Back to you with another handpicked list of TED Ed videos but this time the theme is science. most popular TED Ed science videos that you can use with your students in class. The Life Sciences section in TED Ed contains a huge collection of educational videos spanning various science topics. I used the search filter to locate those science videos with the most views and selected the collection below.
TED Ed videos are basically video lessons that can be adapted to your own teaching needs. You can use the lessons as they are or you can create your own based on them. Each lesson comes with three main sections : Think (includes multiple questions and open ended questions), Dig Deeper (features extra resources students can use to learn more about the topic), and Discuss (features open discussions). Besides TED Ed science videos, we also shared TED Ed history videos, TED Ed Greek mythology videos, and TED Ed riddles.
1. Which came first: the chicken or the egg?
“It’s a question that has perplexed everyone from the ancient Greeks to modern scholars. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Take a crack at this curious conundrum.”
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2. What makes muscles grow? – Jeffrey Siegel
“We have over 600 muscles in our bodies that help bind us together, hold us up, and help us move. Your muscles also need your constant attention, because the way you treat them on a daily basis determines whether they will wither or grow. Jeffrey Siegel illustrates how a good mix of sleep, nutrition and exercise keep your muscles as big and strong as possible.”
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3. What would happen if you didn’t drink water? – Mia Nacamulli
“Water is essentially everywhere in our world, and the average human is composed of between 55 and 60% water. So what role does water play in our bodies, and how much do we actually need to drink to stay healthy? Mia Nacamulli details the health benefits of hydration.”
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4. Is it better to walk or run in the rain?
“On those cold, rainy days when you forget your rain jacket or umbrella and you want to stay as dry as possible… should you walk or run? Minutephysics explores the age-old question of which will keep you drier.”
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5. How blood pressure works – Wilfred Manzano
“If you lined up all the blood vessels in your body, they’d be 60 thousand miles long. And every day, they carry the equivalent of over two thousand gallons of blood to the body’s tissues. What effect does this pressure have on the walls of the blood vessels? Wilfred Manzano gives the facts on blood pressure.”
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6. Why do women have periods?
“A handful of species on Earth share a seemingly mysterious trait: a menstrual cycle. We’re one of the select few mammals on Earth that menstruate, and we also do it more than any other animal, even though it’s a waste of nutrients, and can be a physical inconvenience. So where’s the sense in this uncommon biological process? TED-Ed describes the history and evolution of menstruation.”
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7. How does anesthesia work? – Steven Zheng
“When under anesthesia, you can’t move, form memories, or — hopefully — feel pain. And while it might just seem like you are asleep for that time, you actually aren’t. What’s going on? Steven Zheng explains what we know about the science behind anesthesia.”
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8. How sugar affects the brain – Nicole Avena
“When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine — an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.”
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9. The benefits of a bilingual brain – Mia Nacamulli
“It’s obvious that knowing more than one language can make certain things easier — like traveling or watching movies without subtitles. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual (or multilingual) brain? Mia Nacamulli details the three types of bilingual brains and shows how knowing more than one language keeps your brain healthy, complex and actively engaged.”
10. What would happen if you didn’t sleep? – Claudia Aguirre
“In the United States, it’s estimated that 30 percent of adults and 66 percent of adolescents are regularly sleep-deprived. This isn’t just a minor inconvenience: staying awake can cause serious bodily harm. Claudia Aguirre shows what happens to your body and brain when you skip sleep.”
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11. How playing an instrument benefits your brain – Anita Collins
“When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What’s going on? Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians’ brains when they play, and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout.”
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12. Why are some people left-handed? – Daniel M. Abrams
“Today, about one-tenth of the world’s population are southpaws. Why are such a small proportion of people left-handed — and why does the trait exist in the first place? Daniel M. Abrams investigates how the uneven ratio of lefties and righties gives insight into a balance between competitive and cooperative pressures on human evolution.”
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