Global Inequality

This educational video provides a comprehensive overview of New Zealand, known to the indigenous Maori as Aotearoa or "The Land of the Long White Cloud." The lesson begins with a fascinating analysis of human migration patterns, highlighting New Zealand's status as the last major landmass on Earth to be settled by humans—occurring roughly 50,000 years after neighboring Australia. The host guides viewers through the country's unique geography, situated on the Ring of Fire, and compares the distinct climates and topographies of the populous North Island versus the rugged South Island.

This educational video from Crash Course European History explores the origins and early years of the Cold War, detailing the transition from the uneasy alliance of World War II to a bipolar world divided between the United States and the Soviet Union. Host John Green explains how diplomatic conferences at Yalta and Potsdam set the stage for post-war tensions, leading to the division of Germany and the erecting of the "Iron Curtain." The video covers the ideological, economic, and military escalations that defined the era, including the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift, and the nuclear arms race. The content delves into key themes such as the geopolitical restructuring of Europe, the role of propaganda and fear in daily life, and the globalization of the conflict through proxy wars like the Korean War. It examines the contrasting post-war realities of a wealthy United States versus a devastated Soviet Union and how these disparities influenced international relations. The video also highlights cultural impacts, referencing literature like George Orwell's *1984* and the rise of spy fiction, illustrating how the Cold War permeated popular culture and individual psychology. For educators, this video serves as an excellent primer for units on 20th-century history, international relations, or government. It helps students understand complex concepts like containment, spheres of influence, and mutual assured destruction without getting bogged down in military tactics. The Thought Bubble segment offers a valuable comparison of daily life in the East and West, providing a springboard for discussions on media literacy, propaganda, and the human cost of ideological conflict.

This educational video explores the complex and often violent process of decolonization that reshaped the world following World War II. It examines how European powers lost control of their empires in Asia and Africa, highlighting the distinct paths to independence taken by nations such as India, China, Kenya, and Algeria. The narrative contrasts negotiated transfers of power with brutal wars of liberation, providing specific historical examples of the human cost involved in these transitions. Key themes include the impact of the Cold War on emerging nations, the concept of neo-imperialism, and the psychological dimensions of colonization as articulated by thinkers like Frantz Fanon. The video also discusses the phenomenon of reverse migration, where colonized peoples moved to Europe to rebuild war-torn infrastructure, facing racism and discrimination in the process. It connects these historical events to cultural shifts, such as the rejection of Western dress codes and the influence of immigrant musicians on Western pop culture. For educators, this video serves as a powerful resource for teaching 20th-century World or European History. It moves beyond simple dates and maps to address the nuances of post-colonial infrastructure, the economic dependence created by foreign aid systems, and the lasting legacy of partition violence. The video provides graphic primary source quotes that can spark deep classroom discussions about human rights, the ethics of war, and the ongoing challenges faced by the Global South.

This educational video takes students on a comprehensive journey through three key nations in Southwest Asia: Turkey, Iran, and Cyprus. Hosted by an engaging narrator, the lesson explores the physical geography, government structures, economic drivers, and rich cultural traditions of these countries. It highlights how they are geographically linked to the Fertile Crescent and explores their unique positions as bridges between Europe and Asia.

This educational video adopts a game-show format titled "Adulting Adventures: Economics Edition" to teach students how to critically analyze economic news and policy. Hosted by a character named Bea with a contestant named Alex, the video guides viewers through three distinct rounds: "Navigating the News," "Economic Citizenship," and "Global Citizenship." Through these scenarios, students learn to look beyond headlines, evaluate public infrastructure proposals, and weigh the pros and cons of globalization in their local communities.

This educational video from Crash Course European History explores the tumultuous year of 1848, a time when a wave of revolutions swept across Europe. Narrated by John Green, the video dissects the complex web of causes behind these uprisings, ranging from the devastation of the Irish Potato Famine and the "Hungry Forties" to the social and economic dislocations caused by the Industrial Revolution. It explains how traditional agrarian systems were failing and how new political ideologies like liberalism, nationalism, and socialism began to challenge the established monarchical order. The video provides a detailed tour of the specific revolutionary movements in France, the German states, the Austrian Empire, Italy, and Poland. It introduces key historical figures such as Louis Napoleon, Klemens von Metternich, and Karl Marx, while explaining pivotal concepts like the "springtime of Nations" and the friction between different revolutionary classes. The narrative highlights how the initial successes of these revolutions were often undone by internal disunity between middle-class liberals and working-class radicals, allowing conservative forces to reassert control. For educators, this resource serves as an excellent synthesis of 19th-century European political history. It helps students understand the connection between economic hardship and political action, the difficulty of coalition-building in politics, and the origins of modern political spectrums. The video concludes by asking critical historical questions about the value of revolution, noting that while many political goals failed, the revolutions successfully ended serfdom in Austria, changing the lives of millions.

This educational video explores the profound global impact of the Columbian Exchange, starting with a relatable hook about pizza ingredients to illustrate how interconnected our modern food sources are. The host defines the Columbian Exchange as the transfer of plants, animals, people, and ideas between the Old World (Europe, Africa, Asia) and the New World (the Americas) following Columbus's voyages. The narrative is structured around three main pillars of impact: environmental changes, social shifts, and economic transformations. The video delves deep into specific examples of exchange, detailing how Old World livestock like cattle and horses transformed landscapes and lifestyles in the Americas, while New World crops like maize and potatoes fueled population explosions in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It does not shy away from the darker consequences of this era, explicitly discussing the environmental degradation caused by plantation farming and the human tragedy of the Atlantic slave trade. The content connects these historical events to the formation of a true global economy. For educators, this video serves as an excellent anchor for units on the Age of Exploration, global trade, or agricultural history. It moves beyond simple lists of traded goods to analyze cause-and-effect relationships, such as how the potato famine-proofed parts of Europe or how the horse revolutionized Native American warfare. The clear structure allows teachers to segment the video for focused discussions on environmental science, economics, or social justice within a historical context.

This educational video provides a comprehensive overview of the countries in Southern Africa, excluding the nation of South Africa. It covers a wide range of topics including physical geography, history, economics, politics, and culture. The video uses maps, statistical data, and vibrant stock footage to illustrate the diversity and complexity of the region, touching upon nations like Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini (Swaziland). It breaks down complex geopolitical concepts into digestible segments suitable for middle and high school students. The content explores key themes such as the legacy of colonialism, the "resource curse" in economies heavily dependent on mining versus agriculture, and the struggle for political stability and democracy. It contrasts the development levels of different nations, highlighting Botswana's relative success compared to the challenges faced by countries like Zimbabwe and Angola. The video also delves into physical characteristics like the Kalahari Desert and Victoria Falls, as well as demographic trends, religious composition, and health statistics like life expectancy. For educators, this video serves as an excellent anchor for a unit on African geography or global studies. It provides distinct data points (GDP, Freedom House scores, population projections) that can be used for comparative analysis activities. The included discussion prompts about the relationship between agricultural employment and poverty, as well as the pros and cons of resource-based economies, offer immediate opportunities for critical thinking and classroom debate. The video's structured approach makes it easy to segment into lessons on geography, history, or economics.

This comprehensive video provides an in-depth geographical and cultural overview of Central Europe, covering Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. It moves beyond basic map locations to explore the demographics, history, economy, and rich cultural traditions of the region. Viewers will learn about population dynamics, including the high population density of Germany and the region-wide trend of declining birth rates, alongside an analysis of economic powerhouses like Germany and Switzerland.

This episode of Crash Course World History takes a unique approach to World War II by examining it not through the traditional lens of "Good vs. Evil" or military strategy, but as a battle for resources—specifically food. John Green argues that the quest for "autarky," or self-sufficiency, drove the expansionist policies of Germany and Japan, who sought agricultural land to feed their populations and insulate themselves from trade blockades. The video explores how these motivations influenced major strategic decisions, such as Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union and Japan's colonization of Korea and Formosa. The narrative delves into the devastating human consequences of this resource war, highlighting that more people died from starvation and hunger-related diseases than from military combat. It provides shocking statistics regarding the Bengal Famine, the starvation of Japanese soldiers, and the caloric deficits faced by civilians in the USSR and China. The video also contrasts these hardships with the relatively well-fed status of American and British troops, illustrating how logistics and supply chains determined the war's outcome as much as firepower. For educators, this video offers a powerful tool to teach economic causes of conflict and the civilian impact of total war. It moves beyond battle maps to discuss the concept of "Lebensraum" (living space) as an agricultural necessity and introduces students to the complex ethics of colonial resource extraction during wartime. It serves as an excellent prompt for discussions on global interdependence versus isolationism, the logistics of warfare, and how resource scarcity continues to drive global conflict today.

This episode of Crash Course European History explores the complex and often brutal history of 19th-century European imperialism. Host John Green examines the paradox of European nations expanding rights and democracy at home while simultaneously stripping rights and sovereignty from people across Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. The video details the economic motivations behind expansion, such as the demand for raw materials like palm oil, rubber, and diamonds, and the specific mechanisms used to enforce control. Key themes include the "Tools of Empire"—technological advancements like steamships, machine guns, railroads, and the medical breakthrough of quinine—that enabled Europeans to penetrate and dominate the interiors of Africa and Asia. The video also highlights the shift in justification for empire from religious conversion to "Social Darwinism," a pseudoscientific belief in racial superiority used to excuse exploitation. Crucially, the video moves beyond the perspective of the colonizers to focus on indigenous resistance and experience. It covers the Opium Wars in China, the Indian Rebellion of 1857, and forms of non-violent resistance such as "reproductive strikes" in the Congo and Caribbean. This resource is invaluable for helping students understand the systemic nature of colonialism, the technological disparity of the era, and the lasting geopolitical legacy of these events.

This comprehensive educational video from Crash Course Geography explores the complex science and social implications of climate change. Hosted by Alizé Carrère, the video begins with a personal narrative about the disappearance of the Okjökull glacier in Iceland, setting the stage for a deeper investigation into how our planet's landscapes are shifting. It meticulously distinguishes between the terms "climate change" and "global warming," clarifying that while the former refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns (both natural and human-caused), the latter specifically describes the recent rapid rise in Earth's average surface temperature due to human activities.