Edpuzzle Originals for Social Studies
Hidden figures, history from multiple perspectives, primary sources… they’re all par for the course in the incredible social studies video lessons from Edpuzzle Originals!
Illustration by Edpuzzle Staff
How can you help your students cultivate cultural sensitivity and build empathy in your social studies classes?
Try watching some Edpuzzle Original social studies video lessons that examine history from multiple perspectives!
These videos are short (well within your students’ attention spans), promote active learning, feature powerful visuals, and are standards-aligned so you don’t have to worry about not hitting all the points on your syllabus.
With lessons on civics, US History, and World History, you’ll love the ease at which you can plan your next social studies lesson!
Videos That Uncover Hidden Figures in History
In this video, students will come to understand how some enslaved people sought their freedom by learning about the life of Ona Judge, who escaped from slavery in our first president’s household.
The lesson uncovers a hidden history by exploring the life of a woman who freed herself from slavery in the household of George Washington. There are no surviving images of her, so to recreate what she would have looked like, the Edpuzzle Originals team used primary source text descriptions of her as a guide for her illustrated representation.
Videos That Put Students Into the Shoes of Experts
Students will be able to identify the significance of Tinker v. Des Moines by learning about how it defined freedom of speech for students.
This video teaches students both sides of the Tinker case and asks them to evaluate them. (If you like this lesson, there’s a whole series of Landmark Supreme Court Cases videos from Edpuzzle Originals!)
How did the Salem Witch Trials come about? Students will learn about possible causes by weighing evidence in a variety of primary and secondary sources.
The video offers students various competing theories about why the witchcraft trials occurred, putting them in the shoes of a historian weighing evidence of causality. It also features a 3D animated hook.
Videos That Use Visuals to Enhance Student Understanding
Students will be able to describe how public spaces reflect key characteristics of a society by taking a virtual tour through Tenochtitlan.
This is a virtual tour of an Aztec city, so the video lesson features lots of 3D animation!
In this video lesson, students will learn about the early 1800s conflicts between Native Americans and American pioneers by exploring “manifest destiny” ideology and pan-Indian resistance.
The use of maps throughout the video helps students better visualize the effects of westward expansion.
What are checks and balances? Students will learn all about the concept by analyzing the Constitution of the United States.
The use of illustrations helps build student understanding of the American system of government. It also features contemporary video footage as a hook to capture students’ attention.
Videos That Show Multiple Perspectives in History
In this video lesson, students will learn to describe multiple perspectives in U.S. history by exploring the contributions of African Americans on both sides of the Revolutionary War.
It highlights the contributions of African Americans who fought for the British and those who fought for the American colonists and explores their perspectives.
Teach students about the significance of the Crusades by learning about them from multiple perspectives and exploring their effects on the Mediterranean world with this video lesson.
It’s difficult to find resources on the Crusades that balance both the European and the Islamic perspective, which is why this is an important video for students to view.
Do you have a favorite Edpuzzle Original video lesson for social studies that’s not on the list? Let us know on Twitter!