13 Best Sites With Free Educational Movies

Educational videos, lectures, and documentaries for the home or classroom

By
Stacy Fisher
Profile photo of Stacy Fisher
Stacy Fisher
Technology Educator
  • Emporia State University
Stacy is a professional technology educator with over 25 years' experience. She has published hundreds of articles, co-authored a book, and has appeared on national and local TV.
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Updated on December 18, 2023
Streaming TV, Movies, & More

Educational movies are ideal if you're an educator looking for great multimedia to explain a new concept, a parent supplementing your child's education, or just an aspiring autodidact seeking knowledge.

This list of the best sites for educational movies will help you find what you're looking for. From science to humanities, there's something for everyone.

Big Think videos

Best Educational Video Sites

  1. Big Think: Interviews and discussions from experts that range from a few minutes in length to up to an hour long, in playlists like space, life hacks, physics, politics, the brain, and emotional intelligence.
  2. PBS Nova: Watch entire NOVA episodes online, divided by topic like body and brain, nature, evolution, planet earth, and ancient worlds.
  3. National Geographic: Kid-friendly video shorts of Natl. Geographic programs can be found here.
  4. University Videos: Free video lectures from a large list of universities.
  5. TED: Stream “Ideas Worth Spreading” from expert business leaders, scientists, researchers, and more.
  6. The School of Life: These short, documentary style YouTube videos are from psychologists, philosophers, and writers who share ideas on how to understand ourselves better, improve our relationships, and more.
  7. Internet Archive's Educational Films: Vintage corporate and government sponsored films, instructional videos, classroom guidance films, military training, and more.
  8. Prelinger Archives: Thousands of free educational movies of historical significance.
  9. PBS Frontline: Most of PBS Frontline's broadcasts can be watched in their entirety online.
  10. Edutopia: From George Lucas Educational Foundation, this is a great collection of highly eclectic educational resources. These videos are also available from their YouTube channel.
  11. TeacherTube: A collection of thousands of educational video lessons on everything from science and math to history and language arts.
  12. Annenberg Learner: Alphabetized list of teacher resources. Most videos here are available for free viewing online.
  13. BrainPOP Jr.: Free movies geared toward kids, covering everything from science and health to social studies, art, and technology.

Other Ways to Get Educational Videos

Some free movie sites have educational films that you can stream or download free. Movies of this type are usually categorized as documentaries, so you may have luck starting with sites that carry free documentaries.

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