Tip of the Week – SnagFilms

History and social studies teachers have always been good at using multimedia tools to help kids make sense of content. We understand how powerful the visual is and how it can help us do our jobs.

The problem?

Access. Creating an in-house video library can be incredibly expensive. Online services such as Youtube or Teachertube are often blocked in schools. Tools like NetFlix are a bit more user friendly but can still be clunky for educators.

Solution?

You might try SnagFilms. SnagFilms is a relatively new online service that

is committed to finding the world’s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve. SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we’re also a platform that lets you ‘snag’ a film and put it anywhere on the web.

They’ve created financial arrangements with a variety of film makers allowing them to host and stream tons of useful videos. National Geographic and PBS, as well as a mix of independent film makers, have agreed to release educational videos to SnagFilms. I was able to find great stuff on ancient civilizations to Pearl Harbor to Jamestown to Iraq to mummies to the great film Paperclips.

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So instead of struggling to find appropriate videos for instruction, check out SnagFlims.