Resources
TED Talks are short videos that convey powerful knowledge and inspiration for viewers, children included. Using TED Talks in the classroom can inspire students, spark new ideas, and increase critical thinking skills. TED Talks might just be the catalyst for one of your students coming up with an idea that changes the world.
Here are 30 must-watch TED Talks that will teach, inspire, and expand the thinking of your students.
1. The Simple Power of Handwashing
Many children don’t wash their hands properly or don’t wash them at all. Washing with soap and water is a powerful way to stay healthy, and this TED Talk shows children the important reasons why.
2. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Achieving goals can be hard and time-consuming, which can lead to giving up or losing focus. This TED Talk shows students the importance of grit and working hard, which will lead to reaching goals.
3. Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection
Many children, especially young girls, feel the pressure to live up to impossible ideals when what they really need is to be taught the power of being brave. This talk shows kids how important it is to have values and to stand for something.
4. What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is commonly thought of as seeing letters backwards, but it’s so much more than that. Students with dyslexia might wonder why learning is so hard for them and feel left behind as they watch their peers’ skills progress. This TED Talk provides all the facts in a kid-friendly way to help everyone have a better idea of what dyslexia is and how to overcome the challenges it brings.
5. A Promising Test for Pancreatic Cancer – From a Teenager
As amazing as this teenager is and how life-changing his invention is for people around the globe, what’s almost as awesome is how this TED Talk can show children that nobody is too small to make a huge difference in the world.
6. 10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation
Smartphones, Snapchat, instant messaging, and similar apps have reduced the need to have face-to-face conversations. This TED Talk is an excellent way to not only teach children the importance of an actual conversation, but also how to have a good one.
7. Everyday Leadership
Nobody is too young to learn how to be a good leader, and this TED Talk takes a funny approach to showing children how to take charge and be the kind of leader their peers need.
8. What Gives a Dollar Bill its Value?
The economy is a hot topic, and the older kids get the more they will need to understand. This TED Talk teaches children how the dollar gets its value. From the video, students will also learn about other key money concepts, such as inflation.
9. Why A Good Book is a Secret Door
Research suggests that the older kids get, the less they read and the less they want to read. In this talk, children learn the value of imagination and the gift that a good book is.
10. Weird, or Just Different?
What one kid sees as weird is normal to another kid. The powerful idea that we can all be different, but also all be right depending on our perspective, is presented in this quick talk.
11. How I Harnessed the Wind
This is a powerful story about how courage can change the world. Despite growing up in poverty, William Kamkwamba saw a need in his community and had the courage to stand up and make life better for his entire village. His story sends a powerful message about seeing a problem and doing something to fix it.
12. To This Day… For the Bullied and Beautiful
Unfortunately, bullying is a real issue for many children around the world. In this TED Talk, Shane Koyczan using poetry to describe his own experience being bullied while also teaching children the importance of kindness, inclusion, and acceptance.
13. What Makes a Hero?
Many children are fascinated by superheroes and other people who do amazing things. This TED Talk introduces a series of heroes from literature, including Harry Potter, while showing students that they have more in common with these heroes than they might think.
14. Why You Should Make Useless Things
The creative process is often more important than the finished product. When children work to create something, even if it ends up being worthless, the process of thinking up something new and then figuring out how to make it is enormously rewarding and powerfully educational.
15. How Boredom Can Lead to Your Most Brilliant Ideas
Adults often go out of their way to make sure children aren’t ever bored, but this might be a bad thing. This TED Talk shows students that being bored is often the catalyst for coming up with some of their most brilliant ideas.
16. Science is for Everyone
Many people view science as a difficult, inaccessible field. Any child who is interested in science but unsure how to proceed should watch this educational TED Talk.
17. How Bullying Changes Your Life
This is another great TED Talk about the consequences of bullying. It will also give information about the importance of speaking up when bullying is happening.
18. Don’t Eat the Marshmallow
This TED Talk uses the classic marshmallow experiment to teach children the importance of self-control and self-discipline.
19. Underwater Astonishments
Any student interested in animals or the unexplored corners of our earth will be captivated by this underwater look at amazing creatures. It also teaches students how to be curious.
20. Why Lunch Ladies are Heroes
Obviously, the people who cook student lunches are essential parts of any school, but they are often overlooked. This TED Talk teaches children the importance of noticing people and the incredible power of a simple thank you.
21. How to Get Motivated Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
Everyone experiences lack of motivation from time to time, and children need to learn that this can be overcome. This TED Talk will help them understand motivation and encourage them to find it.
22. What Adults Can Learn from Kids
Kids might not think they have anything to teach adults, but this TED Talk shows them that their ideas are important and need to be shared – even with adults!
23. The Danger of Silence
From this video, children will learn how dangerous keeping quiet can be and how they can find the courage and motivation to speak up in the face of injustice.
24. Ugly History: Witch Hunts
There are many ugly things that have happened in the history of the world, and this Ted Ed video will teach children the importance of learning from these atrocities so they don’t happen again.
25. My Invention that Made Peace with Lions
When Richard Terere realized that too many of his father’s cattle were being eaten by lions, his curiosity led him to a solution. Students will learn the importance of being curious and what amazing things can happen when they pursue the answers to their questions.
26. The Power of Introverts
In a culture where being talkative, outgoing, and friendly are prized, introverts are often looked down upon as being too quiet and meek. This TED Talk shows that introverts are an essential part of our society. It also shows introverted children that they can make a powerful difference in the world.
27. All It Takes is 10 Mindful Minutes
With the predominance of screens and entertainment in their lives, many kids today don’t take time to quietly self-reflect. From this video, students will learn the importance of recognizing their feelings, feeling their feelings, and increasing their mindfulness.
28. How Do You Define Yourself?
Many children struggle with their identity. Whether it’s their appearance, a medical condition, or something else that makes them different, kids often define themselves negatively. In her talk, Lizzie Velasquez shows children that differences don’t define them. Instead, their differences make them the special people they are.
29. Why Thinking You’re Ugly is Bad for You
Research suggests that more than half of girls will opt out of something just because they don’t think they look good enough. This TED Talk will show students how destructive it is to think badly of their appearance and what to do instead.
30. I Was Almost a School Shooter
While it should be reserved for older students only, this video sends an important message for teenagers today. The speaker, a man who considered becoming a school shooter, takes two approaches. He teaches students that when life gets rough, there is always someone who is willing to help. He also reminds them to always, always be the person willing to help an outsider, because you know what your kindness might prevent.
TED Talks can be entertaining, but they also hold enormous potential to teach students important life lessons and challenge their thinking so that they can make the world a better place.
