Human ecology

Join host John Green to learn about the Little Ice Age, a period of global cooling that occurred from the 13th to the 19th centuries. This cooling was likely caused by a number of factors, including unusual solar activity and volcanic eruptions. The Little Ice Age greatly impacted human social orders, especially during the 17th century. When the climate changed, and weather became unpredictable, the world changed profoundly. Poor harvests led to hunger, which led to even less productivity, which even resulted in violent upheaval in many regions.

In this one hour video Workshop 6: Civic Engagement, Bill Mittlefehldt, a 30 year veteran of the classroom, works with his students in teams to define a project, choose and meet with a community partner who can help educate them about the seriousness of the issue and its current status, conduct further research on the identified problem, and present the problem and their proposed solutions first to their peers, and then to a special session of the Anoka City Council. This lesson satisfies state and national standards while helping deal simultaneously with the needs of today's teens and today's communities.

John Green teaches you about the life and death of one of history's great explorers, Captain James Cook of the British Navy. He charted large swaths of the Pacific ocean, laid claim to Australia and New Zealand, and died a bizarre death in the Sandwich Islands, which are now called the Hawaiian Islands. Exactly how and why Captain Cook was killed in Hawaii is a long-running historical debate. John presents two interpretations of the event, and talks about what the differing interpretations say about history. It turns out how the story is told depends on who is doing the storytelling, and people from different backgrounds can interpret events in very different ways. Also, there is a celebration and a moustache involved in this episode, so you definitely don't want to miss it.

The first half of this half hour video explores the once prosperous Andalucia region of Spain and the gradual marginalization of this area, which is now peripheral to Europe's industrialized core. The second part of the video examines the many challenges Iceland faces due to its remote location and harsh environment. It also focuses on Iceland's cultural evolution in the hinterlands of Europe and the fishing industry's crucial role in Iceland's economy.