We’ve all lost precious hours of our planning time hunting for free classroom videos to fit our lessons. And sometimes we end up sharing something that’s less than ideal because we didn’t have time to sift through the options. That’s why we’re so excited to introduce preK-12 teachers to BBC Learning Hub, especially its amazing video playlists.
Unlike what you’ll find by searching YouTube (which is likely blocked at your school anyway), BBC Learning Hub’s playlists offer carefully curated collections of free classroom videos about high-interest science and social studies topics. The ad-free clips are all sourced from the BBC’s top-notch programs. Even better, they are aligned to the NGSS and NCSS standards you’re required to teach. Plus, the site includes discussion questions, vocabulary, writing prompts, and activities below each video.
We’re positive that BBC Learning Hub will save you a ton of time searching for free classroom videos that complement your curriculum, but we want to make it even easier for you. In this post, check out:
▶️ Some of our favorite BBC Learning Hub playlists
🔀 Easy steps for building a playlist to match your class unit or subject
📄 Information about BBC Learning Hub’s free printable Video Response Worksheets
Our Top Playlist Picks
Versatile and fascinating, here are nine playlists we’re adding to our list of favorites.
1. The Emperor Penguin Playlist: Survival, Chicks, and Chilly Adventures
Stunning clips from various BBC nature productions help kids build an understanding of how emperor penguins work together to care for their young and survive their harsh environment. Share this playlist to help students appreciate the remarkable behaviors and adaptations of this species across the seasons and within the Antarctic ecosystem. (Brr!)
Find it: The Emperor Penguin Playlist: Survival, Chicks, and Chilly Adventures
2. The Bizarre Bugs Playlist
If you’re searching for free classroom videos about insects, you’ll be bug-eyed about this next-level collection! It introduces students to unusual species from around the world, from the deep-burrowing golden baboon spider to lake fly midges that hatch into clouds of millions. This list will both wow students and encourage them to make connections among ways that different species meet their survival needs. The final video, “Bioluminescence and Jungle Predators,” will make everyone wish they could take a class trip to the jungle at night!
Find it: The Bizarre Bugs Playlist
3. Lizards, Snakes, and Crocodiles: The Robust Reptile Playlist
If snakes make you gasp and crocodiles make you tremble, you’ll have to set your feelings aside. These thoughtfully compiled clips are must-watch examples for kids of how cold-blooded creatures defend themselves and hunt for prey. Plus, they introduce the challenges reptiles face in their various habitats. A few featured species, like the sea krait, were new to us, and we’re eager to compare notes with students.
Find it: Lizards, Snakes, and Crocodiles: The Robust Reptile Playlist
4. Ducklings, Seal Pups, and Elephant Calves: The Baby Animal Playlist
Be honest: Half your students are already searching for and watching baby animal videos while you’re trying to teach other content. We love how this playlist opens with a “Why We Love Baby Animals” video that explains the science behind why our brains react so strongly to baby animals. It continues with videos about how different baby animals learn and grow. (Newsflash: Sometimes their parents help them out, and sometimes not so much.) Connect this appealing playlist to science units about animals and their offspring or patterns of animal behavior.
Find it: Ducklings, Seal Pups, and Elephant Calves: The Baby Animal Playlist
5. The Halloween Animals Playlist
As Halloween approaches, we have to compete with candy and costumes for our students’ attention. This smart collection of free classroom videos is just what you need. The clips star creatures that are often associated with nighttime or spooky activities. Think owls, wolves, spiders, and even toxic poison dart frogs. (Excuse us while we finish shuddering at the footage of 3 million bats leaving their cave to hunt.) Keep this one queued up for when your October science classes get “tricky.”
Find it: The Halloween Animals Playlist
6. From Peaks to Plains: National Parks Video Playlist
Building students’ appreciation of America’s national parks is a fantastic way to tie together geography, history, earth science, and civic responsibility for conservation. This handy compilation of free classroom videos transports students to iconic sites across the United States, like the Grand Canyon and Mount Denali. It also builds their awareness of the impacts of climate change and the threats to key species such as redwoods. This is an ideal “anytime” collection, since it relates to so many subject areas.
Find it: From Peaks to Plains: National Parks Video Playlist
7. The Wonders of the World Video Playlist
These free classroom videos about the seven wonders of the world are clips from the British animated series “Go Jetters.” They feature catchy music, memorable facts, and even a futuristic dancing unicorn. This playlist is useful for expanding younger kids’ geography knowledge. It would be a fun addition to a study of maps and globes or could help launch an inquiry into the history of famous places.
Find it: The Wonders of the World Video Playlist
8. Engines, Wheels, and Wings: The High Speed Playlist
This playlist is full of mind-boggling free classroom videos that we can’t wait to incorporate into our science units on forces and motion. Alongside relatable and daring host Grace, these videos give kids an insider’s glimpse of what it’s like to operate a variety of machinery, from tugboats and seaplanes to a double-decker bus and a gyroplane. Clear explanations of each machine’s special features give kids helpful context to appreciate the science behind how they work.
Find it: Engines, Wheels, and Wings: The High Speed Playlist
9. My World Kitchen Video Playlist
Our mouths are watering! This menu of episodes from a British children’s cooking show will inspire elementary school viewers to learn more about global dishes. We love how each episode begins with an introduction to the recipe’s place of origin, as well as a guessing-game–style overview of key ingredients. We’ll use this playlist when teaching kids how to record and share research information or as a fun extension of geography topics.
Find it: My World Kitchen Video Playlist
Build Your Own Playlist of Free Classroom Videos
There are so many ready-made playlists to choose from on BBC Learning Hub, but the option to create a custom-made collection just for your classroom is a huge bonus. And it’s super easy! Here’s what to do:
Step 1: Create a free BBC Learning Hub account
Head on over to BBC Learning Hub and click “Register” in the upper right corner. You’ll only need to share minimal information to set up a free account. Once you’re logged in, you can view all the content on the site for free, save your favorite resources, and, of course, build your video playlists.
Step 2: Add your videos
Search for videos using the search bar. We filtered by resource type and grade level. In minutes, we found plenty of picks for a playlist to support a 1st grade science unit on birds. Click “Add to Playlist” and follow the prompts to create a new playlist. Add a title and description, then add more videos you love. It’s easy to swap around the order of videos within your playlist by navigating to “My Playlists” and hovering over the three dots to click “Edit Playlist.”
Step 3: Share your playlist
When your playlist is complete, just click “Share With Students” to grab a link or share it directly to Google Classroom. Besides easily setting kids up to access a playlist, this makes it incredibly quick to prepare a playlist for a substitute teacher to use or share resources with families.
Check Out This Free Video Response Worksheet Bundle
This free video response worksheet bundle makes it even easier to encourage active engagement and comprehension as students watch the videos in a playlist. Each worksheet can be used for any video. Kids can become familiar with the response formats that work well for your class, and it’s easy to mix it up when needed. Watching and responding to a video would make a perfect independent work center. We also plan to teach kids how to use a few of the options early in the year so that we can leave them in our sub folders for ready-made, meaningful lesson plans anytime.
To learn more about why we love BBC Learning Hub’s video playlists and other resources for teachers, visit the site or watch our Teacher Picks video!
