Government

The Standard Deviants - American Government 2-pack

The Standard Deviants: American Government Part 1
An unorthodox lesson in civics is presented by the Standard Deviants, a cast of energetic young performers, in this video, which is designed as an extensive review guide for a course in American civics. Starting with the ethics of Aristotle and quickly jumping forward to philosophical concepts espoused by Locke and Hobbes, the performers present the basic background of American democracy in skits and recitations that are often oddball mnemonic devices. Topics covered include the theories behind democracy, the grievances the American colonists had against the British, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and the eventual drafting and ratification of the Constitution. The landmark legal cases and the principles of civil rights are also covered. The approach to the subject matter may not be to everyone's liking, and at times the performers do seem to trivialize matters that are generally approached with some solemnity. However, this video has academic advisers, including professor Larry Sabato (a name familiar to viewers of public affairs programs). If the presentation is sometimes off the wall, the actual material is very solid, and even then it comes with disclaimer that it is intended as a review guide and is not a substitute for attending class. --Robert J. McNamara

The Standard Deviants: American Government 2
Continuing their unusual review course in civics, the Standard Deviants, a group of ebullient and youthful performers, forge ahead to explain via skits and various performance routines the venerable institutions of American democracy. This video begins with an explanation of the legislative branch, covering its history, powers, and the procedures by which it operates. The roles played by the Speaker of the House and other central figures are portrayed with purposely weird computer graphics and skits (complete with a congressional whip wielding, of course, a bullwhip). The powers of the president and the executive branch are also covered in detail, and an in-depth review of the judicial branch and its workings concludes the lessons. The approach to the material is never solemn and at times verges on the bizarre, and this won't be to everyone's liking. However, the academic advisers to this production have ensured that the material itself is solid, and it should be noted that the attempts at comedy are designed as mnemonic devices on the principle that something presented in an off-the-wall manner is easier to remember than the boring lectures that students endure and forget. --Robert J. McNamara

Our government has evolved over the years, from the First Constitutional Congress to recent case law. Reserved powers are tested, expanded and limited. This series will explain the history and divisions of our government, including their responsibilities and powers. The American Government DVD 2-Pack includes American Government Part 1 and Part 2 at a discounted price.

Standard Deviants School - The Dissected World of Biology, Program 2 - The Cell (Classroom Edition)

It's time to investigate your inner real estate: your cells. You consist of over 75 trillion cells and the Standard Deviants will show you what they're like. You'll uncover the mysteries of DNA and crack the genetic codes inside of each and every one of us.

Standard Deviants School - The Dissected World of Biology, Program 1 - The Basics (Classroom Edition)

How does life happen? The Standard Deviants will show you the building blocks of all life: atoms, amino acids, and proteins. Once you know how to tinker with these toys, you'll be well on your way to being a biology expert.

Standard Deviants School - The Dissected World of Biology, Program 3 - RNA (Classroom Edition)

Prepare to meet your maker...your protein maker, that is. His name is ribonucleic acid, but his friends just call him RNA. RNA doesn't get as much publicity as DNA, but it's just as vital. Find out all the jobs this workhorse does for the body.

Standard Deviants: Macroeconomics

The Standard Deviants - For the People (Learn American Government)

An unorthodox lesson in civics is presented by the Standard Deviants, a cast of energetic young performers, in this video, which is designed as an extensive review guide for a course in American civics. Starting with the ethics of Aristotle and quickly jumping forward to philosophical concepts espoused by Locke and Hobbes, the performers present the basic background of American democracy in skits and recitations that are often oddball mnemonic devices. Topics covered include the theories behind democracy, the grievances the American colonists had against the British, the drafting of the Declaration of Independence, and the eventual drafting and ratification of the Constitution. The landmark legal cases and the principles of civil rights are also covered. The approach to the subject matter may not be to everyone's liking, and at times the performers do seem to trivialize matters that are generally approached with some solemnity. However, this video has academic advisors including professor Larry Sabato (a familiar name to viewers of public affairs programs), and if the presentation is sometimes off-the-wall, the actual material is very solid, and even then it comes with a disclaimer that it is intended as a review guide and is not a substitute for attending class. --Robert J. McNamara

Standard Deviants School - The Dissected World of Biology, Program 4 - The Cell Membrane (Classroom Edition)

Can you say 'semi-permeable?' Your cell membrane sure can. The Standard Deviants will show you why the cell membrane is one of the most important parts of the cell and how it's responsible for functions like active and passive transport, phagocytosis (cellular eating) and pinocytosis (cellular drinking).

Standard Deviants: Sociology, Vol. 1

Standard Deviants: Microeconomics

The Standard Deviants - Astronomy Adventure (Learn Astronomy History and Principles)

Aimed at college students or accomplished high-school students, this award-winning series uses humor, whimsical graphics, and a lot of quick cuts to make academics accessible--even fun. And that's tough when you're talking about an hour and 39 minutes of astronomy-theory history (from the ancient Greeks through Newton), the law of gravity, properties of light, how telescopes work, makeup and rotations of the Earth and moon, and more laws than you can shake a stick at. The Standard Deviants staff of professors, a comedy-writing team, and 13 actors manage to find the right balance of goofiness (a doofus mechanic tries to explain nanometers) and hard-core information (explanations of parallax, retrograde, the Doppler effect--need we say more?). So if a Calvin Klein ad parody is your idea of a good way to teach the Kelvin scale, this tape belongs in your VCR. A study card with outline and formulas is included. --Kimberly Heinrichs

It's a huge universe, and learning about it can seem like a huge task. Astronomy Part 1 can help. We'll meet some prominent ancient astronomers and discuss their theories of how the solar system works...or how they thought it worked! Then we'll take a look at Kepler's Laws, gravity, properties of light, the earth, the moon, and much more.