Reading and creating comic strips and comic books are engaging ways to promote literacy at any grade level and across content areas. The students in this video are members of a high school comic book club and have access to drawing tablets and Adobe Photoshop, so they can achieve sophisticated results. Even without such software, however, teachers can still integrate digital comics into a wide range of teaching situations.

There are a number of comic books, especially contemporary ones, that are not “school appropriate,” so you might want to guide students’ web research on comic books.

As an English/digital media teacher at Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky, Jason Behler has found that his students become deeply engaged when creating their own podcasts, especially because he allows them great freedom in selecting their own genre and content. His students develop skills in collaboration and time management as well as technical and communication skills. Podcasting does not need to be confined to a class in digital media, and it does not require expensive equipment. Podcasting can be integrated into any content area to add spark to your lessons.

Music educator Michelle Lewis teaches her students how to create vodcast music lessons. Lewis hopes that their vodcast YouTube channel will help students in schools without a music program learn music concepts.

In this video segment from Nature, learn the geological process by which the next Hawaiian island will be formed.

In this Cyberchase video segment, Shari Spotter gets help from the CyberSquad in doubling a recipe for crumpets.

Students learn how DNA fingerprinting has been used in criminal investigations and discuss the limitations of and problems with DNA testing.

Georgina Drapeau and Mat Pendleton of the Lower Sioux Indian Community talk about the revival of quill working traditions taking place in the Minnesota River Valley, inspired by master quill workers Hope TwoHearts of Cansayapi and David Louis of Flandreau, South Dakota.

A lesson plan for grades 7-12 is included as a gallery asset and in the support materials.

More About This Resource
Daughter of a master quill artist, Georgina Drapeau and Mat Pendleton of the Lower Sioux Indian Community near Morton are interviewed for a story about a revival of quill working traditions taking place in the Minnesota River Valley, inspired by master quill workers Hope TwoHearts of Cansayapi and David Louis of Flandreau, South Dakota.

Pieper Bloomquist uses natural materials and homemade paints in the Swedish styles of Dalmålning and Bonadsmålning. She studied under master artists Karen Jenson of Milan, MN and Judith Kjenstad of Minneapolis, MN and works from her studio in Grand Forks, ND.

Postcards is an award-winning series showcasing the arts, history, and cultural heritage of western Minnesota and beyond. Funding for Postcards comes from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. To watch more Postcards visit our show page or video portal.

Pioneer PBS is a viewer-supported television station dedicated to sharing local stories of the region with the world. Support our mission and become a member at here.

In this interactive activity from the Building Big Web site, investigate dams in distress and decide if they should be repaired, removed, or left alone.

Learn about the properties of solid, liquid, and gas while dancing with the famous music group, The Gregory Brothers!

To help understand how water changes states of matter, Scientist Sam brings in the musical group The Gregory Brothers to help teach about the states of matter through an interactive dance. The viewer dances like a solid, liquid and gas and learns that water can change states of matter when temperatures are below 0 degrees Celsius or above 100 degrees Celsius.

Learning Objective:
Classify matter by physical properties, including shape, relative mass, relative temperature, texture, flexibility, and whether material is a solid or liquid.

Watch the clip, Bomba or Baseball, from Alma's Way to spark conversations about dancing and not getting things right on the first try. Then, introduce the activity to help students practice developing their coordination skills and work to strengthen their large muscles.

NOTE: The PDF document assets and Support Materials are also available in Spanish.

This video segment from Evolution: "Darwin's Dangerous Idea," together with interviews with Daniel Dennett and James Moore, depicts Darwin struggling with publicizing his revolutionary theory.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientists search for carbonized remains of plants preserved in lava flows to find out how long it has taken rain forests on Hawaii to regenerate after a volcanic eruption.

Sixteen dancers from across the country, representing a range of dance styles, move as one being, with each dancer's moves flowing naturally into the next. Poet Chinaka Hodge narrates each dancer’s steps from all around the United States as we shelter-in-place. Inspired by Mitchell Rose's Exquisite Corps chain letter, each dancer begins in the last pose of the dancer before passing the movement.

If Cities Could Dance is a Webby Award-winning video series featuring dancers from cities across the United States. Step into the shoes of dancers from across the country who dare to imagine what it would look like if their city could dance.

Extension Project: Give your middle and high school students the opportunity to create and publish original dance videos with an accompanying artist statement with the KQED Youth Media Challenge: If Schools Could Dance.

View the video ̢ĺŰĺĎTrash on the Spin Cycle̢ĺŰĺ to discover what causes huge quantities of garbage to end up on the most remote islands in the world and how this garbage affects wildlife.

This video segment, adapted from Decision in the Streets by civil rights filmmaker Harvey Richards, portrays the interracial protests that took place in San Francisco in 1963-64.

Without the work of decomposers, living organisms would eventually use up all the raw materials in the environment, and dead organisms and wastes would pile up. This video segment from Interactive NOVA: "Earth" describes the role of decomposers as the earth's great recyclers.

Explore the role media plays in our understanding of race and racism. Hear from experts who share advice on how educators can use media to confront injustice, and create anti-racist classroom environments.

Recently, a doctored video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi got millions of views on social media. Deepfakes are becoming easier to make and spread, and Above the Noise is here to help people understand this new phenomenon and what to do about it.

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members use a hair dryer to balance a ball in a stream of air, seemingly defying gravity.