ABC Education has Australian-made, curriculum-aligned content. It's free, ad-free, and created by educators who understand what primary classrooms need. But videos are only powerful if we intentionally build lessons around them.
Never show a video without context. Set learning intentions: "We're watching this to find out how Miranda's life changed when she moved to the city." Give students a viewing purpose—a question to answer, a detail to spot, or a problem to solve.
Try this: Show students the first 30 seconds, pause, and predict: "What do you think happens next?" This activates thinking before the full video.
Don't play videos uninterrupted. Pause at key moments and ask: "What just happened?" "How did the character feel?" "What would you do?" This keeps minds active and surfaces confusion in real time.
A video without follow-up is wasted time. Plan activities tied to what you watched: discussion, written response, dramatisation, artwork, or a related reading. "We watched this video about water cycles. Now let's draw our own and label it."
ABC Education is searchable by year level and subject. Bookmark curriculum-linked content at the start of term so you can quickly slot videos into unit plans. Many come with lesson plans and worksheets already written.
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ABC Education
Free, curriculum-aligned videos, lesson plans, and activities for all year levels.
Videos are engaging, but engagement doesn't always equal learning. A video that entertains might not teach. Choose content with clear learning outcomes, and always wrap it in deliberate teaching. The video is a tool, not the lesson.
