Free Teaching Resources Directory: A Curated Guide for K‑12 Educators

Teachers invest huge amounts of time and often their own money into lessons and materials. A U.S. Department of Education report noted that teachers spend nearly $480 a year on supplies, and that’s why we are always looking for free resources to share with the teaching community. This free list of resources reminds teachers that there are options for pre‑K through high school across every subject, so there’s something for everyone. To help reduce that burden, this directory collects free lesson‑planning websites, printable activities, multimedia lessons and more—plus our own collection of free movie study guides.

Free Movie Guides & Teaching Resources on K12MovieGuides.com

Our site offers 65+ free movie study guides, worksheets and visual aids, organised by grade and theme. Each resource includes discussion prompts, vocabulary and assessment ideas aligned to learning standards. Here’s a taste of what’s available:

• Animated & family film guides – Free guides for popular titles like Onward, Kung Fu Panda 3, Trolls World Tour and Home Alone 2 provide comprehension questions and cross‑curricular activities. Holiday favorites such as Rudolph the Red‑Nosed Reindeer and Frozen are also included.

• Historical & social‑studies films – Resources like Liberty’s Kids – The Boston Tea Party and the America: The Story of the US – Rebels episode connect cinematic storytelling to historical events.

• Seasonal movie quizzes for classics like Miracle on 34th Street, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, The Muppet Christmas Carol and Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas let students test their knowledge.

• Science & STEM resources – Video guides for Crash Course Kids (“Gotta Eat!”), Crash Course U.S. History and Crash Course Biology lessons, plus Bill Nye – Flight, Magic School Bus Rides Again: Ecosystems and a What is Depression? TED‑Ed guide, help students connect media to scientific concepts. Free wall maps of the world’s continents and a pronouns poster supply visual reference tools.

• Economics & finance documentaries – Discussion guides for documentaries exploring cryptocurrency and economics—Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It, Magic Money: The Bitcoin Revolution, The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin, and the Tuttle Twins “Bitcoin and the Beast” episode—encourage critical thinking about money and technology.

• Reader’s Theater & scripts – Short scripts like The Little Match Girl, Birth of Jesus, The Ugly Duckling, Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen and a Frankenstein Reader’s Theater provide engaging fluency practice.

• Writing & study skills – Worksheets such as the Book & Movie Comparison sheet, Story Elements worksheet, Character Traits comparison, a comprehensive Character Trait list, an Intro to Literature lesson that analyzes 50 opening lines, and a How to Outline creative writing guide support literacy development.

• Quizzes & seasonal activities – Printable quizzes accompany movies like The Christmas Chronicles 2, Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year, and Angela’s Christmas. Additional seasonal activities include a Christmas traditions worksheet and a Thanksgiving script.

• Curriculum previews & SEL – Free previews of our elective courses—Film Studies & Movie Analysis and Film as Literature & Cinematic Arts—offer a glimpse of comprehensive high‑school programs.

• There’s also an analysis guide for Brené Brown’s TED Talk The Power of Vulnerability and a logic puzzle video guide to spark discussion.

You can browse the full set of free movie guides and resources here: https://k12movieguides.com/product-category/100-free-resources/.

External Sites with Free Teaching Materials

• We Are Teachers – “The Big List of Free Teaching Resources” – This collection spans pre‑K through high school and covers every subject. The editors point out that teachers spend hundreds of dollars on supplies each year and link to printables, math and reading websites, Jamboard templates, virtual field trips and more.

• University of San Diego – Top 24 Educational Resources for Teachers – This article explains why lesson plans help teachers stay on track and reduce stress, then shares 24 high‑quality lesson‑planning websites—such as 826 Digital, Annenberg Classroom, BetterLesson, EDSITEment and Education World.

• Western Governors University – Top 10 Free Lesson‑Planning Resources for Teachers – WGU’s guide highlights ten exceptional sites that provide free lesson‑planning materials across subjects and grade levels, including ReadWriteThink, PhET, Scholastic, the Stanford History Education Group and National Geographic.

• OER Commons – This nonprofit platform is a public digital library of open educational resources where teachers can search by subject and grade level, contribute their own materials and join community hubs like the National Geographic or #GoOpen hub.

Each of these directories provides a gateway to thousands of free lesson plans, videos, printables and interactive tools—use them to expand your resource library without spending a dime.

Looking for more free resources?

Teachers often turn to search engines to find new materials. Common queries include:

• free lesson plans for 3rd grade (replace with your grade)

• printable math worksheets for 5th grade

• free science activities for middle school

• homeschool lesson plans free

• free classroom posters and anchor charts

• free reading comprehension passages

• project‑based learning resources

• free social‑emotional learning lesson plans

• creative writing prompts for high school

Ready to Expand Your Resource Library?

Navigating the sea of free resources can be daunting, but the websites above make it easier. Whether you need a detailed lesson plan, an interactive video or a literacy‑rich movie guide, these directories offer high‑quality materials without draining your budget. Visit our 65 free movie guide collection and the external sites listed above to enrich your classroom. Have a favourite resource site that isn’t listed? We’d love to feature it in our directory—just let us know!