Curated OER
WWI Through the Film, Foot Soldiers
If your historians are watching the History Channel documentary, Foot Soldiers during their WWI unit, this plan has some simple recall questions and one referential/debate question ("What was the worst part of the war?") to ask after...
Global Oneness Project
Resurrecting a Home
Davina Pardo's documentary Minka asks viewers to consider that value of preserving traditional dwellings and traditional building techniques by examining how American journalist John Roderick and Japanese architect Yoshihiro Takishita...
PBS
Historical Perspectives: Coming Home from War
What do the homecoming experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan reveal about the politics and culture of the US during the time period of each war? Young historians view The Way We Get By, which tells...
Curated OER
Films About World War II
Ninth graders focus on how filmmakers have changed their view of the Second World War. They create portfolios or their own documentary to investigate the various screen interpretations of the wartime era and explain different points of...
PBS
Journalism in War Time: What Does the Public Need to Know?
A viewing of the documentary War Feels Like War, launches an exploration of the importance of accurate and comprehensive war reporting. Groups investigate various news agencies and assess the factors that influence their stories. A...
US National Archives
WWII: Western Europe 1939-45 – Battle of Britain
Had Britain not emerged as the victors of the 1940 Battle of Britain, World War II would have ended much differently—and the world as we know it would be catastrophically altered. Learn more about this pivotal moment that kept the Nazis...
Curated OER
The Ethics of Outsourcing to China
After viewing clips from a documentary on factory work in China and US outsourcing, learners have a fishbowl discussion. They work in groups to build both personal points of view and strong arguments on the effects of outsourcing in...
Curated OER
Facing Reality
Students explore social issues that are meaningful to them and create documentaries in which they share their information, thoughts and impressions.
NPR
Civil Rights of Japanese-American Internees
Prompted by a viewing of Emiko and Chizu Omori’s Rabbit in the Moon, a documentary about the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, high schoolers examine a series of documents, including the Bill of Rights and the UN’s...
PBS
U.S. Agricultural Subsidies and Nutrition
Most young people don't spend a lot of time thinking about why some foods cost less than others. This resource uses clips from the documentary, Food, Inc. to explore the impact of agricultural subsidies on nutrition, health, and the...
Global Oneness Project
Protecting Wilderness
Would you live in a tree for three years to protect a redwood forest? Viewers of Rainhouse Cinema's Among Giants documentary consider the actions of Earth First! environmental activists who moved into the treetops of a grove of giant...
Curated OER
Kim's Nuclear Gamble
Students view a video clip on North Korea's nuclear weapons. They identify issues between the United States and North Korea. They write any questions they have about the documentary and participate in a class discussion.
Curated OER
The O.J. Verdict
Students research the main points of the accusations against O.J. Simpson, the prosecution and defense strategies and the outcome of the infamous murder trial. They participate in a mock trial, view a film, read articles and consider how...
Global Oneness Project
A Vanishing Island
The effects of rising sea levels on Isle de Jean Charles, located off the coast of Louisiana, are documented in Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's poignant short video. Viewers are asked to consider not only the plight of residents but also what...
Curated OER
KS3 Citizenship: Cathy Come Home (1966)
Students view, critique and analyze a moving drama that offers a way into looking at housing problems today. They become aware of the issues, conditions and emotional side of sliding into poverty, debt and homelessness through the eyes...
Curated OER
The Photographs of Dorothea Lange
Students research social-documentary photography using Dorothea Lange’s documentary projects. In this photography analysis lesson, students analyze examples of photographs by Dorothea Lange and research one or more of Dorothea...
Curated OER
Random Strategies in Archaeology
Students critically evaluate cultures according to their artifacts. In this Random Strategies in Archaeology lesson, Students interpret evidence in order to better understand ancient societies. Students watch films that affect their...
Curated OER
City Desk with Malcolm X
High schoolers view a film about civil rights and the role Malcolm X played in the civil rights movement. They create a timeling about the events that occured from segregation to integration. They discuss discrimination as well.
Curated OER
Al Qaeda's New Front
Students view a documentary, read articles, discuss and write about Europe's struggle with strained U.S. relations, increased terrorist activity, a growing Muslim population and the logistics of uniting under the European Community.
Curated OER
Affluenza
Students are introduced to the "disease" of affluenza. After watching a documentary, they identify the forces that have changed the nation into a consumer society. As a class, they discuss ways to avoid catching on to this phenomenon.
Curated OER
Outo Rugged Shores: The Voyage of LST534
High schoolers view a film about warships during World War II. They discover the job of a seaman and what impact veterens have on the world today. They also examine the lasting effects of the war.
Curated OER
The First Televised War
High schoolers view a film about the role of the media in the Vietnam War. They discuss the risks journalists face when covering a war and how the television changed how people at home saw the war. They answer questions to complete the...
Curated OER
Fireside Chats of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Students view a film about Franklin D. Roosevelt and his fireside chats. THey identify political inferences in his speeches and how the media played an important role in the war. They answer questions to complete the lesson.
Curated OER
The Boys of Baraka
Students view a video about the experience of boys from West Africa in the American school system. They discover how one's environment can affect them in the classroom. They write about the experience from different points of view.