Crash Course
This series of videos was produced by teachers (and brothers) Hank and John Green, for educational use. While a variety of topics are covered, those of most interest to Social Studies teachers will be those on U.S. History, World History, Mythology, and Sociology.
These 10-15 minute videos feature a teacher giving a humorous lecture on the subject of the day, while graphics such as period artwork, photography or computer-generated captions fly across the screen.
Crash Course is aimed at high school students–and as you know, sex is almost always on the teenage brain, so “scoodly-pooping” and how it relates to the topic of the day is mentioned in many of the videos.
If you teach U.S. History or World History you can almost certainly find a video to match the period being studied. The lectures not only tell the story of what happened, they encourage students to consider cause and effect and to relate the events in history to the problems of our own time.
Civil War Trust
The videos created by Civil War Trust tell the story of the major battles of the Civil War in four minute chunks, so even your most attention-challenged students shouldn’t complain (too much). They start on the battlefields as they appear today where a narrator tells the story of the battle. Period photographs and artwork, video of re-enactment groups and a few computer graphics illustrate the story of what happened at the battle and the effect it had on the Civil War.
Besides the stories of the battles, the Civil War Trust Channel includes videos on topics such as weaponry, the war effort in various states, soldier life, and battlefield death. These videos tell the story but they do not encourage students to think beyond the story. Their short length makes them appropriate for use in middle or high school, though you may have to dig to find one that relates to the topic of the day.
Epic History TV
When you think of epic you think of big, and Epic History TV covers the big moments in history, including both world wars and the Russian Revolution. The videos are 10-15 minutes each and use computer graphics, maps, and period photos to illustrate fact-filled narration.
Epic History TV treats these epic moments seriously, and the videos answer questions, they don’t ask them.
Mr. Betts Class
Would your students be more apt to remember the story of Roanoke Colony if they read about it in a history book or if they watched a video where someone sings about it to the tune of “Let It Go?” Mr. Betts parodies a variety of songs to take students on a trip through the most important events and time periods in American History. HIs musical performance is so bad that it’s good.
CGP Grey
Do you think the electoral college is a good thing, or not? Do you want your students to consider that, or do you just want them to learn what it is? Do you want them learn that the border between the U.S. and Canada is the 49th parallel or do you want them to see that it isn’t exactly a straight line? Do you want them to memorize the names of all the countries in the world, or do you want them to consider what defines a country and to realize that whether some areas are countries is a controversial thing. If you prefer that your students question rather than answer, CGP Grey may be just what you are looking for.
While the graphics aren’t fancy, they are fast moving and engaging. The videos are about four minutes long and cover a variety of subjects including various facets of science and social studies. I think American Government teachers will find this channel more helpful than history teachers will.
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Hip Hughes History
If you are looking for a quality lecture to assign for homework in a flipped classroom situation, Hip Hughes History channel could fill the bill. While not as humorous or eye-catching as some series, this one is choke-full of information. The videos are twenty to thirty minutes long and feature a teacher in front of a gray background. While there are a few graphics, this series is clearly aimed at the auditory learner.
Extra History
Can corny low-budget cartoons help teach history? The makers of the Extra Credits channel think so. These videos are around ten minutes each, though some topics take multiple videos to cover (Otto Von Bismark rated six of them).
The channel covers a variety of subjects including history and game design. As a matter of fact the history videos were underwritten by a game company, and the company gets credit at the beginning of at least some of the videos.
While you won’t find a neat chronological listing of videos covering time periods from the beginning of recorded history to the current day, the history playlist has 225 episodes that often cover topics in far more detail than is usual in a high school history class. If you are looking for something to engage students who have an interest in an era, but don’t care for heavy-duty reading, these videos could be just what you need. Just imagine, eight videos on Catherine the Great!
The Great War
How much time do you spend teaching about World War I? The Great War channel has one 7-10 minute video for each week of the war. They talk about troop movements, battle strategy, and effect the battles had on the armies and the local people. This is another channel that would be great for kids who want more. For general classroom use, you will have to review the videos for the weeks around the events you are teaching about to see if they would be useful to you.
The videos include both graphics and old newsreel film, nicely blending both modern graphics and a period feel from the old films.
WWI Uncut
WWI was the first air war, the first tank war and the “war to end all wars”. WWI Uncut covers the Great War from a British perspective (after all it was created by the BBC) and rather than discussing battlefields or tactics it looks at things–machine guns, trenches, a soldier kit or U-boats–and how they affected the war and the people in it.
You will find these videos better for enrichment, or carrying history beyond the battles, generals and maps, than for replacing chapters in your text.
John D. Ruddy
While The Great War Channel spent an episode on each week of World War I, John Ruddy covers the whole war in one fast-talking six minute video. He has an Irish accent that is either adorable or annoying depending on your point of view. Obviously, this is a very broad overview, but could be a good introduction to WWI if time is limited.
The graphics are photographs of hand drawings/paintings. While they can be cute at times, they do not make the video look professional.
WWI is not the only subject covered; Ruddy also speeds through the American Revolution, the Russian Revolution and, like a good Irishman, the Easter Uprising.
Shmoop
How can you not like a channel called “Shmoop”? Schmoop has both free videos available on Youtube as well as full courses available by subscription.
The videos are obviously professionally produced and relatively short–most are under five minutes. They use humor, catchy graphics and facts to both engage and educate.
The results of a search for “Civil War” include videos on the Emancipation Proclamation, life after slavery, and the causes of the war.
If you are looking for a “hook” to grab students’ attention and to interest them in a topic but don’t want to spend much class time watching videos, these are ideal.
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