- Technology
- COPYRIGHT, FAIR USE & CREATIVE COMMONS
Creative Commons and Copyright-Free Resources
Online Creative Commons and Open Source Media Resources
Tired of digging through the virtual sea of media looking for resources you can actually use? Try these fabulous resource sites designed to help you locate various forms of media that are free to share and adapt with limited restrictions for use!
About Creative Commons Licenses (Explains the differences between various licenses.)
AUDIO:
All of the following sites have free audio/sound files.
Some require giving credit to the original artist when using, so read guidelines carefully.
- DigCCMixter
- Free Music Archive
- Jamendo
- Musopen (Also has free music education resources for teachers and students.)
- Sound Bible (Creative commons and public domain sound effects collection.)
- YouTube Audio Library (Be sure to stay on the "Free Music" tab.)
- DigCCMixter
- Free Music Archive
- Jamendo
- Musopen (Also has free music education resources for teachers and students.)
- Sound Bible (Creative commons and public domain sound effects collection.)
- YouTube Audio Library (Be sure to stay on the "Free Music" tab.)
CURRICULUM:
The following resources include various forms of multimedia including lesson plans, textbooks, eBooks, printable and reusable handouts and activities, interactive simulations, videos, images, presentations, trackable student progress, and student quizzes. - cK-12 (High-quality interactive content that can be customized for students to track progress.)
- Curriki (Curated, openly-licensed educational resources and materials that can be used and shared.)
- Khan Academy (Excellent videos and practice; teachers can customize and track learning for students.)
- DK Find Out (Online, interactive encyclopedia for students that also includes teacher resources.)
- PBS Learning Media (Browse by grade and subject to access lesson plans, videos, and other resources.)
- LearnZillion (Open, cloud-based curriculum with videos, interactives, lesson ideas, etc.)
- cK-12 (High-quality interactive content that can be customized for students to track progress.)
- Curriki (Curated, openly-licensed educational resources and materials that can be used and shared.)
- Khan Academy (Excellent videos and practice; teachers can customize and track learning for students.)
- DK Find Out (Online, interactive encyclopedia for students that also includes teacher resources.)
- PBS Learning Media (Browse by grade and subject to access lesson plans, videos, and other resources.)
- LearnZillion (Open, cloud-based curriculum with videos, interactives, lesson ideas, etc.)
IMAGES:
- Pics4Learning (Free copyright-friendly images for educational use by teachers and students.)
- Pixabay (Free images and videos you can modify without attribution.)
- Gratisography (Creative Commons Zero License, giving you the most freedom.)
- StockVault (Free stock images for personal and educational use.)
- Flickr (Creative Commons Advanced Search. Top left dropdown menu changes search criteria.)
- Open Clip Art (Public domain clip art free to use; be careful not to click on external ads!)
- MorgueFile (Be careful to stay on the MorgueFile Tab and avoid other images that are not free to use.)
- Pics4Learning (Free copyright-friendly images for educational use by teachers and students.)
- Pixabay (Free images and videos you can modify without attribution.)
- Gratisography (Creative Commons Zero License, giving you the most freedom.)
- StockVault (Free stock images for personal and educational use.)
- Flickr (Creative Commons Advanced Search. Top left dropdown menu changes search criteria.)
- Open Clip Art (Public domain clip art free to use; be careful not to click on external ads!)
- MorgueFile (Be careful to stay on the MorgueFile Tab and avoid other images that are not free to use.)
MISCELLANEOUS FORMS OF MEDIA:
- Google Advanced Search (Enter search criteria & be sure to select usage rights that are free to use!)
- Search Creative Commons (Find content from multiple places at once!)
- Wikimedia Commons (Collection of images, sounds, and videos that are copyright-free.)
- Wikipedia (Free online encyclopedia that anyone can use, and technically anyone can EDIT.)
PRESENTATION TEMPLATES:
For Google Slides, you must MAKE A COPY of the original to edit and make it your own.
PRESENTATION TEMPLATES:
For Google Slides, you must MAKE A COPY of the original to edit and make it your own.
Keep the "credits" slide when using under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Keep the "credits" slide when using under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
- Slides Carnival (AMAZING free templates for Google Slides or Powerpoint.)
VIDEOS:
As long as you see the option to embed or share, videos from any of the following sites are generally free to use and share, but remember to screen them for appropriate content. That does not necessarily mean you have rights to edit or modify the videos open to the public (only share links to original sources online).
Some of these resources may be filtered, and students may have limited access while on-network.
- TeacherTube (Free educationally-appropriate online video resources; screen for useful curriculum.)
- YouTube (Free videos; educators should screen for appropriate content.)
- Pixabay (Free images and videos you can use and modify without attribution.)
- Vimeo (Free videos; educators should screen for appropriate content.)