YouTube Videos to Use in Your Social Studies Classroom

Kids love movies. Unfortunately, most "educational" movies are boring, dull, and not what students would consider "movies."

I rarely force them to suffer through documentaries like that. I do, however, incorporate short videos and video clips into my classroom all the time. YouTube is a great resource, and you may be able to find other streaming flash videos that you can access without triggering your school's web filter.

But I Can't Access YouTube at School!

That's ok. If you know what you're doing, you can download the YouTube videos at home and bring them in on your flash drive. That's typically what I do.

The process is amazingly simple. Download RealPlayer. Install it. Load YouTube. Click "Download this Movie." And you're done.

RealPlayer automates the process of fetching the movie from YouTube's server and downloading it to your hard drive. You won't be able to burn it to a DVD, since it's in the .flv format, but you should be able to play it back on a computer at school with Windows Media Player or a free flash player like flvplayer.

Fun with Animaniacs

The Animaniacs were a great television show. They didn't try too hard to be educational, but some of their segments were mildly useful for the classroom.

These aren't necessarily lesson center-pieces, but they're fun little time fillers. I typically play them in the transition between classes or in the first few minutes as the students settle in.

There are a ton of Animaniacs segments on YouTube, but there are probably three videos in particular that will appeal to the Social Studies teacher: Wakko's 50 States, Yakko's Nations of the World, and the Animaniac's Presidents of the United States.

The songs are fun and they'll captivate your students. If you listen to them often enough, a bit of the geography/history should rub off on them too!

Music with a Historical Bent

There's a lot of music that deals with historical topics. Some of it is more educational and relevant than others, but I think it's all useful.

Playing music in the transition of classes is a great way to draw your students into the classroom, and music with a historical bent can help promote curiosity and questioning in your students. To be the most effective, this music should also incorporate video - hopefully something that goes along with the lyrics.

One example of a movie of the song, "Ohio," by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, set to a photo montage of the Kent State shootings.

Another song I love is Boston Tea Party, by SAHB. It doesn't really provide a lot of information about the Boston Tea Party, but it's a helluva catchy tune and the band looks pretty funny. It oughtta get a chuckle out of your students, and they'll probably have the phrase, "Goin to the Boston Tea Party," etched in their minds afterwards.

More Informative Movies

There are, of course, more informative movies that you can use.

Short animated clips are great for introducing or wrapping up topics. If the clip is centered around a song, it will help appeal to a pretty broad range of students. The visual learners will key in on the animated portion, while the auditory learners will enjoy the music.

One fun example is the Daily Show's video about Mid Term Elections.

It might be a bit risque for some classrooms, but it definitely raises some important points. I wouldn't show it to middle schoolers, but I think it's plenty appropriate for high school kids.

This movie in particular would be a great springboard for studying the election process in general and mid term elections in particular.

Search About. There Are Thousands.

These are just a few of the movies you might find interesting for your classroom.

They may not be for everyone, but movies in general should have a place in every classroom. A movie doesn't have to be a weeklong affair with the TV and VCR. Just find a short video clip on YouTube, download it, and fit it into some spare time.

Your kids will appreciate it for sure.