These free resources to support you through Women’s History Month that all take advantage of the power of film. They include core-based lesson plans, fully prepared and ready for immediate classroom use, as they highlight the stories of women who are changemakers, thought leaders, scholars, scientists and much more. They also work for Gender Equity Month (March), International Women’s Day (March 8), and all year round.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. These women, known as “human computers,” worked for NASA in the 1960s. Our FREE Hidden Figures teaching guide features 8 lessons across the curriculum. It is our most popular resource and features a lesson women in science. We also offer a free Hidden Figures discussion guide that’s great for film clubs and community groups. Hidden Figures is a great choice for Gender Equity Month and Equal Pay Day on March 31.
He Named Me Malala
He Named Me Malala is a dynamic documentary featuring live action and animated sequences to tell the true life story of Malala Yousafzai. She was only 11 years old when she began detailing her experiences in Pakistan for the BBC. terrorists shot and almost killed her — but she survived and continues to advocate for gender equity around the world. Her story, with our corresponding free discussion guide, is an inspiration to students of all genders. Our extensive curriculum guide explores the history of the Taliban, the geography of Pakistan, and more.
JANE
JANE is a documentary film from National Geographic showcasing the life and important work of revolutionary biologist Jane Goodall. She was a pioneer in the field of primatology. We’ve created a free discussion guide for this film. JANE is another great choice for studying women in STEM alongside Hidden Figures that gets students of all genders excited about STEM careers. JANE likewise works well for Gender Equity Month.
More Popular Women’s History Resources
Two of our recent resources highlight women whose stories resonate with students because of the relevancy to issues facing many students today.
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
This award-winning documentary explores the incredible real life story of gun violence survivor Gabby Giffords. Learn about her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence. For Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, we’ve created a discussion guide and a learning guide. Both highlight Gabby’s inspirational life and our learning guide is perfect for differentiated learning, hybrid learning and for focused lessons on civics, career pathways, gun violence and much more.
Rebel Hearts
This critically-acclaimed documentary tells the story of Los Angeles’s Sisters of the Immaculate Heart, nuns who challenged the patriarchal conventions of the Catholic Church 50 years ago and are still taking a stand today. Rebel Hearts features three standards-based lessons relevant to U.S. History classes, World Religions and Art.
Big Sonia
Big Sonia tells the story of Holocaust survivor Sonia Warshawski, a vibrant woman in her nineties who speaks to students and prison inmates about her experiences. This outstanding documentary also pairs well with our Antisemitism Today lesson, available from our Schindler’s List page.
Wadjda
Wadjda tells an uplifting story of a ten year-old girl who challenges convention to get her own bicycle. Our Wadjda Curriculum Guide introduces students to the film’s director, Saudi Arabia’s history-making first female filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour. It also explores the lives of women and girls in Saudi Arabia.
Whale Rider
Whale Ridershares the story of a Maori girl struggling to find her place in her community, whose ambitious dreams are in conflict with tradition. Our Whale Rider Curriculum Guide includes a lesson on Culture and Gender.
Queen of Katwe
Finally, Queen of Katwe is a beautiful narrative film starring Lupita Nyong’o, based on the true life story of young chess champion Phiona Mutesi. This hit Disney movie celebrates the human spirit and the power of chess.
We can’t wait for you to bring these powerful resources to your classroom. Happy Women’s History Month!
Update: Check out our newest film that celebrates a remarkable woman, The Neighborhood Storyteller about Asmaa Rashed. This young Syrian mother in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp empowers young girls through transformative reading circles, igniting hope and change.
Don’t miss out on our newest teaching guides. To get notifications about latest resource launches, sign up for our newsletter.
What to Teach in January
Here are guides and other suggestions for educators, homeschooling individuals, community groups, and others for what to teach in January!
January Teaching Highlights
January is National Mentoring Month. Queen of Katwe is the perfect film to inspire a new generation of mentors.
January 15-19, 2024 isGLSEN No Name-Calling Week. Like Stars on Earth is a powerful film to start conversations about bullying.
January 1 is the anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and January 20 (2025) is Martin Luther King Day. They make January a great month to share films about the civil rights movement and the struggle for racial equity: Hidden Figures, Just Mercy, and Summer of Soul. Plus check out our Black History Lesson collection.
January 8:On This Day in 2011, Arizona Senator Gabriel Giffords was shot but survived the attempt on her life. Teach her incredible story of resilience, recovery and hope with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
Journeys in Film announces a new partnership with Indie Lens Pop-Up for the film Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s.
Journeys in Film is proud to partner with Indie Lens Pop-Up to create a Discussion Guide for Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s. This project involved working with the filmmakers, film subjects, and medical experts to create the guide that will be used at Indie Lens Pop-Up events around the country for Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s.
Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s is a documentary film featuring poignant stories of individuals managing symptoms and treatments related to Parkinson’s. Importantly, the film highlights fulfilling lives these individuals live during their journey. Additionally, each tale is one of determination. Through ingenuity and adaptation, the audience gains insight into what it means to live with a degenerative illness.
From award-winning co-directors Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green (The Providers), this intimate documentary keys in on three individuals—a political cartoonist, a mother turned boxing coach, and an optician—as they navigate their lives with resourcefulness and determination in the face of Parkinson’s disease. The film is part of Indie Lens Pop-up, a program of ITVS. Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s premieres on PBS on April 8th. Check your local listings for broadcast times or watch on the PBS App beginning April 8th. Learn more about the film from: PBS Independent Lens: Matter of Mind: My Parkinsons’s.
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a community series that brings people together for film screenings and conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS’s INDEPENDENT LENS, Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders, and organizations to discuss what matters most. Learn more about this unique program: PBS Indie Lens Pop-Up.
About Independent Lens
INDEPENDENT LENS is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts. Stream anytime on the PBS App. For more information visit PBS Independent Lens.
About Journeys in Film
Journeys in Film believes in the storytelling power of film to educate the most visually literate generation in history. Since 2003, Journeys in Film has been pioneering the use of film for interdisciplinary lessons in the classroom. We also develop discussion guides for films for powerful films designed to work in multiple settings, such as classroom discussions, after-school clubs, community screenings, college classes, adult education and more. All of the Journeys in Film educational resources are cost-free. Learn more about partnering with Journeys in Film.
Learning About Forests for Earth Day and Everyday
Learning about forests for Earth Day and everyday is vital for students. Earth Day corresponds closely with Arbor Day, another opportunity to teach about forests. Additionally, forests are essential parts of our ecosystem. Thus, we encourage you to integrate this learning into your classroom anytime of the year. But, the April holidays of Earth Day and Arbor Day bring attention to trees and ecosystems. As such, these holidays can catapult student learning.
We’re excited to share one of our newest Journeys in Film lesson plans. It is the Forests lesson from our curriculum guide for Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops. This lesson plan corresponds with the short film of the same name, Forests, produced as part of the Climate Emergency: Feedback Loop series.
Learning About Forests Through Film
Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops is a series of five short films. These films are perfect for the classroom, running 9 to 15 minutes. Furthermore, all five films are available to stream for free.
We recommend pairing Forests, the short film and the lesson, with the feature documentary film River of Gold.
River of Gold chronicles the clandestine journey of two war journalists and their guide into Peru’s Amazon rainforest. The film makes clear the consequences of this devastation on a global scale. Since the Forests short film from the Feedback Loop series focuses on tropical forests and, specifically, the Amazon rainforest, screening it as an introduction to River of Gold and using the two films in tandem can enhance student learning. Our eleven-lesson curriculum guide for River of Gold includes a lesson on rainforest ecology, perfect for learning about forests. The curriculum guide is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese.
The Power and Importance of Learning About Forests
“All forests provide critical feedback for limiting global warming. By removing atmospheric carbon dioxide, they reduce its atmospheric increase. This reduces further warming,” shares Dr. Bill Moomaw, Professor Emeritus at Tufts University and distinguished visiting scientist at Woodwell Climate Research Center. “The Amazon forest plays an outsized role in controlling global temperatures including in the Arctic. As strange as it seems, restoring the degraded tropical Amazon forest will help keep more sunlight reflecting ice in the Arctic. This can prevent additional release of methane from thawing permafrost. This set of feedback loops will help to cool the planet.”
Dr. Moomaw was a panelist in our Share My Lesson webinar, Climate Emergencies: Using Feedback Loop Films to Inspire and Educate. The webinar highlights our curriculum guide for the Climate Emergency film series. The webinar features scientific insight from Dr. Moomaw and Lara Tukarski. Tukarski is the South Sound FieldSTEM Coordinator for the Pacific Education Institute.
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Written by Jennifer Fischer
Film Tools to Teach Climate Science in the Classroom
Teaching climate science and educating youth about the environment is more important than ever. Although environmental education can be challenging, teaching with film engages and excites students. Thus, we’re highlighting free resources that take advantage of the power of film. Use these resources to teach climate science, earth science, and other environmental topics.
We’re here to help you take advantage of these free curriculum guides and discussion guides.
Film Tools to Teach Climate Science in the Classroom
Our newest resource, Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops is for a series of five short films. They are perfect for the classroom, running 9 to 15 minutes. Additionally, all five films are available to stream for free. Our curriculum guide is set up to directly correspond to each film. We created one lesson for each short film. “The Forests” short film and lesson would be perfect for Arbor Day.
Next, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is an engaging narrative film that tells the true story of William Kamkwambe. He was thirteen years old when he built a windmill from recycled materials in his community. It helped bring water to his drought-stricken town in dire need of irrigation for farming. Lesson 1 highlights environmental science. We also offer a discussion guide for the film as well as our free CORE-based curriculum guide.
Another classroom discussion tool regarding climate science is our discussion guide for From the Ashes. This documentary film explores the coal industry and energy alternatives.
Finally, we recommend One Strange Rock, a National Geographic episodic documentary. With 8 lessons, educators can explore Earth Science in a variety of ways with this CORE-based free curriculum guide.
Additional Film Tools to Teach Climate Science
The documentaryRiver of Gold chronicles the clandestine journey of two war journalists and their guide into Peru’s Amazon rain forest. They hope to uncover the savage destruction of pristine jungle in pursuit of illegally mined gold. The film makes clear the consequences of this devastation on a global scale. Magnificent photography of plants, animals, and people inspires audiences to engage in solutions to protect the Amazon. Our eleven-lesson curriculum guide is particularly rich in STEM lessons.
Landfill Harmonic tells the true story of a youth orchestra that plays instruments made from recycled materials. The curriculum explores air quality and human health. Flooding and environmental contamination from the landfill are also key topics in the lessons from our free curriculum guide.
Altogether, we’re proud to offer a wide array of resources that educators can use to teach climate science. We’d love to hear about other tools you are using in the classroom to teach about the environment.
New Teaching Resources Update
We have launched two environment and nature focused lesson collections! We’re excited to highlight these standalone lessons, isolated from their respective comprehensive curriculum guides for your ease of use. A Celebration of Nature explores the beauty and wonder of the natural world with resources for grades 3 to 7. Our Environmental Studies Lessons Collection is designed for grades 7 to 12.
These free resources to support you through Women’s History Month that all take advantage of the power of film. They include core-based lesson plans, fully prepared and ready for immediate classroom use, as they highlight the stories of women who are changemakers, thought leaders, scholars, scientists and much more. They also work for Gender Equity Month (March), International Women’s Day (March 8), and all year round.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures tells the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. These women, known as “human computers,” worked for NASA in the 1960s. Our FREE Hidden Figures teaching guide features 8 lessons across the curriculum. It is our most popular resource and features a lesson women in science. We also offer a free Hidden Figures discussion guide that’s great for film clubs and community groups. Hidden Figures is a great choice for Gender Equity Month and Equal Pay Day on March 31.
He Named Me Malala
He Named Me Malala is a dynamic documentary featuring live action and animated sequences to tell the true life story of Malala Yousafzai. She was only 11 years old when she began detailing her experiences in Pakistan for the BBC. terrorists shot and almost killed her — but she survived and continues to advocate for gender equity around the world. Her story, with our corresponding free discussion guide, is an inspiration to students of all genders. Our extensive curriculum guide explores the history of the Taliban, the geography of Pakistan, and more.
JANE
JANE is a documentary film from National Geographic showcasing the life and important work of revolutionary biologist Jane Goodall. She was a pioneer in the field of primatology. We’ve created a free discussion guide for this film. JANE is another great choice for studying women in STEM alongside Hidden Figures that gets students of all genders excited about STEM careers. JANE likewise works well for Gender Equity Month.
More Popular Women’s History Resources
Two of our recent resources highlight women whose stories resonate with students because of the relevancy to issues facing many students today.
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
This award-winning documentary explores the incredible real life story of gun violence survivor Gabby Giffords. Learn about her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence. For Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, we’ve created a discussion guide and a learning guide. Both highlight Gabby’s inspirational life and our learning guide is perfect for differentiated learning, hybrid learning and for focused lessons on civics, career pathways, gun violence and much more.
Rebel Hearts
This critically-acclaimed documentary tells the story of Los Angeles’s Sisters of the Immaculate Heart, nuns who challenged the patriarchal conventions of the Catholic Church 50 years ago and are still taking a stand today. Rebel Hearts features three standards-based lessons relevant to U.S. History classes, World Religions and Art.
Big Sonia
Big Sonia tells the story of Holocaust survivor Sonia Warshawski, a vibrant woman in her nineties who speaks to students and prison inmates about her experiences. This outstanding documentary also pairs well with our Antisemitism Today lesson, available from our Schindler’s List page.
Wadjda
Wadjda tells an uplifting story of a ten year-old girl who challenges convention to get her own bicycle. Our Wadjda Curriculum Guide introduces students to the film’s director, Saudi Arabia’s history-making first female filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour. It also explores the lives of women and girls in Saudi Arabia.
Whale Rider
Whale Ridershares the story of a Maori girl struggling to find her place in her community, whose ambitious dreams are in conflict with tradition. Our Whale Rider Curriculum Guide includes a lesson on Culture and Gender.
Queen of Katwe
Finally, Queen of Katwe is a beautiful narrative film starring Lupita Nyong’o, based on the true life story of young chess champion Phiona Mutesi. This hit Disney movie celebrates the human spirit and the power of chess.
We can’t wait for you to bring these powerful resources to your classroom. Happy Women’s History Month!
Update: Check out our newest film that celebrates a remarkable woman, The Neighborhood Storyteller about Asmaa Rashed. This young Syrian mother in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp empowers young girls through transformative reading circles, igniting hope and change.
Don’t miss out on our newest teaching guides. To get notifications about latest resource launches, sign up for our newsletter.
Written by Jennifer Fischer.
Teach With Film for Black History Month
As educators and communities seek to highlight Black history during the month of February, we want to highlight our free curriculum guides and discussion guides for powerful films for your classroom. These films tell important stories of Black joy, Black history, Black resilience, Black achievement and much more. Teaching with film for Black History Month, or at any time of the year, engages students and brings important stories that shape our world to light.
Among our most popular resources are our curriculum guides for Hidden Figures, Just Mercy, and Summer of Soul. All three of these films, and the free core-based lesson plans we’ve created to accompany them, are award-winning films that tell important true stories of Black History in the U.S. Our Hidden Figures curriculum guide features 8 lesson plans with lessons about U.S. History and Civil Rights as well as STEM lessons to engage students with math and science learning.
Further, for Just Mercy, in addition to four lessons, which highlight U.S. History, Civil Rights, U.S. Government and Civics, we offer an independent student learning packet that can be used in hybrid learning settings. Additionally, many educators pair this film and our resources with their teaching of To Kill A Mockingbird.
All of these resources are completely free to download. Simply visit our library, click on the film and follow instructions to add these free resources to your cart. You click here to browse our library of free resources: https://journeysinfilm.org/library/.
Black History Lessons
???? Update February 2024! Looking for individual lessons for teaching Black history? Check out our brand new Black History Lessons collection, with classroom-ready individual lessons for teaching US Black History and Global Black History.
Expanding the Canon with Film for Black History Month
???? Update October 2023! We’ve added a new Disney feature film to our Black History collection: Chevalier, based on the true life story of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a renowned fencer, violinist, and the first Black classical music composer in France who took the court of Marie Anoinette by storm. Our Chevalier Discussion Guide provides a springboard for engaging discussions about Race and Identity, Women and Patriarchy, and also Bologne’s legacy and the French Revolution. You can also check out this blog post on Share My Lesson, Teaching about Joseph Bologne and Amplifying Hidden Histories.
We also encourage you to explore the discussion guides we created for LA92and American Inside Out with Katie Couric. LA92 is a National Geographic documentary about the uprising that took place in Los Angeles in 1992 after footage of police brutality against Rodney King rocked the nation. American Inside Out with Katie Couric is National Geographic’s documentary companion piece to their magazine’s race issue.
Furthermore, we encourage educators to include resources and stories during Black History Month that highlight Black experiences from around the world. Thus, in our library, we have a free curriculum guide for Beat the Drum. This narrative film (appropriate for high school students) is about a young South African boy who is orphaned because of AIDS. He journeys from his rural village to the city to find his uncle. It becomes a journey of self-discovery. Our curriculum guide for this film features important lessons about South African, Epidemics/Pandemics and more.
Additionally, Disney’s narrative film Queen of Katwe, featuring Lupito Nyong’o, tells the true life story of Phiona Mutesi, a 9 year-old chess prodigy from Kampala, Nigeria. Our discussion guide for this film helps students dive into Phiona’s story and connect with her inspiring life journey.
Finally, another of our most popular educational resources is our free curriculum guide for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. This is a powerful narrative film that tells the true life story of William Kamkwambe. William saw a need in his village in Malawi and used education and innovation to meet that need. Our rich six lesson curriculum guide for this film features powerful STEM lessons with hands-on activities, Environmental Science lessons, ELA lessons, World History and much more.
Thus, no matter what subject area you teach, our library has something for you and all of our resources are free!
Free Webinars for Teaching with Film for Black History Month
Through Share My Lesson, you can watch, on demand, our webinars for many of the curriculum guides we’ve featured in this blog. Here is a list, with links to all of the relevant free webinars available through Share My Lesson.
Here are guides and other suggestions for educators, homeschooling individuals, community groups, and others for what to teach in April!
Celebrate Earth & The Environment
April is Earth Month! Plus April 21 – 27 is Earth Week, April 22 is Earth Day and April 26 is Arbor Day. We have collections of teaching resources that can help you celebrate the environment all month long across the curriculum: Teach With Film for Earth Month.
April Teaching Highlights
For Arab American Heritage Month, Wadjda is a film that students love.
For Poetry Appreciation Month, check out Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, the animated feature film about a poet based on the poetic writing of Kahlil Gibran.
Teach April Holidays With Film
Passover takes place April 22 – 30, 2024: introduce your students to Judaism with the lesson plan on Judaisim in The Story of God, and share Steven Spielberg’s moving Passover Story from the making of Schindler’s List.
The Invisible Shield is a powerful teaching tool for exploring the importance of public health and public health workers, the critical role of immunizations in public health, and the urgency of addressing public health inequities to make healthcare available for all.
Week of the Young Child (April 6-12, 2024) is a great time to screen Children of Heaven.
Discover the magic of forests for National Parks Week (April 20-28, 2024): Learn about Forests.
April 3: Pioneering primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall was born on this day in 1934. Celebrate with her biographical documentary Jane. Learn more about teaching with this film with our article at Share My Lesson: Inspiring a Love of Nature and Learning: Celebrating Jane Goodall.
April 23 is English Language Day. We are pleased to offer over two dozen film guides with English Language Arts lessons. A great place to start is the oral history assignment for Big Sonia (grades 7-12), the Crip Camp lesson on language power and ableism (high school) , the lesson based on Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech at age 17 for He Named Me Malala (grades 7-12), and rich, engaging lessons combining language arts, music, and social studies for The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (grades 7-12).
April 28: Oskar Schindler of Schindler’s List was born on this day in 1908. Introduce your students to this remarkable and complex man with Who was Oskar Schindler.
???? Looking for individual lessons for teaching Black history? Check out our brand new Black History Lessons collection, with classroom-ready individual lessons for teaching US Black History and Global Black History. Plus free, on-demand professional development webinars to support teaching Black History.
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
Teach about the impact of healthcare inequities on public health and the urgency of healthcare for all with The Invisible Shield (and yes, it talks talks about the Tuskegee Institute, as it should).
February Daily Themes
Feb 1 National Freedom Day (signing of 13th amendment – USA)
Check out our films on gender equity, racial equity, LGBTQ equity, human rights & more in the Journeys in Film library.
Finally, while thematic weeks and months are fun and helpful, we know that media literacy, civics, Black history, and many of the other themes we have highlighted can be integrated into your curriculum any time of year, so we hope these resources inspire you no matter when you find them!
Written by SJ Evans
What to Teach in January
Here are guides and other suggestions for educators, homeschooling individuals, community groups, and others for what to teach in January!
January Teaching Highlights
January is National Mentoring Month. Queen of Katwe is the perfect film to inspire a new generation of mentors.
January 15-19, 2024 isGLSEN No Name-Calling Week. Like Stars on Earth is a powerful film to start conversations about bullying.
January 1 is the anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and January 20 (2025) is Martin Luther King Day. They make January a great month to share films about the civil rights movement and the struggle for racial equity: Hidden Figures, Just Mercy, and Summer of Soul. Plus check out our Black History Lesson collection.
January 8:On This Day in 2011, Arizona Senator Gabriel Giffords was shot but survived the attempt on her life. Teach her incredible story of resilience, recovery and hope with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
We’re excited to share our top ten teaching articles of 2023 published across various educational outlets this past year.
Our Most Popular Articles About Effective Approaches to Teaching With Film
Prepare for the new year with our TOP articles of 2023! Get ready to dive deeper into teaching with film — by theme, by activity, and by teaching challenge.
Are any of your favorite articles of the year missing from this list? Let us know which ones you liked best in the comments.
Our Newest Film Guides
As a new year begins, we’re excited to share our newest film guides with you!
Our Latest Teaching Resources for Acclaimed Contemporary Films
To start a new year, we’re recapping our ten newest film guides. These acclaimed documentaries and hit feature films shed new light on history, current events, and the important figures and issues of our time. Our free teaching resources can help you put the rapidly-shifting news landscape into context for your students and lead productive discussions on sensitive and sometimes difficult topics.
Chevalier (For Grades 11-12)
Inspired by the incredible true story of France’s first Black classical composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Our Chevalier Discussion Guide sheds new light on the realities of 18th century France and can ignite student interest and engagement in learning more about the French Revolution.
Crip Camp (For High School)
Crip Camp shares with insight, humor, and joy the experiences of a group of disabled teenagers and their journey to adulthood and activism. Our Crip Camp Curriculum Guide and Discussion Guide delve into this rich and powerful story of disability activism, culture, and history.
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down (For Grades 8-12)
This compelling documentary tells the extraordinary story of former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords: her relentless fight to recover following an assassination attempt in 2011. We’ve created a “Gabby Giffords Discussion Guide and a Learning Guide.” También están disponibles en español.
Navalny (For High School)
Navalny unfolds with the pace of a political thriller. This Oscar-winning documentary follows Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in his quest to identify the men who poisoned him in a failed assassination attempt. We offer a Discussion Guide and a flexible Learning Guide that features six key learning sections which cover 9 subjects across the curriculum.
Rebel Hearts (For High School)
This heart-grabbing documentary chronicles the bold acts of faith, defiance and activism of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart that turned the Church upside-down. From marching in Selma in 1965 to the Women’s March in 2018, they challenged the notion of what a nun and a woman were supposed to be. Our Rebel Hearts Curriculum Guide includes a hands-on arts lesson based on the pop art of Sister Mary Corita.
Schindler’s List Special 30th Anniversary Guide (For High School)
In 2023, we launched a new improved Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide with a brand new antisemitism lesson to teach with this powerful & inspiring Academy Award-winner.
Summer of Soul (For Grades 7-12)
Summer of Soul is a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Our Summer of Soul Curriculum Guide provides an engaging introduction to major events in Black history—with an award-winning soundtrack.
Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality (For High School)
This intimate documentary explores the frontline of America’s heated battles over gentrification, lack of affordable housing, and homelessness. UNZIPPED explodes stereotypes and humanizes the lived experiences of people caught in the cross-fire of America’s growing housing divide. Our Unzipped Learning Guide also explores actionable solutions.
Youth v Gov (For Grades 7-12)
This compelling climate court case documentary follows 21 courageous youth activists who file a ground-breaking lawsuit against the U.S. government for their right to a safe climate. Our Youth v Gov Curriculum Guide and Discussion Guide provide context to discuss breaking climate litigation news. Redirect your students’ climate anxiety into action-oriented optimism with these powerful teaching tools.
Top Ten Downloads of 2023
Prepare for the new year with our TOP resources of 2023, Discover which ones made the list and get ready to level up your teaching game. Check out the top ten downloads of 2023!
10. A three-way tie for Crip Camp, The Post, and Whale Rider
Based on the true story of Harvard Law School graduate Bryan Stevenson’s move to Alabama where he recognizes an urgent need to provide free legal assistance to minorities who have been unfairly sentenced. Our Just Mercy Curriculum Guide & Student Learning Guide (for high school) is a powerful tool for exploring racial inequity in the US criminal justice system. Just Mercy won multiple awards, including the BET Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, and the African American Film Critics Association Awards.
8. Schindler’s List
In 2023 we launched a new improved Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide with a brand new antisemitism lesson (for high school) to teach with this powerful & inspiring Academy Award-winner.
7. Happy
Happy takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Our Happy Curriculum Guide presents an opportunity to explore the psychology of happiness with your students, bolster social emotional learning (SEL) and so much more! (For grades 7-12.)
6. Glossary of Film Terms
Our Glossary of Film Terms is useful for Film Literacy and Film Studies classes. It pairs well with our curriculum guides for Big Sonia, He Named Me Malala, Hidden Figures, Schindler’s List, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, The Music of Strangers, and The Post.
5. Queen of Katwe
Based on the real life story of Phiona Mutei’s rise from the largest slum in Kampala, Uganda to become an international chess star on the world stage. Our Queen of Katwe Discussion Guide (for high school) inspires the next generation of chess players, high achievers and mentors. This hit Disney film directed by Mira Nair won four NAACP Image Awards.
4. He Named Me Malala
This critically-acclaimed documentary explores the rise of Malala Yousafzai from a young BBC blogger in Pakistan to become the youngest Nobel Prize winner at age 17 for her human rights advocacy for gender equity in education for girls in Pakistan and around the world. Educators often pair ourHe Named Me Malala Curriculum Guide and Discussion Guide with her autobiography I Am Malala in ELA classes and Social Studies classes. Speech educators also use Lesson 7 as a fabulous stand alone lesson for examining Malala’s iconic Nobel Prize acceptance speech. (For grades 7-12.)
3. Summer of Soul
Summer of Soul is a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. The film features concert footage of iconic 1960s Black musicians including Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, and The 5th Dimension. Our Summer of Soul Curriculum Guide (for grades 7-12) provides an engaging introduction to major events in Black history. This critically-acclaimed film won the 2022 Best Documentary Oscar.
2. The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
Based on the inspirational true story of William Kamkwamba. Against all the odds, a thirteen-year-old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine. We offer a Curriculum Guide and a Discussion Guide for The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (for grades 7 to 12) that’s sure to inspire students about engineering, STEM careers, and high achievement. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s feature film directing debut won multiple awards including the Sundance Film Festival Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.
1. Hidden Figures
Based on the triumphant true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, three Black women mathematicians who worked in the 1960s NASA space program. Our Hidden Figures Curriculum Guide (for grades 7 to 12) explores the civil rights movement, the Cold War, and the space race. It’s a powerful tool to address gender equity in STEM fields while teaching across subjects. This hit Disney movie was nominated for three Academy Awards.
New Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide for Teachers: New Antisemitism Lesson
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Schindler’s List, we’re sharing a special edition Schindler’s List curriculum guide. This updated Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide for teachers includes a revised antisemitism lesson. This free teaching resource also includes lessons on Nazism in Germany, resistance during the Holocaust, the making of Schindler’s List, and more. Join us in celebrating this beloved Oscar-winning film and its enduring message of hope and humanity.
Our new guide features a newly updated lesson: Antisemitism Today. In this lesson, students will learn about different forms antisemitism can take and how antisemitism is related to white supremacy. The lesson also includes an activity on hate crimes in the U.S where students assess and explore data. This lesson can be used in a range of learning areas: Social Studies, Civics, Media Literacy, Data-Focused Instruction, Advisory periods, ELA, etc.
Our goal is to help educators teach about the increase in antisemitism using a powerful and relevant resource. We created our new Antisemitism lesson to be adaptable. This new lesson can function as a standalone lesson that does not require viewing the film, although viewing it would enhance the experience. You can also pair this lesson with other films like Big Sonia and Navalny.
Antisemitism Today is available as par of our Schindler’s List curriculum guide or as a standalone lesson (scroll down). Download Antisemitism Today now.
Coming up in 2024, Journeys in Film will be releasing a powerful new slate of free teaching resources for acclaimed documentaries and feature films. Our new offerings will include resources for short films as well as resources regarding media literacy, journalism, climate science, mental health and wellness and more. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date and receive an email when new resources are available.
You can also email us at in**@************lm.org and say: “Send Schindler’s List” or
Send Antisemitism Lesson” and we will email the relevant PDF directly to your inbox!
More January Teaching Ideas
