Key points:
- STEM education can be challenging, but engaging tools can help
- Explore these videos on various STEM topics, found on TED-Ed Lessons
STEM education is a critical topic for all students, but it’s also notoriously difficult to engage students in STEM topics–particularly as the content becomes more challenging. But with a few fun STEM videos, students might be a bit more interested in learning.
The videos below are all found on the TED-Ed platform. Educators can build lessons around any TED-Ed Original, TED Talk, or YouTube video. Once you find the video you want to use, you can use the TED-Ed Lessons editor to add questions, discussion prompts, and additional resources.
These TED-Ed Lessons cover weather, space mysteries, the human body, and more.
1. The year without summer: In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and its emissions spread across the globe, blotting out the sun for almost an entire year. This wreaked havoc on agriculture, leading to famines all across the Northern hemisphere. It was the year without summer— one of the darkest periods in human history. So why are some modern researchers considering repeating it? David Biello digs into geoengineering.
2. What would happen if you lost your sense of touch? We don’t often think of touch as being a vital part of movement, but touch is one part of a network that oversees all the sensations arising from the surface and interior of our bodies. Touch, pain, temperature, and our spatial awareness are regulated by this system. So, how exactly do our brains process these sensations? And what happens when something goes wrong? Antonio Cataldo investigates.
3. Ethical dilemma: Should we get rid of mosquitoes? Mosquitoes are responsible for more human deaths every year than any other animal, but very few of the 3,500 mosquito species actually transmit deadly diseases to humans. Scientists have been conducting experiments using engineered technologies called gene drives that could theoretically get rid of the most lethal mosquitoes. So, should we eradicate these pesky insects? Talya Hackett investigates.
4. The true science of parallel universes: Everyone loves the idea of parallel universes— maybe it’s the appeal of an ideal world where you have second chances and things turn out differently or an alternate reality where you do get into Hogwarts. But is there really a place in science for such wistful speculation? Minute Physics digs into the science of parallel universes.
5. This weird trick will help you summon an army of worms: In the middle of Florida’s Apalachicola National Forest, a bizarre, almost magical scene is unraveling. Sliding a metal strip over a wooden stake, a master summoner is sending deep croaking noises reverberating throughout the area. And, as if in a trance, hundreds of earthworms begin emerging from the soil. What’s going on? Kenny Coogan explores the tradition known as worm grunting.
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