PBS LearningMedia

PBS LearningMedia is a web-based PreK–12 classroom resource service for educators and students. It is strongest for teachers who want standards-aligned materials and lesson-sharing tools without a subscription. Its broad library and classroom integrations make it a useful planning option, though full features require a free account and printed pages carry restrictions.

Overview

More than 30,000 classroom-ready materials from PBS member stations and partners span videos, images, interactives, lesson plans, articles and primary sources. That breadth gives teachers alternatives to video when building a lesson, while alignment to state and national curriculum standards helps connect resources to classroom goals. Students can watch videos, complete assignments, search and share content on the platform.

Key features

Search filters cover grade, subject, resource type, video length, accessibility supports and language. Teachers can narrow a large library to a particular class or lesson, including when language or accessibility needs matter. A free account unlocks standards-based browsing, favorites, lesson building and shareable folders; the account requirement is a small setup cost, not a paid-plan barrier.

Integrations with Google Classroom, Clever and Remind support sharing resources through familiar classroom services. The Google Workspace Marketplace listing adds saving, downloading and creating content, teacher lesson tools and sharing to Google Classroom. This makes PBS LearningMedia especially practical for classrooms already using those tools. PBS says classroom use does not require permission, including distribution through Lesson Builder, Clever, Google Classroom or Remind. Printed pages must show the website URL and cannot be distributed to students for a charge, so the service is less flexible for teachers who rely on paid printed packets.

PBS says it will not sell student data or use it for targeted advertising, and that it uses commercially reasonable technical, administrative and physical safeguards. Educators seeking training or a refresher can contact [email protected].

Pricing

PBS LearningMedia — free. The free plan serves PreK–12 educators and students, with a free account required for all features. It includes classroom tools and admin analytics, and there is no paid tier to weigh against the free option. The trade-off is that video downloads are unavailable; teachers who need offline video access should look elsewhere. Mobile access is supported, although the listed platform is web.

Platforms

PBS LearningMedia is listed for web use, with mobile access supported. It also connects with Google Classroom, Clever and Remind, and its Google Workspace Marketplace listing supports classroom sharing and teacher tools.

Who it's for

This is a good fit for PreK–12 educators who need a varied, standards-aligned resource collection and want to build lessons or share materials through common classroom services. Students can use the platform to watch videos and complete assignments. It is a weaker fit for users who need video downloads or want to distribute printed pages to students for a fee.

Pros and cons

• Pros: More than 30,000 resources across multiple formats provide teachers with options beyond video.
• Pros: Standards alignment and detailed search filters help match materials to grade, subject and classroom needs.
• Pros: Lesson-building tools and integrations with Google Classroom, Clever and Remind support sharing within classroom workflows.
• Cons: All features require a free account, so access is not entirely account-free.
• Cons: Video downloads are unavailable, limiting offline use.
• Cons: Printed pages must include the site URL and cannot be distributed to students for a charge.

Alternatives

For teachers who want a free option with a stated monthly school stream allocation and a free trial, ClickView offers a free teacher account and 10 video streams per month for schools, rising to 35 by inviting users. Digital Theatre+ is an institutional subscription with custom pricing; consider it if institutional access is the priority. For open-access educational video lectures, VideoLectures.NET is a free alternative.

Gil Hedley Integral Anatomy is another alternative. Into Film+ is free for English state schools funded by the Department for Education with a valid PVS Licence and offers a 600+ title catalogue, so it suits that specific school audience. NFSA Digital Resource Finder is a free-for-education video and resource option. TED-Ed provides free lesson creation and lesson consumption tools. Australian Screen Online (ASO) Education is freely available.

Browse more Educational Video Libraries or Teacher Resource Libraries.

Verdict

PBS LearningMedia is a strong choice for PreK–12 teachers who want a free, standards-aligned collection with lesson-building and classroom-sharing tools. Its breadth and integrations are the main reasons to choose it; look elsewhere if downloadable videos or unrestricted paid distribution of printed handouts are essential.