Teaching Advanced Placement® (AP) courses is both rewarding and demanding. Expectations are high, timelines are short, and budgets are often tight. To help you walk this tightrope and improve learning outcomes, we've compiled 5 of the best free resources for AP teachers. Let's get started!
Why Free Resources Matter for AP Teachers
AP courses are rigorous, but many schools and districts simply can't afford a library of supplemental materials for every course. Offering AP classes can be costly due to required instructor training, specialized materials like textbooks, and even paying for students to take the exams. While there are some affordable, high-quality course resources for instructors, such as UWorld's Courses for AP, sometimes free is the only choice. That's why we've highlighted some of our favorites.
Top 5 Free AP Resources for Educators
From official College Board® resources to user-generated content, AP teachers have a wide variety of free learning materials and tools to choose from. Consider them for course supplementation, flipped classrooms, independent study, and program improvement.
1. AP Classroom from College Board®
College Board's AP Classroom is a free, online platform for AP teachers and students. It includes a variety of instructional resources that support student learning of all course content and skills, such as:
- Unit guides: course overviews and tips, with deep dives into tested content and skills
- AP daily videos: short, on-demand lessons taught by AP teachers to review essential course concepts
- Topic questions: Formative assessment questions for immediate topic-level feedback
- Progress checks: Multiple-choice and free-response formative assessments for unit-level feedback
- Question bank: Searchable database of real AP questions indexed by course content and skills
- Resources and assignments: A hub for managing assignments, videos, and other content
- Reports: Individual- and class-level performance data to monitor progress and assignment results
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2. Khan Academy
Khan Academy offers AP-aligned lessons, videos, and practice exercises across many subjects. This material can be used to reinforce concepts and provide extra support for students. For example, here's what's included in its AP/College Physics 1 course:
- 9 total units, beginning with Kinematics and ending with an AP Physics 1 review
- Content overviews paired with videos and concept check questions
- Short quizzes and a unit test for each unit
- Basic progress tracking to determine course completion and understanding
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3. Quizlet
Quizlet offers AP teachers and students thousands of flashcards and study sets to review key terms, concepts, and formulas across various subjects. It includes interactive study tools to support retention, such as:
- Flashcard sets: User-generated flashcard decks for AP topics
- Engaging games: Independent and classroom-based activities
- Diagrams and images: Many flashcard sets include visual elements
- Study modes: Adaptive learning, flashcard quizzes, and matching
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4. YouTube
Many talented educators upload engaging AP videos to YouTube. Students can use them as a supplemental resource, while teachers may find them useful for in-class presentations. Some popular channels include:
- The Organic Chemistry Tutor for AP Chemistry
- Bozeman Science for AP Physics and AP Biology
- Heimler's History for AP U.S. History and AP World History
- Jacob Clifford for AP Macro and Microeconomics
- Mr. Sinn for AP Human Geography and AP Psychology
- Garden of English for AP Literature and AP Language
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5. Subject-Specific Websites
AP teachers have access to a wide variety of free, high-quality websites that support instruction and enrich classroom learning. Examples include open-education libraries, interactive simulations, teacher-curated sites, and more. These resources help educators complement their lesson plans and deepen student engagement. Their sheer volume can be overwhelming, so our team of AP experts put together lists of their favorites for you to explore:
Free Doesn't Mean Limited
Enhancing your AP course on a limited budget is difficult, but not impossible. By strategically leveraging these free resources, you can improve the quality and interactivity of your course for better student outcomes. All it takes is a bit of time and creativity.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are these resources helpful for all AP subjects?
Yes. Collectively, these sources contain material for all AP subjects and can be tailored to your unique needs.
Can students prepare for AP exams using only free resources?
While it’s possible to prepare for an AP exam with only free resources, it is not the most effective approach. Official AP materials and paid supplements offer better exam alignment and practice, which saves time and usually results in higher test scores.
How can AP teachers integrate free resources into class?
Free AP resources can be used in various creative ways, such as for homework, flipped lessons, review games, warm-ups, and independent study.
Can I use UWorld’s paid resources and AP Classroom?
Yes. AP Classroom, a free resource that provides basic practice and exam prep tools, can be used in conjunction with UWorld’s Courses for AP, which offer a comprehensive curriculum. Both platforms’ unique strengths can be used together for optimal results.
