Educationals from the world's archives

913–960 of 20,947 films, free to watch, from the world's open archives.

Where these films come from, and who sees what

Every film here plays from the archive that keeps it: the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, the NASA Image and Video Library, the Library of Congress and Open Images (the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision). Nothing is copied to this site. Each film's page names its archive, links to its page there, and states its licence or status as the archive does.

Archive films carry no age ratings, so each is placed from the collections it sits in and the subjects the archive gives it, cautiously. Sexual content and nudity are left out altogether.

Little OnesFilms for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool.
KidsCartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature.
TweensDocumentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures.
TeensEverything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower.
AdultSexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage.
Internet Archive Rocks that form on the Earth's surface 1964 · Educational · 16 min · Subtitles With teacher's guide Uses demonstrations and examples in discussing the origin and composition of sedimentary rocks. Explains methods by which students can… Internet Archive Industrial Revolution in England 1959 · Educational With teacher's guide Describes rural England prior to the industrial revolution, explaining that most manufacturing was carried on in the home. Discusses how… Internet Archive The Jewish Wife 1971 · Educational Title from data sheet Viveca Lindfors, Harris Yulin Editor, Bert Rashby A dramatization of Bertolt Brecht's play of the same title, about a Jewish woman… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Adventuring With Tiddle The Fiddle Lessons 16-20" 1969 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive Nigeria and Biafra 1968 · Educational · 30 min Nigeria and Biafra Animated film, set to the music of Moussorgsky, in which the image is created by varying the topology of a large flat field of pins, hence… Internet Archive Electromagnetic Waves 1961 · Educational · 32 min George J. Wolga shows why we believe in the unity of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. He performs experiments which show that the radiation arises from… Internet Archive Shaw vs. Shakespeare III: ‘Caesar and Cleopatra 1970 · Educational · 30 min This passionate interplay between the girl-queen and the wily conqueror provides the groundwork for George Bernard Shaw’s contention that there has been no… Internet Archive The End of the Rainbow 1979 · Educational · 58 min Produced by WGBH for the Nova series Describes fusion reaction as the process wherein two very light atoms come together to form a new atom, releasing heat… Internet Archive The Story of Christmas 1974 · Educational Uses medieval settings, music, and animation, in order to present a version of the Christmas story. Without narration Internet Archive A Vanishing Heritage 1971 · Educational · 10 min Reveals the many-sided heritage of American architecture. Explains that traditions in architecture were brought to the United States by people of many… Internet Archive Across the Silence Barrier 1977 · Educational · 58 min Across the Silence Barrier Search Educational Film Journals at Media History Project for references to this film Summary Explores the world of the deaf and… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Flight Prep 6C: Obtaining Weather Information" 1983 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive Miguel: Up From Puerto Rico 1970 · Educational · 15 min Miguel, a Puerto Rican boy has moved to New York City with his family. He finds his ability to speak English and Spanish puts him at an advantage in assisting… Internet Archive Scorpion 1979 · Educational Produced by the BBc Bristol Natural History Unit Explains that scorpions, among the oldest creatures on Earth, are natural survivors with the ability to go… Internet Archive The Born Criminal 1957 · Educational · 30 min The Born Criminal SummaryDiscus./ia he relationship between heredity and criminality. Points out common misconceptions concerning physical characteristics as… Internet Archive Franz Boas (1858-1942) 1980 · Educational · 59 min Title from data sheet Presents a documentary on anthropologist Franz Boas, focusing on his fieldwork with the Kwakiutl, his teaching career at Columbia… Internet Archive Night Club Boom 1946 · Educational · 21 min From the 'March of Time' series, this fascinating film documents the high-end night club scene of New York City in the post-war years. Scenes and people… Internet Archive Mars minus myth. 1972 · Educational · 18 min · Subtitles Revised version of the motion picture issued in 1972 under the same title Explains the major findings and photographs of the Mariner 9 and Viking missions to… Internet Archive Wildcat 1959 · Educational Follows two Oklahoma wildcatters as they prepare to sink a well. Shows their drilling operations for the Big Chief Drilling Company in Garfield County, OK;… Internet Archive The First Signs of Washoe 1974 · Educational Also issued as videocassette Focuses on a baby chimpanzee named Washoe, who was taught to express herself using American sign language. Also looks at another… Internet Archive The Year of the Wildebeest 1976 · Educational · 55 min The Year of the Wildebeest Search Educational Film Journals at Media History Project for references to this film A biographical sketch of the octogenarian… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Meet the Berenstains: Jan and Stan" 1982 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive Greatest Heroes of the Bible: Moses 1979 · Educational Presents the Old Testament story of Moses' vision and call to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and the events of the Exodus Internet Archive The Ascent of Man: 12 -- Generation upon Generation 1974 · Educational Producer and director, Adrian Malone; writer and narrator, Jacob Bronowski Examines the complex code of human genetics--from the experiments of Gregor Mendel… Internet Archive Dinosaurs: The Terrible Lizards 1986 · Educational Title from data sheet Grades 1-4 Shows moving models of the familiar plant-eating Brontosaurus, the flesh-eating Coelophysis, and other dinosaurs and… Internet Archive Nuclear Test Film - Operation Sandstone - U.S. Air Force 1948 · Educational Department of Energy TF 0800005 doe.gov Nuclear Test Film - Operation Sandstone - U.S. Air Force 1948 DVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation… Internet Archive Paranoid Conditions 1952 · Educational Writer and director, Robert Anderson Presents an acute paranoid patient, admitted to the hospital six months previously, exhibiting delusions in which the… Internet Archive Dead Wrong: The Story of John Evans 1984 · Educational · 22 min · Subtitles Dead Wrong: The Story of John Evans Reel 1 Reel 2 available here Chronicles the life of a criminal who had an ordinary, middle-class background. Internet Archive The Sharks 1982 · Educational · 59 min The Sharks Search Educational Film Journals at Media History Project for references to this film As a consequence of the Boston Tea Party, Johnny Tremain and… Internet Archive Iran Contra Hearings, 07/08/1987 1987 · Educational National Archives and Records Administration Iran Contra Hearings, 07/08/1987 U.S. Senate. (03/04/1789 - ) ARC Identifier 11161 / Local Identifier… Internet Archive Human Reproduction 1985 · Educational · 25 min Uses animation to explain the reproductive systems of both men and women, and to show the process of normal human birth. This is one of an exceptional series… Internet Archive The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: Nazi Germany, years of triumph 1966 · Educational VHS format Videocassette release of a 1966 motion picture, made into a series of three films versioned by Films Inc., c1971 Based on the book by William L.… Internet Archive Transuranium Elements 1962 · Educational This classic film is hosted by Glenn Seaborg, Nobel Prize winner and discoverer of Plutonium. Here, he features three principal chemists involved in the… Internet Archive Energy crisis. 1972 · Educational · 13 min · Subtitles With teacher's guide Reviews the different energy sources and indicates the length of time they will suffice. Considers the possibility of solutions to the… Internet Archive Nuclear Test Film - Operation Sandstone 1948 · Educational Department of Energy TF 0800003 doe.gov Nuclear Test Film - Operation Sandstone 1948 DVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the… Internet Archive Frogs, Toads and Salamanders 1932 · Educational · 8 min The life and history of the green frog showing the hatching of the eggs, and the growth of the tadpoles. This is followed by the life history and structure of… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Working in a Supermarket" 1972 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive What To Do in a Gas Attack 1943 · Educational FDR Presidential Library Video 41 What To Do in a Gas Attack Public Domain Footage Step by step instructions for civilians who might suffer various forms of… Internet Archive Time And Clocks 1959 · Educational · 27 min In this classic Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) film, MIT professor John G. King discusses the concept of time and shows various devices used to… Internet Archive Goodbye Gutenberg 1980 · Educational Anthony Smith Intended audience: Adults A documentary on the communication and information revolution that has taken place in business and industry through… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Electronic Chips" 1985 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive The History And Functions Of Congress 1996 · Educational · Subtitles "From the defeat of the British, to the Constitutional Convention and into today's headlines, this production shows how Congress, the President, and Judicial… Internet Archive Mr. and Mrs. America 1945 · Educational FDR Presidential Library Video 29 Mr. and Mrs. America U.S. Treasury, War Finance Division. Public Domain Footage An appeal to Americans to buy war bonds,… Internet Archive The Ghost of Thomas Kempe 1979 · Educational · 45 min A mischief-loving ghost makes a young boy his unwilling apprentice in a series of pranks. Title from data sheet Summary A mischief - loving ghost makes a… Internet Archive Breast Cancer 1976 · Educational · 23 min Producer, Lucille Clark Demonstrates techniques for breast self-examination and describes the precise symptoms of breast cancer Internet Archive Nuclear Test Film - Nuclear Testing Review 1945 · Educational Department of Energy TF 0800000 doe.gov Nuclear Test Film - Nuclear Testing Review DVD Copied by The Department of Energy, in cooperation with the Department… Internet Archive How To Get Cooperation 1950 · Educational · 10 min Demonstrates methods of securing cooperation necessary for group action. Details the objectives of cooperation. Shows typical situations requiring cooperation… Internet Archive Ski school, Part 1 1963 · Educational · 12 min · Subtitles Offers an introduction and a step-by-step review of skiing. Covers the ABCs of ski equipment and demonstrates fundamental ski techniques, from walking to…