"There are so many informative and fascinating videos on YouTube, generously provided for free by caring subscribers wanting to share their knowledge and expertise. Find out from Katie Lepi how to make the most of this great classroom resource for history in the following Edudemic article."
Can you imagine the level of first-hand knowledge today’s students would have if their classrooms came equipped with time machines? Well, believe it or not, they do. Teachers can turn to YouTube to create a virtual time machine.
Thanks to uploads of old footage, documentaries and reenactments, YouTube offers a plethora of opportunities to experience history. But wading through countless hours of videos, some appropriate and many not, can be a major undertaking. The handy infographic below allows teachers to take their students on an educational trip through history. Keep reading to learn more!
How To Use YouTube To Relive History
What historical events can you ‘relive’ via YouTube (even if video hadn’t been invented yet)?
- The Gettysburg Address
- Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
- JFK Assassination
- Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech
- The Landing on the Moon
Where To Start There are a lot of ‘big name’ places that have YouTube channels that offer tons of educational content. Here are a few favorites.
- Council on Foreign Relations
- US National Archives
- World History and Other Stuff
- NASA
- Education
- Library of Congress
- Timelife
- US Holocaust Memorial Museum
A Few Tips
- Make sure to watch all videos in full to determine classroom appropriateness
- Use tools to cut videos if necessary (there are lots of free options online)
- Start with videos from reputable channels
- You can ask for password protected access to YouTube if your school blocks it
- Or, you can download videos at home and show them in class
