To the South Pole and Back – The Hardest 105 days of my life
Source: TED
Ben Saunders talks about his epic, 105-day trek to the South Pole and back; the same route taken by Captain Scott on his ill-fated 1912 expedition.
People
Abigail Adams Biography
Source: Biography
Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, served as an unofficial advisor to the second president of the United States. She also fought for the right of married women to own personal property.
U.S. Immigration Before 1965
Source: HISTORY
Read about the waves of immigration in the United States and why people chose this country to start new lives in.
Holocaust survivors reunite with the woman who cared for them after the war
Source: The Washington Post
Andra and Tatiana Bucci, who were 4 and 6 years old when they were taken to a concentration camp, traveled to the U.S. as adults to reunite with their former caregiver, a kind woman they called “Manna.” Read this article about the reunion.
A Conversation with Sir Patrick Stewart
Source: PBS
In 2010, a modern version of The Tragedy of Macbeth appeared on PBS’s Great Performances. The star of that groundbreaking production, Sir Patrick Stewart, discusses the choices he and director Rupert Goold made to bring Shakespeare’s work to life on the small screen.
Muckraking Journalist Jacob Riis and Gilded Age New York City
Source: C-SPAN
This lecture by Professor Daniel Czitrom from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts gives an overview of Jacob Riis. Watch the clips at the following marks for a look at some of Riis’s work and to get a sense of his purpose and relevance today: 20:38–25:10, 36:35–38:40, 45:02–47:35, and 50:56–52:16.
Play Me, I’m Yours
Source: Street Pianos
How can a piano, left in a public place for anyone to use, bring a community together? Read about this unexpected movement to find out.
‘Herd Mentality: Are we programmed to make bad decisions?
Source: (e)Science News
Most people want to be part of the popular crowd, but that desire could lead to bad decisions. Copying what our friends do or buy can result in relying too much on others. Find out why people should rely on their own instincts more than herd mentality.
Social Change
Source: TED
Review this collection of TED talks on social change; covering topics like justice, freedom, and the collective good.
How Conformity Can Be Good and Bad for Society
Source: Greater Good Magazine
Is it best to conform to the rules and expectations of a society, or should people do what they think is best, even it it makes them stick out from the herd? Click here to dig deeper into this question.