Do you use YouTube clips in your classroom? When it comes to navigating YouTube the task might feel daunting. The content on this video hosting site ranges greatly – both in quality and subject matter. One of my favorite YouTube channels is Discovery News. Many companies and traditional television channels have carved out a space on YouTube. It provides them with a way to distribute content easily to a large audience and produce videos at a quicker pace.
Discovery News is a YouTube channel full of videos that can be brought into the classroom. It contains clips that give an overview of important science topics in the news ranging from bacteria to meteors. On their page you’ll find a range of clips along with descriptions. You might decide to share these short clips at the beginning of class, post a link in an LMS like Google Classroom for students to watch later, or connect the link to the video to a QR code for an interactive word wall or scavenger hunt.
- Introduce a new science topic
- Connect your lesson to a real world event
- Provide context for a classroom discussion
- Give background knowledge on a topic
- Inspire student writers to take a position on an issue
- As an exemplar for students’ own informational writing
Like any video clip you share with students you want to preview it first to make sure it aligns with your instructional goals and is appropriate for your students. If YouTube is blocked at your school you might decide to send the link home with students to watch outside of school hours to discuss the next day in class.
Click here to check out Discovery News on YouTube or learn more about their exciting virtual reality content available online and for use on mobile devices.
cross posted at classtechtips.com
Monica Burns is a fifth grade teacher in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Visit her website at classtechtips.com for creative education technology tips and technology lesson plans aligned to the Common Core Standards.
