This is just stuff I like and a few snippets from the web that might inspire a lesson, make you or your students think about something differently, or simply make you laugh. Post your own inspiration in the comments below.

I’d like to know what kind of lessons you want to see, so tell me what you teach:

From The onion: Apple’s grotesque new MacBook

This video speaks for itself. Lesson coming soon.

Theo Jansen creates beach life using tubing. Now that’s cool in anyone’s book right? Lesson coming soon.

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

William Kamkwamba lived in drought striken Malawi. After being forced to leave school by poverty, he decided to educate himself. His determination led him to get through difficult English text books. He learned enough about science to build a fully functioning windmill – powerful enough to provide a little electricity to his family home. Why not use this to give your teens a reason to stop complaining? Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. If only.

Slightly less tear-jerking, this video shows an enthusiastic Chinese family* setting themselves on fire. I’ve not, as yet, used this in a lesson – but plenty of ideas spring to mind. I’ll see if I can use it as a kick-starter in my teens class. With a bit of luck they’ll glean enough inspiration to stop talking in Catalan and design their own board-game. I’ll post the lesson up if successful (i.e. if everyone survives the games).

Here’s something to make you vomit in anger. This is a link to a website documenting a record-breaking handbag auction. $203,150. Just a snippet, but you know, if you can’t get people talking about this…
http://www.wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/herms-bags-fetch-record-prices-at-auction-5419045

*thanks 🙂