5 science and technology videos to get students talking

Key points:

• TED-Ed lessons are short videos designed to engage students and stimulate critical thinking.
• Here are 5 videos covering science and technology topics, such as earth sciences and animal behavior.
• See related article: Great! 6 TED-Ed lessons on the cold

School has started again, and for many students, that means a major shift from an unstructured schedule to a more regimented school day. It may still be a challenge to keep students’ attention on topics like science and technology now that classrooms are full again.

Creating a video-based lesson that explores different concepts about science and technology is a fun way to boost student engagement.

These TED-Ed Lessons covers jellyfish, drinking water, the physics behind boat wakes, and more.

Using the TED-Ed platform, educators can create 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 lesson editor to add questions, discussion topics, and additional resources.

Use these TED-Ed lessons for brain breaks, to introduce new lessons, or to inject some fun and engaging conversation into your class.

1. Can alligators survive this super predator? Over the past two decades, jellyfish have begun to flood our oceans. If things continue on their current trajectory, we could be heading towards a future where the entire ocean is full of jellyfish. So is there anything that can keep these gelatinous creatures under control? Mariela Pajuelo and Javier Antonio Quiñones take a look at the oldest predator of jellyfish.

2. The only thing that stops the jellyfish from taking over you: Although alligators have dominated the swamplands of the Everglades for millennia, the last 500 years have brought deadly new predators to challenge their reign. And the origins of these international invaders are as unexpected as their impact on the Everglades. So what exactly threatens this biodiverse region? Kenny Coogan explores the unique and precious ecosystem.

3. How the water you throw away becomes the water you drink: In 2003, Singapore’s national water agency launched an unprecedented program to provide more than 50% of its country’s water supply through wastewater recycling. The program had been planned for decades to ensure the island nation would never run out of drinking water. But is it really safe to reuse everything we throw down the toilet? Francis de los Reyes explains the science of wastewater treatment.

4. What is happening to the Earth’s core? A hydrogen atom travels high within the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere. This particular atom first entered the exosphere millions of years ago, but today it overcomes Earth’s gravitational pull and escapes, joining the approximately 90 tons of material that escape our atmosphere each day. Should we be worried about these leaks? Shannon Odell delves into our planet’s imperfect plumbing.

5. The fascinating physics of ship wakes: If you look at the wake behind a duck, a kayak, or a boat, you may notice two things: first, it’s a wavy, feathery pattern, and second, that pattern looks the same regardless of whether it’s made by a duck. , kayak or boat, even if they all move at different speeds and the waves are different sizes. How is this possible? Minutephysics delves into the Kelvin wake pattern.

Laura Ascione is the editorial director of eSchool Media. She graduated from the prestigious Philip Merrill School of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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