Category: Articles

Windows and Mirrors: Building Belonging Through Literary Perspective
January 15, 2025

When I first learned about the idea of windows and mirrors in literature, I felt a lightning bolt of recognition. As an English teacher, I appreciate when my class has a shared language around the semester’s enduring questions. Learning a concept early on and returning to it as a metaphor throughout the class discussion and textual investigations, we strengthen early knowledge until it becomes part of our natural conversation that builds community...

What to Teach in January
January 5, 2025

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 is GLSEN No Name-Calling Week. Like Stars on Earth is a powerful film to start conversations about bullying. January 1 is the anniversary of...

Teach about Syria with Film
December 12, 2024

Teach about Syria with film. Film is a powerful way to teach about global peoples and cultures. As part of our global education collection, we are pleased to offer free education resources to help you bring films to your classroom to teach about Syria. The Neighborhood Storyteller The Neighborhood Storyteller is a valuable resource for introducing students to Syria. This 59-minute documentary follows Asmaa Rashed, a young Syrian mother in...

Boost Student Engagement with Film & Book Pairings
November 25, 2024

  Get students excited about classes and boost student engagement with film-book pairings. Journeys in Film offers free lesson plans and discussion guides for films with literary connections to make film-book pairings fun and easy for teachers and students alike. Why educators love film-book pairings Films are fun! They bring joy and excitement to the classroom. Film provides an immersive educational experience that brings literature...

Can watching movies rewire your brain?
October 29, 2024

New Stanford research finds that when people lose themselves in a story, they become more empathetic: "According to findings published Oct. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, watching Just Mercy increased participants’ empathy for the recently incarcerated and decreased their enthusiasm for the death penalty." - The Hollywood Reporter, October 23, 2024 You can read the Stanford findings published Oct. 21 in the...

5 Films That Celebrate Girls
October 11, 2024

Representation matters: it’s a powerful tool for creating empathy and understanding. Diverse film representation can act as both windows and mirrors for students, providing an opportunity to see into new perspectives and experiences, while also providing mirrors that reflect back affirmation and an expanded sense of possibility. We’re pleased to offer free teaching resources for award-winning documentaries and feature films with young female...

Teach Genocide Education with Film
August 22, 2024

Genocide education is more urgent and timely than ever. We recommend the following films and teaching guides to support you in mindfully teaching Holocaust education through film. These materials are  variously appropriate for elementary school, middle school and high school; they can also work well for higher education, adult education, public screenings and community group settings. Instructional Foundations Our webinar about Anti-Bias...

12 Films That Celebrate Young Heroes
August 12, 2024

We're pleased to offer free teaching resources for award-winning documentaries and feature films with young protagonists who students can relate to. Youth-centered films are a wonderful way to boost student engagement across the curriculum and at the same time increase students' understanding of themselves and the world around them. Show Students Heroes That They Can Relate To — With Film Children of Heaven This feature film from Iran tells...