Revisit the documentaries viewed in the previous lesson in this series in order to take a look at the persuasive techniques employed by the documentary creators. Small groups watch the films a second time, taking notes on two provided...

Use this general lesson guide to inform your instruction surrounding a documentary. The lesson is made up of five activities. The activities are intentionally general because they are designed to adapted for specific films. While the...

Everybody's a critic—even your pupils! Using the included resources as a guide, screen films related to social justice and ask film enthusiasts to critique them. Publish the reviews for your school community or develop a film festival...

Consumer technology has made it possible for filmmakers to create entire movies from the comfort of their home computer. Guide high school film buffs through the process of designing a documentary with an extensive unit published by...

Learners discuss prior knowledge of American culture during the 1950's. They complete KWL charts, participate in class discussions and view the documentary film Atomic Café. They record their observations from the film.

Students research psychology by participating in a role-play activity. In this human relationship lesson, students define the term "family" and read assigned text which discusses how family relationships work. Students answer study...

The challenge film makers face when creating a film based on a novel or nonfiction text is the focus of a interdisciplinary resource that uses To Kill a Mockingbird to teach viewers how to read the visual images of film. A...

Students generate their own definition of documetary. They watch and discusss a series of extracts that demonstrate the breadth of the documentary form. Students create a defintion of the term documentary that takes into account the...

Students study what influenced and inspired Billy Wilder while determining the plot, characters, and historical context of the film Double Indemnity. They investigate the stereotypes of Film Noir and how it shows the media messages of...

Students examine the journey of the Ballou Marching Band. In this America's Promise lesson, students read about Colin Powell and examine the history of America's Promise. Students explore the Five Points of the program and then watch a...

Students examine the influence of photographer Jerome Liebling on documentary films. They read and discuss an article, take photographs, and create an original photo essay and artist statement.

Students practice making multimedia documentary films by investigating cities of America.  In this U.S. geography lesson, students examine Las Vegas and compare the state of Nevada to 15 other states and discuss their main...

Students explore social issues that are meaningful to them and create documentaries in which they share their information, thoughts and impressions.

Students examine world geography by viewing a documentary film in class. In this World War II lesson, students discuss the role Hawaii played in the great battle and what type conflicts happened among the island chain. Students view a...

Students investigate the types of footwear worn during ten periods of history.  In this secondary, art/math/social studies lesson, students view documentaries and popular films to study the time periods.  Students research the...

Students study the life and musical work of Leonard Bernstein. They examine the history of New York City using three Broadway musicals in a web based lesson. They create a portrayal of their own town in this multi-lesson activity.

Eighth graders create a visual story without using words. A study of the history and process of clay animation is explored and discussed. Students storyboard a plot of a story and students divide up into groups designing characters and...

Students view the film Fog of War and discuss the most striking elements of the film. They focus on chosen lessons from robert McNamara's life such as: empathy, rationality and proportionality.

Young scholars synthesize ideas about societal norms in the late 1880s and current day. They demonstrate understanding of Thomas Eakins art and life events through verbal discussion. They compile and present ideas in written form.

Young scholars explore where Shakespeare exists in local community plays. In this Shakespeare lesson, students create a documentary to define the existence of Shakespeare in their community drama activities. Young scholars participate in...

Students photograph scenes from their lives and use the images to become a catalyst for related writing exercises. They explore the themes such as self portrait, family, community, visual storytelling, and dreams to encourage them to...

Students view a film about theatres in Chicago. They discover how performing arts can be enjoyed by all ages and how one becomes involved in performing in theatre. They answer questions and discuss to end the lesson.

Students review information from a previous lesson about JFK and his assassination. As a class, they identify sources they believe historians use and describe the difference between a primary and secondary source. In groups, they...

High schoolers view a video about different types of music. They examine the history of jazz, big band and rock back to the city of Chicago. They discover Chicago's music scene today and compare it to the past.