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In the Spotlight

New Lesson Plans for Hidden Figures

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Bringing Hidden Figures to Light — and into the Classroom: A new curriculum guide is released to teach students about science, history, and inclusion while...

April 11, 2017 / Announcements, In the Spotlight
National Geographic’s Gender Revolution

Download the discussion guide for National Geographic’s Gender Revolution.

January 10, 2017 / In the Spotlight
Learning through “The Big Short”

The biographical comedy-drama film, The Big Short, is about three groups of people who predicted the credit and housing bubble collapse of the 2007-2010 financial...

January 10, 2016 / In the Spotlight
WIN ACCESS to the SIMA CLASSROOM CATALOGUE

The SIMA Teacher Giveaway launches on November 2nd! Enter for a chance to WIN a one year subscription to the SIMA Classroom Catalogue – a...

October 27, 2015 / In the Spotlight
Movies Made for the Classroom

New partnership formed by USC Rossier combines film-based curricula with professional development for teachers Movies are coming to a classroom near you. The USC Rossier...

October 18, 2015 / In the Spotlight
He Named Me Malala Free Webinar October 5, 6pm E.D.T

Join Facing History and Ourselves, in partnership with Journeys in Film, Participant Productions and the Malala Fund for a special webinar for educators on the...

October 1, 2015 / In the Spotlight
Free field trips to see “He Named Me Malala”

Davis Guggenheim’s new documentary, He Named Me Malala, tells the story of the student activist and youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Malala Yousafzai. Through Malala’s story,...

July 15, 2015 / In the Spotlight
FREE workshop for #CaliforniaEducators June 22 & 23 at the Museum of Tolerance in LA

Using Film to Educate and Inspire: Journeys in Film is a leader in creating standards-based lesson plans for award-winning international feature films that engage students...

May 5, 2015 / In the Spotlight
The Day of Remembrance: Using Film to Learn about the Holocaust

The Day of Remembrance, or Yom Hashoah, will be marked on Thursday, April 16, this year. Numerous civic and religious organizations use the week before...

March 27, 2015 / In the Spotlight
Harnessing the Power of Film in the Classroom by Jane Fletcher

In a world where the moving image is becoming increasingly dominant it makes sense to acknowledge film as the richest of educational resources, with the...

December 13, 2014 / In the Spotlight
International Education Week

Secretary of State John Kerry November 14, 2014 The Departments of State and Education celebrate the 15th annual International Education Week November 17-21, 2014. During...

November 14, 2014 / In the Spotlight
So, what is Global Education? by Liam Neeson and Eileen Mattingly

In a speech at a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations several years ago, Education Secretary Arne Duncan stressed that we live in a...

November 3, 2014 / In the Spotlight
Dying to Tell the Story – Is a picture worth dying for?

In a world inundated with selfies and social media, our cameras are practically extensions of our fingers. But is a picture worth dying for? Will...

September 29, 2014 / In the Spotlight
SIMA 2015 – CALL FOR ENTRIES

FILMMAKERS & CHANGEMAKERS submit your films to the 3rd annual Social Impact Media Awards (SIMA) SIMA’s global documentary competition and traveling series honors eye-opening impact...

September 8, 2014 / In the Spotlight
Creative Lesson Plans for Homeschool

The days are getting longer and warmer. The school year’s goals are almost met, and if you are a homeschooling parent like me, you are...

May 7, 2014 / In the Spotlight

The Story of Us - Discussion Guide

Why do some people rise to power and others do not? Why do we fall in love — not just with romantic partners but with friends and strangers? How has our need to share beliefs built human culture? At a time when global events seem to be driving cultures apart, National Geographic's The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman aims to answer these questions and reveals the common humanity that lies inside each one of us. Each episode of the six-part series explores a fundamental force or topic: freedom, peace, love, social division, power and rebellion. Along the way Freeman meets and speaks with powerful world leaders, ordinary people with extraordinary stories and everyone in between. This discussion guide has been prepared to help you understand more about what you see on the screen and to follow up with additional reading on the topics that stir your interest as you yourself consider “the ties that bind us and the common humanity inside us.”

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Jane - Discussion Guide

National Geographic and Journeys in Film are proud to present a discussion guide for Jane. This feature documentary from award-winning director Brett Morgen (“Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” “The Kid Stays in the Picture”) uses a trove of 16 mm footage unearthed from the National Geographic Society archives.

Beginning with Jane Goodall's early years, the discussion guide invites viewers to reflect on her innovative and groundbreaking research with the chimpanzee group at Gombe, her lifelong mission to educate others about conservation, and the status of women in the sciences.

Drawing from over 100 hours of never-before-seen footage filmed by Hugo van Lawick, research footage from the Jane Goodall Institute, Goodall family videos and personal commentary, the documentary Jane offers an unprecedented, intimate portrait of the trailblazer who defied the odds to become one of the world’s most admired conservationists. When Jane Goodall and her peers Dian Fossey and Birutė Galdikas began their longitudinal studies of chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, respectively, they began more than one revolution in the biological sciences. By patiently integrating herself into the community she was studying, Jane pioneered a methodology of observation and allowed a new understanding of what it means to be human. She and the other “Trimates” proved that women could be successful as scientists in a world previously dominated by men.

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From the Ashes - Discussion Guide

As the debate rages about the “war on coal” and the environmental and economic impact of clean air and clean water legislation, filmmaker Michael Bonfiglio’s 2017 documentary From the Ashes presents the voices of the people most concerned with the decline of the coal industry: environmentalists, climate scientists, politicians, economists, and especially the coal miners and other residents of decaying coal towns. Through these differing perspectives, the viewer learns more about the multiple impacts of coal mining on our health, our economy, and our climate.

The discussion guide prepared by Journeys in Film leads the viewer to a better understanding of this complex issue by providing background information on the nature and history of coal mining, particularly the surface mining that is the primary subject of the documentary. It explores the reasons behind the shift from coal to cheaper and less polluting alternative energy sources like natural gas, solar power, and wind power. It also provides information on both current environmental laws and some of the environmental activist movements that encourage cleaner power sources even beyond what the law requires. Thought-provoking discussion questions help viewers further analyze the issues presented in the film and consider the environmental situation in their own communities. Additional resources and suggestions for hosting a screening are also included in the discussion guide.

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LA92 - Discussion Guide

In Los Angeles in 1992, after a brief car chase, police pulled unarmed Rodney King from his car and brutally beat him. The incident was captured by a photographer living nearby and his video was released to the news media, unleashing an unparalleled series of marches, protests, and rioting. In news footage and photographs from that time, the film LA92 tells the story of King’s arrest, beating, and trial, and the subsequent events that shook the city of Los Angeles to its core. This discussion guide explores the roots of the violence, the typical characteristics of riots, attempts at police reform, and the relevance of King’s story for our time. A topical film that will touch off animated discussion of contemporary policing issues. Learn more about the documentary at the National Geographic Channel.

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Genius - Discussion Guide

What is genius? How is it recognized? National Geographic's dramatic series Genius explores these questions through the life of a man universally acclaimed for his intellect: Albert Einstein. From a somewhat bored and distracted student emerged the man who not only developed the most famous formula of his time, e=mc2, but also advanced the acceptance of theoretical physics. The series follows Einstein beyond his academic acumen and reveals to viewers the wider story of a complete man—husband, lover, father, theorist, professor, and friend. It also helps the viewer understand the social and political context of Einstein’s life, including the rise of Nazi Germany, World War II, the development of nuclear weapons, and the Cold War. This discussion guide explores these topics and more, while inviting the audience to reflect upon Einstein's natural flaws alongside his genius and ultimately appreciate his truly remarkable life.

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Discussion Guide - National Geographic's Gender Revolution

As the title of this discussion guide suggests, traditional ideas about gender are undergoing a sea change in the 21st century. In a special edition of National Geographic (published January 2017), you will find articles about such diverse topics as the science behind gender, the various ways that different cultures mark a boy’s transition to manhood, the risks girls face in many countries, and the status of gender equality internationally. A companion video of the same name, produced by Katie Couric, further extends the viewer’s understanding of gender. This guide draws upon both these resources to help users clarify their own knowledge and attitudes about gender and to promote discussion of how gender develops, how families can talk with their children about gender, the role of gender in the larger culture, and the next steps we can take to promote inclusion and acceptance in an increasingly diverse world.

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Discussion Guide - Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures highlights the persistence of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson to achieve their goals despite the discriminatory biases of colleagues and community members and rise as leaders in the fields of mathematics and engineering. Their lives model vital lessons in confidence, structural equity and academic excellence that apply to all students to take flight with today.

Our guide will support dialogue with families, educators, middle and high school students to understand the historical context of these remarkable women and inspire academic and creative ambition in their own futures.

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Discussion Guide - Queen of Katwe

From the largest slum in Kampala, Uganda, to an international chess competition in Moscow and then to the world stage, the trajectory of the life of Phiona Mutesi has been stunningly swift. Her mentor Robert Katende had developed a chess program at a nearby mission, and he soon recognized that her quick and agile mind was especially adept at grasping the intricacies of the “Game of Kings” in spite of her being only nine years old. Through her persistence and enthusiasm, Phiona eventually became a chess champion, gained an education, and bought a home for her mother. Based on a true story, the film Queen of Katwe tells much about the life of poor people living in harsh conditions, but it also shows how hard work, courage, and the help of a good friend can transform a life. This discussion guide can be used to deepen and broaden students’ understanding of this inspiring film.

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Discussion Guide - The Story Of God

Actor Morgan Freeman has always wondered about the great questions that major world religions have tried to answer: Who is God? Why are we here? What happens after death? Why is there evil in the world? In a series of six episodes for National Geographic, he traveled almost a hundred thousand miles around the world seeking answers to these questions from archaeologists, scientists, and practitioners of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This guide for the series The Story of God With Morgan Freeman provides classes and discussion groups with an opportunity to extend their insights through thoughtful questions and additional resources.

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Discussion Guide - Bridge of Spies

Although attorney Jim Donovan fails to win the freedom of accused spy Rudolf Abel in court, history presents him with another opportunity. At great personal risk, he goes to Cold War Berlin to negotiate a prisoner exchange for the release of captured U-2 pilot Gary Francis Powers. This discussion guide covers the behind-the-scenes history of the Cold War, the U-2 incident, the Berlin Wall, and constitutional issues that should be of concern to all Americans in an era of espionage and surveillance.

Click here to view accompanying clips for the discussion guide.

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He Named Me Malala - Discussion Guide

This discussion guide gives you the opportunity to continue Malala's work: to learn about the status of girls' education in the world today, to discuss what you have read about girls' education, to explore resources to learn more, and to seek ways to make a change in your own community and in the wider world. For community screenings, panels, and workshops; and college courses and seminars.

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Know How - Discussion Guide

Know How captures the reality of life in foster care from the point of view of those living in it. Written and acted by youth living in foster care, it's a hybrid of documentary and fiction. Five young people in the New York City foster care system share their experiences through a combination of story and song.

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Out of the Dark - Discussion Guide

Exploring environmental issues and elements of Colombian culture through a disturbing and enthralling supernatural thriller.

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