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History & The Arts
Welsh history and its sources
This free course, Welsh history and its sources, is a teaching and learning resource for anyone interested in Welsh history. It contains study materials, links to some of the most important institutions that contribute to our understanding of the history of Wales, and a pool of resources that can help you understand Welsh history and the way it ...
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level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
History of reading: An introduction to reading in the past
This free course, History of reading: An introduction to reading in the past, consists of a series of essays, drawn from material contained in the Reading Experience Database, that illustrate different aspects of reading in Britain during the period from 1450 to 1945. These essays are designed for you as the reader to dip in and dip out, ...
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History & The Arts
Superqueeroes: Gender and superheroes
Why is Wonder Woman only playing a secondary role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? This article looks at the role of gender and sexuality in superhero films.
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History & The Arts
From the Sumerians to Shakespeare to Twain: why fart jokes never get old
How have fart jokes survived the times? Even the great William Shakespeare, used a flatulence pun in his play The Comedy of Errors...
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History & The Arts
Batman v Superman: Are superheroes always good?
The latest hit movie Batman v Superman deals with the dangers of too much power - a theme that was all to common to the Ancient Greeks whose heroes, such as Ajax and Achilles, could be egotistical and cruel.
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History & The Arts
10 things that ended in 2006 (when OpenLearn was born)
OpenLearn was born in 2006 but unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) some things ended this same year. We look back as part of our ten year anniversary celebrations.
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level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Exploring the English language
How has the English language changed over the course of the last 500 years? What are the social and political contexts that have affected how these changes have come about? This free course, Exploring the English language, will consider the development of the English language from the 15th to the 19th century.
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level 2: intermediate icon
History & The Arts
Music and its media
This free course, Music and its media, examines some of the main ways in which music is transmitted. It considers how the means of communicating a particular piece can change over time; and how the appearance and contents of a source can reflect the circumstances in which it is produced. The course focuses on three examples of musical media that...
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History & The Arts
The Life of Saint David
This extract from Alban Butler's 18th Century work on the lives of the saints tells the story of Wales' patron saint.
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History & The Arts
Is New Day a false dawn for the print industry?
The Independent announced the closure of its print edition, but almost straight away Trinity Mirror said they'd launch a new paper. What's happening with the paper business?
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Languages
An introduction to grammar
What is grammar, and how does it help us communicate? Our short video reveals all...
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History & The Arts
Harper Lee's life was as surprising as any work of fiction
Harper Lee, who has died at the age of 89, had a life that was as curious as any plot from a novel. Writing in 2015, before the publication of Go Set A Watchman, Professor Richard Gray shared some of the story.