Check back regularly! I’ll be adding lots of resources as I come across them!
DISCLAIMER: It is your responsibility determine whether you are in compliance with copyright laws with regards to using any of these resources in a classroom (especially videos). You should also preview each resource in its entirety to determine if it is appropriate for your students before using it.
Introduction & Basics
Why Study History – Video 2:10
Why Study History? – Video 3:14 (This video is more for middle schoolers, but still makes some good points for high schoolers if needed.)
AD and BC Explained – Video 6:06
Mesopotamia and Fertile Crescent
Ancient Mesopotamia – Video 4:09
Writing Cuneiform – Video 2:22
Ancient Israel
History of Ancient Israel and Judah Explained in 5 Minutes – Video 5:39
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt 101 – Video 6:13 — Great summary!
The Excavation of Tutankhamun’s Mummy, King Tut in Color – Video 4:46
Life a Day in the Life of King Tut – Video 2:39
The Mummification Process 101 – Video 4:28
What do Mummies Smell Like? – Video 2:34
360 Travel Inside the Great Pyramid – Video 3:34
What Does the Rosetta Stone Say – Video 3:33
What Happened to the Great Sphinx’s Nose – Video 3:05
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece 101 – Video 4:11
Troy Movie: Paris vs Menelaus – Video 4:16
This is Sparta: Fierce Warriors of the Ancient World – Video 4:27
Studying the Mysteries of Stonehenge – Video 6:43
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome 101; National Geographic – Video 5:38
Top 8 Ancient Roman Technologies; National Geographic – Video 8:53
The Impressive Engineering of the Roman Arch – Video 4:14
The Great Conspiracy Against Julius Caesar – Video 5:57
How Octavian Successfully Rebranded Himself – Video 3:29
Gladiator Clip “Barbarian Horde Battle” – Video 5:10 ***I only show up to about 2:20 because it gets very graphic after that (someone gets cut in half, etc.)
Gladiator Clip “Maximus vs. Tigris of Gaul” – Video 5:05
Ancient China
Qin Dynasty in Five Minutes or Less – Video 4:52 I probably wouldn’t show this in class, but it would be great for a student who was not in class.
How and Why the Great Wall of China was Really Built – Video 4:52
The Incredible History of China’s Terracotta Warriors – Video 4:31
Middle Ages
What Life Was Like for a Medieval Crusader – Video 12:03
Church History in Ten Minutes – Video 10:26
The Black Death Explained in 8 Minutes – Video 8:40
Plague 101: National Geographic – Video 4:16
Rules of the Joust – Video 0:55
Renaissance and Reformation
Causes of the Renaissance Video Infographic – Video 5:09
Who Were the Medici? A Nutshell History of Florence’s Ruling Family – Video 4:24
Why the Renaissance Started in Italy – Video 6:18
Florence, The City of the Renaissance – Video 2:08 (This video is actually a video by Dolce and Gabanna but it gives a ton of great shots of the art and architecture of Florence.)
How an Amateur Built the World’s Biggest Dome (Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence) – Video 3:49
Brunelleschi, Dome of the Cathedral of Florence – Video 5:51
Why do old paintings look so weird? Art 101: Linear Perspective – Video 4:59
Art History for Kids: Medieval & Renaissance Art – Video 3:07 (Geared more for middle schoolers)
The Renaissance and Linear Perspective – Video 5:47 (This is great if you want your students to practice drawing using linear perspective – see 2nd half of video.)
Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Artist & Inventor | Mini Bio – Video 3:26
The Mona Lisa | What You Need to Know! – 2 Minute Louvre History | After Hours Access – Video 2:20
Why is the Mona Lisa so famous? – Video 5:36
Michelangelo & The Sistine Chapel for Kids, Teachers and Parents – Video 6:33 (This is aimed more towards middle schoolers.)
Who was Michelangelo? – Video 2:54
Do You Know why the Sistine Chapel was Artrageous? | Art History Lesson – Video 11:15
History 101: The Protestant Reformation National Geographic – Video 4:27
Enlightenment and Age of Exploration
Enlightenment Thinkers – Video 11:55 (Have your students draw along. Pause to let them catch up.)
Mega-Download of Columbian Exchange and Columbus Freebies
Christopher Columbus and New World Doodle Notes – Freebie
Christopher Columbus Sets Sail – Video (2:10)
Columbian Exchange – Video (2:57)
Christopher Columbus Explorer Mini Bio – Video (3:16)
How to Teach About Christopher Columbus and the Columbian Exchange – Video Post, Freebie
The French and Indian War Explained – Video (3:22)
Absolute Monarchs and Age of Revolutions
Absolute Monarch Overview – Video 6:28 (The video isn’t flashy, but gives great information.)
Peter the Great – Video 2:19
World War I
How a Wrong Turn Started World War I – Video (3:23)
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand – Video (first video on page) (3:28)
WWI The First Modern War: The Germans Engage In Unrestricted Submarine Warfare – Video (2:11)
“8 Things You Didn’t Know About Franz Ferdinand” – Recommended Article
World War 1 Causes Word Scramble
Why the Germans Torpedoed the Lusitania – Video (4:29)
Life in a Trench, World War I – Video (3:14)
Life in the Trenches, World War I – Video (8:43)
Tech Developments of World War I – Video (3:01)
Who was the Red Baron? – Video (1:17)
The Lost Battalion Attacking the German Lines – Video (8:49) Shows the brutalities of fighting. May not be appropriate for middle school.
Over There by George M. Cohan – Song (US soldiers fighting in World War I)
World War I Christmas Truce – Recommended Article (Great story!!)
The Treaty of Versailles, What Did the Big Three Want? 1/2 and
The Treaty of Versailles, Terms of the Treaty 2/2 – Videos
Bet You Didn’t Know, World War I – Video (2:14)
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles – Photo
My Boy Jack – Poem
World War II
Battle of Britain Discussion Starter
Free World War II Worksheet/Summary – Free Product on TPT (scroll down to page 5 and 6)
Winston Churchill – Video on History Channel (4:11)
Pearl Harbor Summary PowerPoint
Pearl Harbor Summary Videos (embedded in blog post)
Interview with Survivor of USS Arizona from Pearl Harbor – Video
D-Day Quiz – (Blog post on how to use it)
Post World War II/Cold War
Cuban Missile Crisis Worksheets
Cult of Personality by Living Colour – Song (mentions Kennedy, Stalin, Mussolini and their appeal to the public)
We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel – Song (important events after World War II to the 1980s)
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (3:41)
Vietcong Guerilla (3:08)
The Most Dangerous Job in the Vietnam War (1:00)
Why New Soldiers Didn’t Survive Vietnam (0:51)
Tet Offensive (3:47 – This video is part of a History Channel page on the Vietnam War. You may need to scroll down to find the video.)
What was Significant About the 1968 Tet Offensive? (3:43)
U.S. Veteran Describes Being Prisoner of War in Vietnam (5:32)
How WWII and Vietnam Veterans Were Treated Differently (5:01)
The Vietnam Soldier’s War Life. Why PTSD. (0:46)
The Difference Between a World War II Vet and a Vietnam Vet (0:58)
Walking on a Thin Line by Huey Lewis and the News – Song (treatment of Vietnam Veterans)
For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield – Song (Vietnam War protests)
Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival – Song (Vietnam War protests)
99 Red Balloons by Nena – Song (Cold War and threat of nuclear war)
Wind of Change by Scorpion – Song (fall of the Soviet Union)
Have You Touched the Berlin Wall? – Blog Post with Link
Chernobyl Disaster – Video 4:20
Surviving Chernobyl: Former Liquidator Tells His Story 30 Years Later – Video 9:30
Miscellaneous
Hinduism 101: Religions in Global History – Video 9:30
Who are the Slavs? – Video 3:16