, munch contentedly on grass. They are the last two known northern white rhinos left on Earth. Their species is functionally extinct— without a male, they can’t reproduce. And yet, there’s still hope to revive the northern white rhino. How can that be? Jan Stejskal dives into the science of reviving a dying species.
How to Make Your Writing Funnier Cheri Steinkellner
Did you ever notice how many jokes start with “Did you ever notice?” And what’s the deal with “What’s the deal?” There’s a lot of funny to be found simply by noticing the ordinary, everyday things you don’t ordinarily notice every day. Emmy Award-winning comedy writer Cheri Steinkellner offers a few tips and tricks for finding the funny in your writing.
Your Body vs Implants Kaitlyn Sadtler
Insulin pumps improve the lives of millions of people with diabetes around the world by monitoring blood sugar, delivering insulin, and preventing the need for constant finger-pricking. But there’s a catch: they’re temporary. And it’s not only insulin pumps that have this problem, but all bodily implants. Why is that? Kaitlyn Sadtler details how our immune system reacts to foreign bodies.
The Loathsome Lethal Mosquito Rose Eveleth
Everyone hates mosquitos. Besides the annoying buzzing and biting, mosquito-borne diseases like malaria kill over a million people each year (plus horses, dogs and cats). And over the past 100 million years, they've gotten good at their job -- sucking up to three times their weight in blood, totally undetected. So shouldn't we just get rid of them? Rose Eveleth shares why scientists aren't sure.
Who is Sherlock Holmes Neil Mccaw
More than a century after first emerging into the fogbound, gaslit streets of Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes is universally recognizable. And yet many of his most recognizable features don't appear in Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories. So who exactly is Sherlock Holmes? Who's the real "great detective," and where do we find him? Neil McCaw traces the evolution of Sherlock.
The Life Cycle of a Sneaker Angel Chang
Australians call them “runners." The British know them as “trainers.” Americans refer to them as “sneakers.” Whatever you call them, these casual shoes are worn by billions of people around the world. Today, roughly 23 billion shoes are produced each year. So, how can we balance our love of sneakers with the need for sustainability? Angel Chang explores how shoe manufacturing impacts our planet.
Ugly History Witch Hunts Brian a Pavlac
In the German town of Nördlingen in 1593, innkeeper Maria Höll found herself accused of witchcraft. She was arrested for questioning, and denied the charges. She insisted she wasn’t a witch through 62 rounds of torture before her accusers finally released her. Other accused witches weren’t so “lucky." Why did these witch hunts occur? Brian A. Pavlac digs into this horrific chapter in human history.