Health and Happiness

Follow the White Rabbit.

Let your curiosity be your guide.

This page only holds a small sample of the content available about health and happiness. We selected content from a wide variety of media. As you explore pay attention to which way you like to consume information. Think about how you would like to share information. You will submit a self-reflection after this learning experience.

Articles (blogs)

Included in this collection are articles from High Existence, Art of Manliness, Brain Pickings, Tedblog, Tiny Budda, Zen Habits, Elephant Journal, The Minimalist, and Live Strong.

Anyone can write a blog. Many bloggers have developed a large fan base and are able to make a living by blogging. One of the key ways they do this is by building a fan base and proving their reliability by demonstrating expertise in an areas. They have become a great way to learn about and digest some of the new "science" on happiness and other topics of interest. However, because anyone can blog, we must be careful to vet them. Here are tips to vet internet blogs and sites. However, one of the best ways to determine their reliability is to check out the studies they reference and cross reference their claims. You'll get better at this as we go. If you choose to read a blog article please submit this CRAAP form to show that you vetted the article. To fill out this form, add DocHub or Kami by clicking "Open With" and connecting more apps.

Btw, each of these blogs have several articles on happiness. Use their search bar to find other treasures. If you find one that you like, feel free to put that as one of our top 9. Make sure to record the url. You'll need it to create a reference page.

Article (News and Magazine source)

Included in this collection are articles from The Economist, The Atlantic, The New York Times, BBC, and Psychology Today.

Perhaps none of these articles interest you? Find your own. Use the search engine within the links or Google your question. When you Google an inquiry right under the search bar you have the option to select web, image, news, etc. Select news to limit your search to news sources.

Note some of these articles are behind a paywall. They may allow you a few free articles or none at all. However, the LAPL and the LAUSD digital library pays for subscriptions and allows you to access them for free, so you may want to look for news sources there first. Ask the librarian to help you with the digital library if you are having a hard time figuring out how to use it.

If you choose to read a news article please submit this CRAAP form to show that you vetted the article. To fill out this form, add DocHub or Kami by clicking "Open With" and connecting more apps.

Articles (scholarly)

The blogs, news, and magazine articles you read often rely on scholarly works to support their claims. Researchers conduct studies to test hypothesis, develop theories, and find answers to the questions we have about our world and ourselves. Many people find reading studies mentally taxing, but it is a valuable skill to develop because it allows you to become a more informed person. Here are some tips on how to read a scholarly article (it includes a video).

Do you want to find your own scholarly source? Try it! When you are looking for scholarly sources you will want to check out Google Scholar. It works a lot like Google, but it focuses in on scholarly works. However, many of these articles are behind a paywall. You may want to start with the LAUSD digital library or the LAPL instead of Google Scholar.They pay for journal subscription that allow members to access these works for free.

Books/short stories

Don't worry you won't be required to read the book...unless you want to. (Let us know if this is the case and you can read it as a substitute to some of the other assignments.) Take advantage of collective intelligence: You can get a preview and reviews of these books in Google Books and Amazon. Goodreads is a great forum to read detailed reviews and Wikipedia often will provide a summary of the book. Many people will create detailed summaries and infographics of books, so Google Image the title of the book with the term "infographic." Check out Slideshare! People love sharing gems they find when they read. Maybe you will want to create one as your community project or just to understand the content better.

Documentaries and Movies

Movies and documentaries are another way to understand a topic. With movies you will recognize certain themes and be able to do character analysis, plot or setting analysis. They can appeal to your emotions in such a way that leads to introspection and reflection. Documentaries also are powerful ways to learn about a subject. However, recognize that documentaries have a bias and when you watch them do so critically. Try to see if you can identify the filmmakers message and bias.

Besides watching trailers, try rottentomatoes.com, IMDb, and/or popular movie reviewer, like Ebert to get a perspective of a film....But always form your own opinion.

Infographics

LOVE inforgraphics! It is one of my favorite ways to take advantage of collective intelligence. Individuals read a lot about a topic and then translate it into digestible graphics full of information. Click on the images to get the full image. Want to look for your own, go to Google Images, type your search inquiry and add the term infographics. The best ones will cite the sources they used, so look out for that. Like with blogs, reviews, and slideshare, be a critical consumer. Cross reference their claims and find news or scholarly articles that reinforce their claims.

Podcast and Vodcast

Podcast are similar to radio discussions. Many popular bloggers will create blogs in addition to blogging. This is a great way to dig into a subject when you are on the run, running errands, or having to wait around, but can't read. Treat them as you would treat a blog or opinion piece.

Quotes/Images

Collecting images and quotes is a way to find gems that leave a lasting impression about a topic you are learning about. Often times, they will lead you down a different direction or inspire a thought.

Short Film

Check out vimeo and when browsing YouTube add the search term "short film."

Tedtalks

TedTalks

YouTubes

Like with blogs, anyone can create videos and post on YouTube. Some post for entertainment, some to teach you something, some to promote themselves, and some just for fun. Look over the recommendations and see where it takes you. It is a great starting point.

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