Crash Course
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this youtube.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that CrashCourse is a YouTube channel with educational videos for tweens, teens and adults. A variety of subject-matter experts present information about a wide range of academic and social topics through lecture-style videos coupled with animated graphics. Topics include STEM, history, philosophy, economics, psychology, literature and more. A video titled "Let's Talk About Sex" contains informative discussions about sex, sexuality, and sexual desire from a scientific perspective and includes some gratuitous cartoon animations with characters mimic the motions of having sex. There are also some videos that deal with content that may be scary to some viewers, including war, natural disasters and their aftermath, slavery and hate crimes, and mood and personality disorders (with mention of suicide). Though these videos are informational, adults may want to watch with their teens in order to answer any questions they may have. The channel encourages and empowers curiosity and learning. Crash Course also has a YouTube channel for elementary-age kids -- Crash Course Kids.
What’s It About?
CRASH COURSE is an educational YouTube channel that focuses on teaching a wide array of topics in bite-sized videos. There's no shortage of topics explored -- psychology, Black American History, STEM, college preparation, media literacy, and so much more. The channel can serve as a good entry point to several topics teens may or may not be learning in school or can help support their current learning in a fun and engaging manner. Some videos may be overwhelming since they pack so much information and terminology into such a short period of time, but luckily all video descriptions include time stamps that show when certain topics were discussed in the video, allowing viewers to go back and watch certain parts of the video. The various videos are supported by quizzes and flashcards on the Crash Course app.
Is It Any Good?
If your teen is looking for an engaging way to learn more about a specific academic topic, this YouTube channel is a great resource. Created by Vlogbrothers hosts John Green and Hank Green (who also hosts SciShow), Crash Course has a seemingly endless library of informative, interesting and insightful content. Its pro and con is the length of its videos. They're short enough to get interested in certain topics and digest key takeaways, but too short to fully comprehend the topic at hand with just one viewing. This is why these videos are a good complement to topics teens are already learning about or preparing to learn in school. Although the animations are a bit questionable and don't always add to the learning experience, the value the channel adds clouds this minor flaw.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Crash Course can help support tweens and teens with what they're learning in school. How using YouTube as a learning tool be helpful? What are the challenges?
Often times we focus on the negatives of technology and social media, but let's turn our focus to some potential positives. How have social media and video platforms changed the way people get their information? How can this help the next generation be more informed and impactful?
This channel empowers and encourages curiosity. Why is this an important character strength, especially when it comes to learning.
Some of the animations in the video may be a bit over the top, inaccurate or somewhat inappropriate. When to visual images and animation add to learning? When do they distract? How can you tell the difference?
YouTube Details
- Genre: Lifestyle
- Topics: STEM, High School, History, Middle School, Science and Nature
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- Last updated: December 19, 2022
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