10 Best Educational DVDs

Thinking about my Dad yesterday made me think of the things we DO have in common. One of the key things we have always been able to connect on is the passion for nature and science. We used to always watch PBS together (cable was never available where we grew up), especially Science and Nova.

Learning new things, especially how our universe works has always been a passion. Some of these are fun, some are downright amazing productions. If you want to buy them I've provided a link on each one (Just click on the picture. BTW, Shift-clicking on the picture will open the link in a new window). And if you want to buy ME a copy of any of these (hint, hint), shoot me an email and I'll let you know where to ship it. :D


So here's my list of the top 10 Educational DVDs out there.

10. Who Killed the Electric Car?- Most of us that grew up in the 80s remember the EV1 or the LeCar, two electric-only vehicles. Now, with gas prices soaring and fossil fuels depleting, the electric car is nowhere to be found. Not as entertaining as it could be, but the film is poignant and well done. Worth renting.

9. Super Size Me- Ok, so the educational aspect is a little stretched here, but this is a wonderful documentary on obesity and fast-food corporate policies. It took me about a month after watching this for me to eat fries again. Morgan Spurlock shows off his talent for information with great voracity.

8. Schoolhouse Rock- I HAD to throw this in here. Schoolhouse Rock was an iconic series that most of us grew up with. Honestly, that's why I know the preamble to the constitution. Now sing along with me, "Conjunction Junction, what's your functiooooon..." I STILL watch this. The DVD set is WELL worth it.

7. In the Womb (National Geographic)- Visually stunning. Using cutting-edge technology, you can follow the birth of a child from conception to birth, literally watching the development. A must-have for new parents, and also IMHO a great tool for explaining the Birds and the Bees to little ones.

6. An Inconvenient Truth- One of the most controversial documentaries of all time. It takes the issue of Global Warming and translates it to real examples. Who'd have thought that a Powerpoint presentation by Al Gore would be watchable? Regardless of your politics, this is a film everyone should watch.

5. What the Bleep Do We Know?- Ever wonder the meaning of Quantum Mechanics? Well, this movie (which actually showed in theaters for a short period) delves into this strange world in surprisingly understandable language with very entertaining visuals.

4. The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns- Not everyone is a history buff, but this is arguably the best comprehensive view of an era I've ever seen. Be warned, this complete set is eleven (!) hours, but it's still hard to NOT stay enthralled, even to someone with ADD like me. My favorite thing about this series is it takes the story of the Civil War objectively, showing both sides seamlessly.

3. Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series- Simply the best science/nature series ever. Plus, it's narrated by David Attenborough. 'Nuff said. It makes you love our planet, and you leave with a sense of awe.

2. Walking with Dinosaurs- For all the CGI fans out there, the BBC has developed an amazing series called walking with Dinosaurs. I got this for my nephew last Xmas, as he is a certified dino FREAK. This ain't Jurassic Park, y'all. You will be so visibly stunned that you'll forget you're learning.

1. The Elegant Universe (NOVA)- This award-winning series on PBS explains (quite well, I might add) about Albert Einstein's dream of the "Theory of Everything." If you ever wanted to know about what people mean when they discuss String Theory, this is a DVD you can't pass up.


Honorable Mention: Another one that is not yet available on DVD is a history series on HBO called Assume the Position. I strongly recommend it for anyone like myself that enjoys the "story behind the story" in history. The second in the series is coming out July 7th on HBO. If your cable service has HBO On Demand, you should be able to pick up the original at the current time.