AI YouTube Video Questions Generator for Teachers

How it works

From a video title to a complete viewing guide in four steps.

Enter the video title or topic

The teacher types the video title or topic and, if they want, what the video covers. The tool does not open the video or read its transcript; it uses what the teacher types. The teacher can paste part of the transcript or a brief summary into the what the video covers field.

Select subject and level

The teacher selects the subject and level, and with Improve with AI on can type the purpose of the video in what the video covers: introducing a new concept (prior knowledge activation), deepening understanding of a topic already taught (elaboration), providing a real-world example (application), or supporting a discussion (launching discussion). The purpose shapes which question types the AI emphasizes in the viewing guide.

AI generates the complete viewing guide

The guide has five parts: (1) before-you-watch questions that activate prior knowledge about the topic; (2) while-you-watch questions with blanks for the times to pause, which you add after watching the video; (3) after-you-watch questions that prompt synthesis and application; (4) a words to know line for the terms you choose; and (5) a notes table for note-taking during the video.

Distribute the viewing guide and play the video

Copy the complete viewing guide into a handout for students. Students receive the guide before the video starts, read the pre-viewing questions, and know what to watch for. The times you add to the during-viewing questions tell students when to pause the video and write their responses. Post-viewing discussion happens after the video with the completed guide in hand.

The passive video watching problem

Educational videos are one of the most effective instructional tools available, when students engage actively with the content. Structured viewing with questions, note-taking, and discussion gives students more to do than passive video watching. Yet many teachers who use videos in class play them without a viewing guide, because creating a guide takes preparation time that most teachers do not have.

The generator gives you a guide to start from. The teacher watches the video and adds the times; students have something to do during the entire video.

What the generator includes

Every viewing guide turns passive watching into structured, active engagement.

Pre-viewing activation questions

Pre-viewing questions activate the prior knowledge students bring to the video, so new information has something to connect to. These questions do not require students to know the answer; they prime the brain with the right schema. A video about the water cycle might open with: "What do you think happens to rainwater after it falls? Where does it go?" Asking this before viewing gives students something to connect the video to.

Timestamp-anchored during-viewing questions

During-viewing questions have a blank for the time (filled in as "At 2:15" or "At 4:30") so students know exactly when to pause and respond, and you add the times after watching the video. Pausing at key moments forces active processing: students have to retrieve and articulate what they just watched rather than passively consuming the rest of the video. Questions at key moments also prevent the common problem of students watching without engaging.

Post-viewing discussion questions

Post-viewing questions shift from comprehension to synthesis and application. After students have watched the video and processed it through the viewing guide, these questions push them to connect the video content to the lesson objectives, to their own experience, and to other content they have learned. Post-viewing discussion questions are designed for whole-class discussion or small-group conversations, not individual written responses.

Vocabulary pre-teach list

The template leaves a words to know line for you to fill in; with Improve with AI on, you can ask for terms students may not know, domain-specific vocabulary, technical terms, and academic language that could create barriers to comprehension if not pre-taught. You can ask for a brief, student-friendly definition of each term. The teacher can use the list to run a 5-minute vocabulary preview before playing the video.

Graphic organizer for note-taking

The notes table gives students a structured template for capturing information during the video, with columns for main idea, example and my question, and with Improve with AI on you can ask for a cause-and-effect diagram, a comparison chart, or a sequencing organizer. Students who complete the notes table during viewing have a concrete record to reference during post-viewing discussion.

Printable handout

Copy the complete viewing guide (pre-viewing questions, during-viewing questions with timestamps, post-viewing discussion questions, vocabulary list, and graphic organizer) into one handout.