TED-Ed

Today's math curriculum is teaching students to expect -- and excel at -- paint-by-numbers classwork, robbing kids of a skill more important than solving problems: formulating them. In his talk, Dan Meyer shows classroom-tested math exercises that prompt students to stop and think. (Filmed at TEDxNYED.)Talk by Dan Meyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/equality-sports-and-title-ix-erin-buzuvis-and-kristine-newhall In 1972, U.S. Congress passed Title IX, a law which prohibited discrimination against women in schools, colleges, and universities -- including school-sponsored sports. Before this law, female athletes were few and far between, and funding was even scarcer. Erin Buzuvis and Kristine Newhall e...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/who-made-the-american-constitution-judy-waltonHow did a meeting intended to revise the Articles of Confederation lead to the new Constitution for the United States? Discover how a handful of men--sitting in sweltering heat and shrouded by secrecy--changed the course of history for America in 1787. Lesson by Judy Walton, animation by Ace & Son Moving Pict...

Dig into the Greek myth of Dionysus, the god of winemaking and excess, and his journey to his ancestral home in Thebes.--Acoetes of Maeonia had been roped into serving as the navigator for a band of pirates. And now the pirates had kidnapped a sleeping youth. As they laid their victim’s body on the ship, Acoetes felt the pit in his stomach deepen. The pirates hadn’t noticed, but their new captive...

Explore how saunas can affect your body, and dig into the health benefits and limitations of this millennia-old tradition.--Finnish sauna, Roman balneae, Japanese onsen, and Indigenous American sweat lodges are just a few examples of how cultures across the globe have long considered exposure to extreme temperatures therapeutic. But today scientists are only just beginning to unravel how and why t...

Trace the ancient history of the pigeon, and discover how these birds became one of the most abundant species on the planet.--Seeing their meat as a protein source and their poop as the perfect fertilizer, humans brought pigeons into captivity as far back as 10,000 years ago. As we carried pigeons around the world, they formed the wild urban flocks we're familiar with today and became one of the m...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-happy-secret-to-better-work-shawn-achorWe believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity. (Filmed at TEDxBloomington.)Talk by Shawn Achor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore the role concrete plays in global warming and how scientists are working to create a cleaner, more sustainable concrete.--Today roads, sidewalks, bridges, and skyscrapers are made of a material called concrete. There’s three tons of it for every person on Earth. It’s also played a surprisingly large role in rising global temperatures over the last century. So, what exactly makes concrete p...

Dig into the Greek myth of Meleager, who set out to end a boar’s destruction of his city along with Greece’s best warriors.--The night of her son's birth, the queen of Calydon was visited by three shadowy goddesses, known as the Fates. They gestured towards the blazing hearth and decreed that her son would live only until the burning log was reduced to embers. Terrified, the queen locked the log i...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/diagnosing-a-zombie-tim-verstynen-brad-voytekZombies eat brains. They are also, like all of us, driven by brain functions. What is happening in their brains to make them act as they do? In this intriguing dialogue, Tim Verstynen & Brad Voytek apply the various human medical possibilities that make zombies...zombies. Lesson by Tim Verstynen & Brad Voytek,...

View full lesson on ed.ted.com http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-breathing-works-nirvair-kaurWe breathe constantly, but have you ever thought about how breathing works? Discover the ins and outs of one of our most basic living functions-- from the science of respiration to how to control your breaths. Lesson by Nirvair Kaur, animation by Santiago Uceda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon...

Explore how big-headed ants have changed an entire ecosystem in Kenya, from its insects and plants to its biggest predators.--In the early 2000s, one of the world’s most widespread invasive species landed in Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau: big-headed ants. They expanded rapidly into super-colonies, preying on other insects, spiders, and even small birds. Their presence has wreaked havoc on the ecosystem...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-game-changing-amniotic-egg-april-tucker350 million years ago, eggs could not survive far from water, therefore animals were water-bound. That is, until the amniotic egg, which allowed animals to live a fully terrestrial life. April Tucker peels back each layer of the amniotic egg, revealing how truly extraordinary this evolutionary marvel is. Lesson...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-carbon-cycle-nathaniel-manningWhat exactly is the carbon cycle? Nathaniel Manning provides a basic look into the cyclical relationship of carbon, humans and the environment. Lesson by Nathaniel Manning, animation by Jill Johnston. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Explore how Salmonella spreads from chickens to humans, and learn how this crafty microscopic pathogen makes us sick.--Salmonella infects millions worldwide each year, causing fever, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. And these effects can be extreme: Salmonella is the leading cause of hospitalizations and deaths from food poisoning. So, how does it spread from chickens to humans? And how does it make...

The world owes much of its cultural legacy to Constantinople's walls. When Constantinople was under seige by neighboring enemies, the Roman city's elaborate system of moats, outer walls, and inner walls stood tall. Surviving numerous fire attacks, the walls were eventually brought down by more modern tools of warfare, but, thankfully, classical culture survived. Lesson by Lars Brownworth, animatio...

In this talk, planetary scientist Joel Levine shows some intriguing -- and puzzling -- new discoveries about Mars: craters full of ice, traces of ancient oceans, and compelling hints at the presence, sometime in the past, of life. He makes the case for going back to Mars to find out more. (Filmed at TEDxNASA.)Talk by Joel Levine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more at https://brilliant.org/TedEd--When the Visualphone VP210 hit the market in 1999, it advertised a never-before-seen feature: a camera. With only .11 megapixels, the Visualphone is a relic compared to modern devices. But while this technology has improved dramatically, engineers are rapidly approaching a hard limit on phone camera quality. So, what's limiting them? Rachel Yang shares a...

Trace the evolution of dog breeds, and find out why their characteristics, behaviors, and personalities vary so widely.--The immense physical variety of dogs makes them among the world’s most diverse species and likely the one with the greatest range in size. A Pomeranian, for example, might weigh 2 kilograms, while a Mastiff could tip the scale to 100. So, why is this? And what does a dog’s breed...

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-inventions-change-history-for-better-and-for-worse-kenneth-c-davisInvented in 1793, the cotton gin changed history for good and bad. By allowing one field hand to do the work of 10, it powered a new industry that brought wealth and power to the American South -- but, tragically, it also multiplied and prolonged the use of slave labor. Kenneth C. Davi...

View full lesson on ed.ted.com - http://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-competitors-open-their-stores-next-to-one-another-jac-de-haanWhy are all the gas stations, cafes and restaurants in one crowded spot? As two competitive cousins vie for ice-cream-selling domination on one small beach, discover how game theory and the Nash Equilibrium inform these retail hotspots. Lesson by Jac de Haan, animation by...

Dig into the Chinese myth of Zhu Yingtai, who disguises herself as a boy in order to attend school, and her love Liang Shanbo.--Although only boys were allowed at the Confucius Academy, what Zhu Yingtai wanted was to go to school. She begged her parents to let her attend dressed as a boy and, seeing her determination and clever disguises, they finally agreed— as long as she kept her identity a sec...

Puzzle through this classic ethical dilemma and decide: should parents be able to choose genetic traits for their children?--Andre and Leslie are a deaf couple who have decided to have a child, and they’re considering using a process to ensure deafness in their child. As deaf parents, they feel they could provide better guidance to a child that would share their lived experience and grow up immers...

Dig into the science of inhalers, and find out how these devices treat common respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD.--Inhalers are mainly used to treat two conditions: asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. And there are two main types: preventative inhalers and rescue inhalers. Preventative inhalers can be used every day to control symptoms, while rescue inhalers are gre...

Learn how to spot some of the most common signs of emotional abuse and what you can do if someone is experiencing these behaviors.--Emotional abuse can be incredibly damaging, increasing a person’s chances of developing depression and anxiety. But these behaviors can be subtle and difficult to spot, both from within and outside a relationship. It also often makes people doubt their perceptions of...