DiscoverThe Social Studies Teacher Podcast5 Strategies to Keep Students Engaged During History Videos
5 Strategies to Keep Students Engaged During History Videos

5 Strategies to Keep Students Engaged During History Videos

Update: 2025-09-29
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Raise your hand if you’ve ever shown a history video or documentary in class… only to see your students zoning out after 15 minutes.

Yup, I've been there!

Today’s students are used to short-form, high-stimulation content like TikTok and YouTube shorts, so long educational films can feel slow, even when the content is great.

In this video, I’ll share 5 practical strategies to keep your students engaged and actually learning from videos in social studies and history.

👉 Here’s what you’ll learn:

  1. Purposeful Viewing Guides
  2. Pause and Discuss
  3. Active Note-Taking Structures
  4. Movement and Roles
  5. Creative Post-Video Activities

Whether you’re teaching American history, state history, or world cultures, these tips will help your students focus, engage, and remember what they watch.

Blog Post - Episode 112

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Social Studies Guided Curriculum

Easy-to-follow lesson plans and activities for social studies - just print and teach! The complete bundles for Communities, Texas History, and U.S. History are available. Click the link to learn more!

Learn more about the Smart and Simple Social Studies Guided Curriculum!

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5 Strategies to Keep Students Engaged During History Videos

5 Strategies to Keep Students Engaged During History Videos