Unit Plan
Film Foundation

Film Language and Elements of Style

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
How do you read a frame? How do you read a shot? Here's a resource that shows viewers how to read films. As part of the study, class members examine the camera angles, lighting, movement, and cinematic point of view in Mr. Smith Goes to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...
Activity
D-Day Normandy 1944

D-Day Normandy 1944

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
No study of World War II would be complete without an in-depth examination of the events of June 6, 1944. Pascal Vuong's D-Day Normandy:1944, is the perfect vehicle to convey the sheer magnitude of the events that have been called...
Lesson Plan
Media Education Lab

The Ethics of Propaganda

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What are the short and long-term consequences for consumers and producers of modern media propaganda? Class members ponder this essential question as their unit study of ethics of propaganda concludes. After examining two case...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America in Film and Fiction

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students begin the lesson by reading a book on film study. After watching the movie "Citizen Kane", they work together to identify the issues concerning the United States before World War II. As a class, they discuss how the ideas and...
PPT
Curated OER

Arabic Folk and Popular Music: Egypt, Lebanon, and Spain

For Teachers 8th - 10th
How many of us have actually listened to Arabic folk or pop music? Learn about the many facets of folk music common to Lebanon, Spain, and Egypt with this well-organized presentation. Islamic cultural influences are traced throughout...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Exploring the Creative Process

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Launch a discussion of the creative process with a short video that features the daily ritual of Slobodan Dan Paich, a San Francisco artist. Slobodan models his approach to tea painting and shares his reflections on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz Music and the Crisis Over School Desegregation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration: Another Perspective

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students research the geography and history of immigration and then take a look at current immigration issues. They prepare biographies, conduct interviews, view films, sample foods, prepare an oral presentation, complete worksheets and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Did it Look Like When Europe Met America?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners view the film 'Black Robe,' which further develop students' abilities to see an event or era of history from multiple perspectives. After the movie, they utilize worksheets imbedded in this plan to write about what they've seen.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hype!

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Eight various activities have your learners looking at hype in the media. Advertisements for films, politics, music, and philanthropy all contribute to emotional appeals and marketing strategies trying to convince consumers to...
Lesson Plan
Media Education Lab

Propaganda Techniques

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
In an age of fake news, alternative facts, and biased reporting, it is more important than ever that 21st century learners develop the critical-thinking skills necessary to recognize, analyze and resist the propaganda techniques used in...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pearl Harbor and the Internment of Japanese Americans during World War II

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Balancing national security and civil liberties can be tricky. To appreciate the tension between these two concepts, class members investigate the Japanese attack on the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor and President Franklin D....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Number the Stars

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine threat to all people (particularly the Jews) resulting from the imposition of Nazi authority, and appreciate the courage exhibited by ordinary people acting out of conscience.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Oregon Trail

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discover the significance of the Oregon Trail in Idaho history. In addition, 4th graders conceptualize the Oregon Trail in relation to their own lives. They engage in a wide variety of curricular activities, culminating in...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Resurrecting a Home

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Art Institute of Chicago

African Myths and Stories

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Young historians discover African stories associated with a royal altar tusk from the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria, read myths illustrated on the tusk, and write a story about the life of an oba using figures depicted on the tusk.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Neighborhood Appreciation

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine the neighborhoods around their school. Using maps, they document landmark buildings and community organizations with digital cameras. They write about their journeys and share them with the community.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kundun

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study the country of Tibet. They watch the film Kundun and explore the life of The Dalai Lama and the recent history of Tibet. As they are viewing the movie they complete a series of study guide questions and discuss them as a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stories of Life in Canada

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine Canadian history through William Kurelek's artwork. In this art analysis lesson, students discuss the ideas expressed in the picture book A Prairie Boy's Winter and A Prairie Boy's Summer. Students view the film Kurelek,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coney Island: The Great Escape

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students use primary documents and film to explore the role of Coney Island recreation for New Yorker's at the beginning of the 20th century. They compare the lives of the people in their research to their own.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dangerous Straits

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a film and read articles that explore controversial Chinese and American relations. They conduct interviews, participate in class role-plays and develop policy recommendations for government agencies.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building Bridges: Living in a Diverse Society

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Students participate in various activities that help them build esteem, and explore racism. In this multicultural lesson plan, Students increase their awareness of, and appreciation for, cultural differences and similarities. This...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Movements For Social Justice: The Latino Struggle for Equal Rights

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine myths and stereotypes about Hispanic immigrant groups. They appreciate and share the strengths of their diversity and view films that challenge ideas about education and cultural values. They explore the Latino Rights...