by Marjie Podzielinski
YouTube.com just announced the launch of YouTube for Schools, a website that gives teachers access to thousands of educational videos on YouTube EDU.
Last year I started using YouTube.com to supplement my library lessons. I found the clip "Veteran finds a buddy on the Vietnam Wall" as an insightful story of an American soldier who lost his life in Vietnam. This clip led me to a site www.Footnote.com/thewall. This is a virtual field trip to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC. You can scroll anywhere along the wall and get a service record for any of the names. I brought the lesson to life when I found my neighbor’s name. William Heep was a pilot who died in a plane crash in Vietnam. We read his service record together. I then let the students go to Footnote.com and read the service records for others who served their country. This site has now been renamed http://go.fold3.com/thewall/.
Studying the Pilgrims? Plimouth Plantation has their own YouTube.com channel. This site takes you to the time of the Pilgrims. Especially interesting is the type of food the Pilgrims ate, clothing, housing, etc. It really is a history book come to life. Here you will find a more accurate portrayal of the role of the Native Americans.
What about Colonial Williamsburg? You can see a video clip of a Blacksmith working over a hot fire. You can see what was cooking in the 18th century. There are many clips to show what time was like at the time of the Revolutionary War.
Studying the authors is also a benefit of YouTube.com. This six-minute video clip goes in depth on the works of Chris Van Allsburg. There is also a clip of Walter Wick describing his stack and demonstrating its balance. These clips liven up any book talk and bring the authors to life.
Marjie Podzielinski is a librarian at Coulson Tough School in The Woodlands, Texas.