Helpful links:
Create a FREE PBS LearningMedia account
Classroom resources
Lesson Builder Tool

PBS LearningMedia provides trusted, free, high-quality resources organized into subject-specific collection pages that can be filtered by grade and subtopic within social studies. Social studies resources include short videos, lessons and interactive games. PBS LearningMedia‘s online library of resources is here to help your students keep learning!

We’ve listed all of the social studies collections in PBS LearningMedia for easy use. Find a featured collection and suggested learning activity to get you started. Note that all resources can be shared to Google Classroom, emailed or posted to a website.

Start by creating a FREE PBS LearningMedia account to access all the features. You can use the Lesson Builder Tool to add instruction or discussion questions to resources. For example, you can find a lesson about how World War I affected the United States, France, Great Britain, and Germany (and why it was such a challenge for Woodrow Wilson to orchestrate a just peace) that guides you through the process of engaging students virtually.

Need support for getting started with PBS LearningMedia? Join us for a weekly training webinar Wednesdays at 7:30am PDT. Register

Featured Resource

Spring Semester Social Studies
These collections of resources curated by LA Unified School District can support distance learning during school closures.
Grades 3-5: Social Studies | Grades 6-8: Social Studies
U.S. History | World History | Gov/Econ

PBS LearningMedia Social Studies Collections (full list)
→ Within these collections, you can filter by grade and resource type.

Social Studies Collections by Topics

Elementary Social Studies: Discover exciting resources and methods for teaching social studies to students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Elementary Social Studies.
- Featured collection: Molly of Denali (grades K-2) and Great States (grades 3-13+)
- Featured stand-alone video and lesson plan: Your Vote Counts! (grades 4-6)

Civics and Government: Resources located under Civics and Government focus on the relationships between governments and individuals, and international relations.
- Featured collection: Civil Rights (grades 3-13+) and Crash Course-Government and Politics (grades 9-13+)
- Featured video and support materials: The Electoral College-Why Such a Big Debate? (grades 6-12)

Economics: Investigate how the supply and demand for goods and resources are globally intertwined with videos, lesson plans, and interactive games in Economics.
- Featured collection: Commanding Heights-The Battle for the World Economy (grades 9-12)
- Featured stand-alone video and support materials: Should We Raise the Minimum Wage? (grades 6-12)

Geography: Students will go beyond identifying the physical features of Earth to explore how humans interact with the world around them using resources in Geography.
- Featured video series: The Power of Place (grades 9-13+)
- Featured stand-alone interactive and supporting materials: How California Distributes Its Water in Dry Times (grades 6-7)

U.S. History: U.S. History is broken down by time periods, ranging from Three Worlds Meet (beginnings to 1620) to Contemporary United States (1968 – today).

World History: World History is an expansive subject with topics including the Beginnings of Human society and Early Civilizations (4000 – 1000 BCE) to The World Since 1945.
- Featured collection: Global Learning & Awareness (grades 3-13+) and Africa’s Great Civilizations (grades 6-9)
- Featured stand-alone video and supporting materials: How Did Homo Sapiens Succeed? (grades 6-12)

For additional resources, PreK-12 Resources for Emergency Closing Collection is a more extensive list of PBS LearningMedia collections organized by grade and subject area.

Find more resources here: How Teachers Can Navigate School Closures Due to the Coronavirus, including KQED Learn training webinars, curriculum aligned-TV schedule and more.

distance learningdistance learning

Digital Resources for Teaching Science with PBS LearningMedia

Digital Resources for Teaching Math with PBS LearningMedia

Digital Resources for Teaching Social Studies with PBS LearningMedia

Digital Resources for Teaching English Language Arts with PBS LearningMedia

3 Ways to Turn Your Classroom Remote in a Hurry