Our brains control every movement we make. Most of us take for granted our ability to pick up a cup or change the television station. However, for people who have lost a limb or become paralyzed, the inability to do these things means a loss of freedom and independence. This video segment from Greater Boston describes how neuroscientists and bioengineers have teamed up to create a system that allows people who have lost motor functions to control electronic devices through their thoughts alone. Grades 6-12

Explore some of the wonders of modern engineering in this video from the Sciencenter in Ithaca, New York. Hear a diverse selection of engineers explain how things work.

Find out how serious head concussions can be in this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, find out how cars made of a material stronger than steel and half the weight can help combat climate change.

Just after World War II, nuclear scientists turned their attention from fission to fusion. This video segment adapted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE looks at the beginnings of thermonuclear power generation.

Created by NHPRC Teacher Participant/Creator Julia Ng-Karpieszuk for AP US History; Adaptable to other grades. Group assignment designed to have students make connections between primary resources, historical and neighborhood sites, and the values and persons associated with the Gilded Age. The 3-part culminating project includes a research presentation, a walking tour map, and a creative work.

This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at the future of global warming as developing nations, including India and China, increase their need for energy.

This video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey looks at the invention of the automobile and the development of mass production.

This video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey looks at the invention of nylon.

This video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey considers modern technology's impact on society.

The blog post series Important Events in the History of Digital Higher Education was originally published on the website of the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex) and has now been compiled into a booklet for ease of use. In this series, you will find articles covering five pivotal moments in the history of digital higher education including the first "online" learning program at the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute, the Andrew Project at Carnegie Mellon University, Project Athena at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Glenn Jones' Mind Extension University, and CALCampus, one of the first resources for online synchronous learning.

In this video segment adapted from NOVA, a team of archaeologists and engineers explores different uses of the lever by recreating the engineering feats of the ancient Easter Island peoples.

This video segment adapted from Discovering Women profiles Fermilab physicist and Harvard professor Melissa Franklin.

This video segment adapted from NOVA/FRONTLINE looks at American energy consumption and the resulting production of greenhouse gases.

In this video segment adapted from NASA, learn how engineers are transforming the future of flight by designing airplanes based on principles found in nature. In the early 1900s, the Wright Brothers found inspiration for their first airplane in nature. Their "Flyer," which was modeled on a bird's flexible wing design, was steered and stabilized by pulleys and cables that twisted the wingtips. Despite its success, this control strategy quickly vanished from aviation. Instead, stiff wings capable of withstanding the greater forces associated with increased aircraft weights and flying speeds became the standard. In this video segment adapted from NASA, learn how designs found in nature have inspired today's aerospace engineers as they conceive the next-generation of flying machines. Grades 3-12.

This video, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, describes three different ways that people have navigated the oceans.