Monster Math Squad stars MAX, LILY and GOO. While they may not be the biggest, or bravest (or even the brainiest) monsters on the block, the Squad love nothing better than to put their monster minds together and use their math skills to overcome any obstacle they face… even ones with two left feet or ten thumbs. Each story features a job for the Squad, helping a monster with a unique problem.

A preschool series all about Luna, a six-year-old girl who is completely, undeniably and passionately into just one thing: science! For Luna the earth is a giant laboratory and she dives into every new experience with boundless energy and enthusiasm! What most of us might ignore, Luna notices and becomes obsessed with until she answers the question: “Why is this happening?!”

This is the short tale of a young boy as he prepares his neighborhood for Christmas. That is until he confronts the one lady who doesn't want the holiday to come at all.

We commonly define the Pythagorean theorem using the formula a2 + b2 = c2. But Pythagoras himself would have been confused by that. Explore how this famous theorem can be explained using common geometric shapes (no fancy algebra required), and how it’s a critical foundation for the rest of geometry.

Filmed on location in Stratford-on-Avon, celebrated Shakespearean actor Alan Howard presents some of the Bard's best known works.

One of the most remarkable consequences of essay writing is the illuminating insights you discover about yourself. The nature of the essay doesn’t allow for plot building or outlines—you simply sit and write, which means the story takes its own direction. Professor Cognard-Black encourages this process of discovery and shares stories of how many an essay she started on one topic turned into a different piece in the end. Be prepared that essay...

A selection of Frost's poems chosen to suit a perfect New England autumn day. Filmed in the beautiful farm country of Massachusetts.

To help keep your essays from becoming overly sentimental, Professor Cognard-Black discusses pitfalls for writers to avoid. You’ll be introduced to three examples of what rhetorical theorists call logical fallacies and then take on the challenge of an assignment that brings together emotional appeals with rational ones to achieve credibility, empathy, and candor. You’ll examine Naomi Shihab Nye’s ability to blend rational argument with compassionate...

Many essayists find themselves doing an about-face as they write, sometimes because they may not have fully researched or thought through an idea before making claims about it. Essays that present conflicting views are not uncommon; Socrates would commonly switch sides in order to test all parts of an argument, and many others have followed his example. Learn how writing essays that provide both sides of an argument, even if you completely support...

After discussing the importance of presenting a reasonable essay, Professor Cognard-Black explores the world of unreasonable essays, often written for the sake of humor or irony, or to be provocative, such as Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal.” You’ll explore an example of an essay that showcases conflicting views yet remains reasonable, and then look at examples where unreasonable writers use pure demagoguery to play on readers’ emotions....