Homeschool History With YouTube

YouTube videos are an excellent way for your family to explore history. There are YouTube videos covering nearly every historical event. These engaging videos can help spark the interest of a child who thinks history is boring. They also give children who love history another way to learn more about the topics that interest them. Educational videos can be used to fill in gaps when you haven’t been able to get to the library, or the library doesn’t have books on a particular historical event.

Below are some YouTube history channels that are favorites among homeschoolers. Many channels offer a wide variety of content, so the suggested age ranges are very approximate. I strongly recommend that you preview the videos before allowing your children to watch them, as standards vary from family to family.

YouTube History Channels

American Battlefield Trust– Learn about the Civil War, Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. (upper elementary to adult)

American Experience– A PBS television series about events that shaped America’s past and present. (upper elementary to adult)

America From Scratch– Explores questions related to America’s history and government. (middle school to adult)

Bedtime History– Relaxing history stories covering world and US history, technology, engineering wonders, and more. (elementary & middle school)

Captivating History– Covers various historical periods and mythology. (upper elementary to adult)

Center for Civic Education– US government videos, including the 60-Second Civics series and The Constitution Explained series. (middle school to adult)

Crash Course– Videos on U.S. and world history, as well as other subjects. (middle & high school)

The Daily Bellringer– Short videos covering American History. (upper elementary to high school)

Eats History– The host recreates recipes from throughout history. (all ages)

EmperorTigerstar– Videos and map animations of historical events. (middle school to adult)

Epic History TV– Dramatic events in history. (upper elementary to adult)

Extra History– Episodes delve into little-known yet dramatic adventures in world history. (middle & high school)

Free School– Various history topics, as well as other subjects. (elementary & middle school)

Geography by Geoff– Focuses on how geography, demographics, and urban planning shape the world. (upper elementary to adult)

Geography Now– Profiles of countries around the world. (all ages)

Geo History– Map animation videos that summarize historical subjects. (middle school to adult)

George Washington Speaks– History educator Vern Frykholm portrays George Washington as he recounts 18th-century American historical events. (upper elementary to high school)

Great Depression Cooking with Clara– A great-grandmother shares stories from her childhood during the Great Depression as she prepares meals from the era. (all ages)

Heimler’s History– Covers AP U.S. History, AP World History, and AP Government. (high school)

Hip Hughes History– Mostly focuses on U.S. history and politics, but also includes some world history and general interest topics. (middle school to adult)

History Buffs– A show dedicated solely to reviewing historical movies for accuracy. (high school & adult)

The History Channel– Episodes cover a wide variety of historical events and general interest topics. (varies)

History for the Ages– History professor David Halahmy shares his lectures covering Early and Modern Western Civilization, the History of the Middle East, and other topics. (high school & adult)

The History Guy– Stories of forgotten history. (upper elementary to adult)

History Matters– Animated videos that teach European and world history. (high school)

History on Maps– Animated map simulations of conflicts and other historical events. (upper elementary to adult)

The History Underground– Explores historical sites and artifacts around the world. (upper elementary to adult)

History with Cy– Explores ancient and medieval history from around the world. (middle school to adult)

Homeschool Pop– Various history videos, as well as many other subjects. (elementary)

Horrible Histories– The funniest, yuckiest, and most gruesome bits of history. (upper elementary to high school)

Jam Campus– Educational songs that teach history and other subjects. (all ages)

Jeffrey the Librarian– Explores history, maps, language, and books. (middle school to adult)

A Kid Explains History– The title says it all! (elementary)

Kings & Generals– Animated historical documentaries covering various time periods. (middle school to adult)

Knowledgia– Simplified, animated videos about history. (middle school to adult)

Learn Bright– Short videos covering various topics in history and social studies. (elementary)

Liberty’s Kids– Animated historical fiction series covering the American Revolution. (elementary & middle school)

Mark Felton Productions– Military history with a focus on World War II and the Cold War. (middle school to adult)

Matt Reconstructs History– Uses AI to reconstruct scenes from history. (all ages)

Modern History TV– Series that investigates what life was really like in the past. (middle school to adult)

Mr. Bett’s Class– Humorous videos cover a variety of topics related to history and social studies. (elementary to high school)

Mr. DeMaio– Offers videos covering famous monuments, biographies, and historical events. (elementary & middle school)

Mr. History– Mostly videos that give a brief history of countries around the world, plus videos covering various other history topics. (upper elementary to adult)

Mr. Nicky’s World History Songs– Musical parodies that teach history. (all ages)

National Geographic– documentaries about history, geography, and more. (varies)

Ollie Bye– Map animations on the histories of countries, wars, and other topics of historical interest. (high school & adult)

PBS– Documentaries on history and many other topics. (varies)

PragerU Kids– Episodes cover history, geography, civics, and more. (elementary to high school)

Professor Dave Explains– Videos covering anthropology, American history, world history, and economics. (middle school to adult)

Mr. Raymond’s Social Studies Academy– A teacher helps students learn history, government, and civics. (high school)

Reel History– Analyzes the historical accuracy of popular movies and TV shows. (high school & adult)

Simple History– Brings history to life through animation. (upper elementary to high school)

Tasting History with Max Miller– Explores history through the lens of food and beverages. (all ages)

Ted-Ed– These videos cover a wide variety of history topics, as well as many other subjects. (upper elementary to high school)

Timeline– Documentaries and series from the world’s top broadcasters, including the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery, and PBS. (varies)

Tom Richey– History lectures for AP US History and AP European History, as well as review videos for South Carolina US History. (high school)

Townsends– Videos on 18th-century life with an emphasis on cooking. (all ages)

Useful Charts– Explores history, religion, and genealogy using charts. (middle school to adult)

 

Additional Free History Resources

History and Social Studies Curriculum– Free curriculum for history, social studies, geography, and government.

History Unit Studies and Lesson Plans– Numerous sources of free history unit studies and lesson plans.

History Timelines– Free printable and online timelines.

History Websites for Homeschoolers– Learn history with these informative websites.

Virtual Field Trips– Explore the world, including many historical sites and museums, through virtual field trips.

Note: This post was originally published on September 22, 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.