5 Creative Ways to Use TED Talks in Your High School Psychology Classroom

As a high school psychology teacher, you can incorporate Mental Health and Psychology-themed TED Talks into your classroom to enhance students' understanding of the content. TED Talks are informative, engaging, and thought-provoking, making them a great resource for teaching psychology. In this blog post, I will share five creative ways teachers can incorporate Mental Health and Psychology-themed TED Talks into their Psychology classrooms, along with five examples of appropriate Psychology TED Talks teachers can share with high school students.

1. Introduction to Topics: Start each unit with a TED Talk related to the content you plan to teach to pique your students' interest and introduce them to the subject matter. Provide students with a graphic organizer or video guide to take notes as they watch. For example, for a unit on depression, "The Puzzle of Motivation" by Dan Pink could be a great option. It discusses the science behind motivation and how it affects productivity.

2. Interactive Learning: Organize a group discussion around a TED Talk to encourage students to engage with the content. For example, "The Power of Vulnerability" by Brené Brown can be a great TED Talk to discuss the topic of shame and vulnerability.

3. Writing Prompts: Assign students to write a reflective essay based on a TED Talk they have watched in class. For instance, "How to Make Stress Your Friend" by Kelly McGonigal discusses how viewing stress as helpful can change the physical response to stress.

4. Case Study Analysis: TED Talks are a great resource for real-life examples that can be used in case study analysis. For example, "The Voices in My Head" by Eleanor Longden could be an excellent resource to analyze a patient's experience of living with schizophrenia.

5. Project-Based Learning: Encourage students to create their own TED Talks on a Psychology-related topic to develop their research, writing, and presentation skills. For instance, students could create a TED Talk on the psychology of social media and its impact on mental health.

Here are five examples of appropriate Psychology TED Talks your high school students will love:

1. "The Surprising Science of Happiness" by Dan Gilbert, discusses the science of happiness and how our expectations shape our experiences.

2. "The Power of Introverts" by Susan Cain, explains the advantages of being an introvert and how introverts can thrive in society.

3. "The Psychology of Your Future Self" by Dan Gilbert, delves into how people make decisions that affect their future selves.

4. "The Art of Mindfulness" by Dr. Shauna Shapiro, explores the science behind mindfulness and how it can help with stress and anxiety.

5. "The Surprising Science of Compassion" by Tania Singer, discusses the science behind empathy and compassion and how it can benefit individuals and society.

6. "How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime" by Nadine Burke Harris - This talk highlights the long-term impact of childhood trauma on mental and physical health.

7. Guy Winch: "Why We All Need to Practice Emotional First Aid" - In this talk, Guy Winch emphasizes the importance of taking care of our emotional health and offers practical strategies for doing so.

8. Christina Costa: "How Gratitude Rewires Your Brain." In this talk, Christina Costa talks about the role gratitude plays in building resistance.

9. Alison Legerwood: "Getting Stuck in the Negatives (and How to Get Unstuck)." In this talk, Alison Legerwood focuses on understanding the way people think and behave in social situations, and how to harness that knowledge to potentially improve the social world in which we all live.

10. Hailey Hardcastle: "Why Students Should Have Mental Health Days." In this talk, Hailey Hardcastle talks about the importance of mental health education and support services in our nation's schools.

Interested in checking out my Psychology and Wellness Lesson Plans? I've developed video guides for many of the TED Talks listed above! 

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Check out my TED Talk Bundle (14 Talks on Mental Health and Wellness)