Children’s screen time and media consumption are in the news — and we are here to help. A new study reports that screen time is prevalent under grandparents’ care. The study from the University of Arizona looked at study looked at children’s screen time under their grandparents’ watch. It found that nearly 50% of the time American children spend with their grandparents involves interacting with or watching media on a screen.
The study found that media consumption is not only important for grandchildren, but that understanding media is just as important for grandparents. “Through our research, we discovered that media consumption is not only important for grandchildren, but that understanding media is just as important for grandparents. Grandparents may want to watch along with their grandchildren or just want to understand what the children are watching,” said lead study author Cecilia Sada Garibay.
Good news: we have free tools to make screen time a learning experience for kids and families.
If you are a grandparent or anyone else caring for children, we offer media-based learning materials and activities for kids as young as 8 years old to enrich their media experience. Like all of our resources, these fun, engaging learning tools are free for everyone. Many of those films, series and games are also available for free, as well.
Short Films For Kids
We’ve just launched a new series of free creative prompts based on super-short films that are bite-sized for kids’ attention spans: Watch and Write. Watch a film that’s as short as one minute, then springboard off a prompt for reflection, journaling, discussion or creative writing. The super short films cover a range of subjects and themes, suitable for kids of all ages, from elementary school through high school. The films and prompts are all free. These can be great resources for family viewing and discussion — or for setting up independent kids for watching and writing on their own. They are also a great way to get kids and adults engaged in active media consumption and co-viewing to make the most of screen time.
Check out our Watch and Write exercises.
Watch and Discuss
We offer free film discussion guides appropriate for children as young as 8 years old. They can help kids dig deeper into the facts and themes of a film — on their own, in discussion with a parent or grandparent, or as a prompt for journaling and reflection. These are great tools for enriching family screen time!
Several guides include hands-on arts and crafts activities, like the instructions for making a bug kite for the free short film The Love Bugs (for ages 8 and up.)
If you’d like help finding our free resources for kids by film length, age, subject, theme, activity, or anything else, drop us a note.
Also, if you’re using our resources as a grandparent, parent or babysitter, or otherwise outside a formal learning environment, we’d love to hear what you’re using and how it works for you. Please let us know!
We release new short film exercises, discussion guides, activities and lessons for kids all year long. Sign up for our newsletter to get updates when we launch new free materials for kids and families.
Watch and Write: New Classroom Warm-Ups
We’re launching a new classroom warm-up series: Watch and Write! Give your classroom a creative kickstart with a super-short film plus a prompt for writing or discussion. This is a great way to get students engaged and focused.
These exercises are for elementary school, middle school, and high school. They feature animated and live-action films as short as just one minute! The prompts can work for quiet journaling and reflection or for lively classroom discussions — whatever suits your needs.
This new tool is only available in our newsletter as a way of saying thank you to our subscribers. Check out the first installments:
Watch & Write #5 – Middle School and High School – Dance, Performance, Achievement
Not a subscriber yet? We’d love to deliver a new Watch and Write to your inbox every month. Sign up now!
Have you been using our Watch and Write exercises in your learning environment? Leave a comment below or send us an email to let us know how they’re working for you!
Related Resource
Watch and Write warm-ups combine well with our free Windows and Mirrors media analysis handout!
Get Students Excited about Service Learning with Film
Looking for service learning lessons and community service projects for your classroom? Film is a powerful tool to excite students about service learning: it provides an intimate and engaging look at the work of contemporary activists, many of whom are young people themselves, who are making a difference in the world. Our films show students that positive change is possible and the have the power to make an impact on the world around them in both large and small ways.
The National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) defines service learning as an approach to teaching and learning in which students use academic and civic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs. We’ve rounded up some of our best service activities in our recent film guides for your classroom use. Many of these lessons combine well together! We hope you’ll find them helpful for Volunteer Week April 14-20, Volunteer Month in April, and all year round.
Seveeral of these lessons and activities have an environmental theme that makes them great choices for Earth Month. Our curriculum guides include classroom-ready lessons for common core subjects across the curriculum: you can also collaborate on project-based learning centered on a film with teachers in other departments or coordinated across your whole school.
Civic Engagement Inspiration
The Crisis Scientistsis an inspiring 6-minute short film about extraordinary people working galvanize policy makers and the public to act to save the planet. This Mini Discussion Guide focusses on empowering students to turn knowledge into civic action in their communities. It’s a great way to get students excited about making a difference through activism and community service. For high school and higher education.
Foundations for Community Service
He Named Me Malala Lesson 5: Working for Change. This lesson equips students to critically evaluate people and organizations working for change; it’s a great lesson to pair with any of our service learning projects and with many social impact films. The lesson includes an extension activity where students design and host a community fair that allows nonprofit and education centers in their communities to explain and demonstrate their work. For grades 7-12.
Landfill Harmonic Lesson 3: Planting a Small Seed, Watching it Grow. This powerful 3-part lesson introduces students to the world of community service organizations, including what they are, how they operate, how to research them, and how to get involved and make a difference. The lesson also asks students how they want to change the world and supports them in taking action. This is another great foundational lesson to introduce students to community service work that pairs well with our other resources. For grades 7-12.
The Neighborhood Storyteller Discussion Guide:Grassroots Work, Life Skills, and Future Vision. This section introduces students to grassroots work and invites them to become changemakers in their communities. The broad focus of this section makes it a great foundation for service work that complements all of our service learning resources and also pairs well with our social impact films on every theme. For grades 9-12.
Education and Gender Equity Service Projects
He Named Me Malala Discussion Guide: What Can You Do? This section includes 8 suggestions for service learning and community service activities to support Malala Yousafzai’s advocacy work for girls’ education. He Named Me Malala pairs well with The Neighborhood Storyteller. For grades 7-12.
Environment and Climate Service Projects
Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops Lesson 5: Regreening. This upbeat, empowering lesson explores how students can be part of environmental change locally and globally. (It’s a great antidote to climate anxiety!) For grades 9-12.
River of Gold Lesson 11: Next Steps: What Can We Do? This lesson invites students to help save the Amazon Rainforest by creating awareness campaigns about the damage caused by illegal gold mining in the Amazon. There’s also an option to hold a fundraising campaign. This lesson is a great introduction to awareness campaigns in general and pairs well with other service projects. For grades 9-12. This guide is also available in Spanish and Portuguese.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Lesson 6: Helping the Children of Malawi. This lesson introduces students to the problems facing children in Malawi and what relief organizations are doing to help. Students will explore and evaluate the best partnership for bringing about change for children, and, optionally, get involved with an organization they have researched. For grades 7-12. This lesson pairs well with the Landfill Harmonic lesson about researching service organizations.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Discussion Guide: What about You? Getting Involved. This discussion guide section includes suggestions for 4 service learning activities. You may find some of the Foundations for Community Service Lessons at the top of this article helpful to support these activities. For grades 7-12.
Youth v Gov Lesson 4: Climate Close to Home. This lesson supports students through writing a letter to their elected officials about climate-related policies. For grades 7-12.
Youth v GovDiscussion Guide:What Can You Do? Community Action and Engagement. This section explores community service in the context of climate justice, and asks students to consider what actions they find inspirational and what they find effective. For grades 7-12.
Social Service Learning Projects
Greener Pastures Discussion Guide Moving Beyond a Rock and a Hard Place: Community Action and Engagement. This section suggests ways to get involved and make a difference in social issues explored in the film: mental health, rural healthcare access, food scarcity, supporting farmers, and regenerative agriculture. For grades 8-12. This guide is also available in Spanish.
Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality Learning Guide: Looking Ahead: Hope and Possibilities. This guide explores the driving question of how students can contribute to improving housing in their communities, on a statewide, national, or even international level. This section invites students to play a role in transforming the systemic barriers that create affordable housing, homelessness, and housing insecurity. The guide includes powerful information on housing solutions, blueprints for moving forward, and additional resources. For grades 9-12.
Would you like us to partner with you for educational engagement or professional development about the films mentioned in this article or other resources in our library? Contact us!
Related Resources
Are you making the case for including service learning in your school or organization? Check out this Edutopia article by Amy Meuers, CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council: Developing SEL Skills With Service Learning — Service learning provides a way for students to grow their social-emotional learning skills while helping their community.
Making Professional Development Easy with Journeys in Film Webinars
Deepen your skills for teaching with film with Journeys in Film Professional Development Webinars. These teacher training sessions are available free, online and on-demand. Earn one hour of PD credit upon successful completion of each webinar. Participants will gain tools to boost student engagement and teach critical thinking across the curriculum.
New in 2025!
Teach STEM with Short Films
Get tools & media literacy techniques for teaching STEM classes with short films and dive deep into resources for our newest short film The Crisis Scientists. For grades 9-12 plus higher education.
This free webinar is now available to watch on-demand.
Learn about teaching critical thinking with film to combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia.
This webinar highlights key aspects of anti-bias education and shares film-related resources specific to Antisemitism and Islamophobia. Featured resources include our new lesson about Antisemitism within the context of the rise of white supremacy. The webinar also explores films and film-related resources that offer students a broader understanding of Islam and the Muslim world.
Learn how to inspire students with film to build a sustainable future, with a specific focus on Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops. This invigorating panel discussion with climate educators and scientists demonstrates the power of using this series of five short films to engage and inspire students to build a sustainable future through increased understanding of forests, permafrost, the atmosphere, albedo, and regreening.
Learn how to use the power of film and biographical stories to increase student learning and engagement around sensitive subjects, with a specific focus on award-winning documentary Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down. This webinar offers tangible resources and tools for tackling challenging topics such as gun violence in the classroom. It also explores the power of this resource to teach a wide array of important themes, including civics, community service learning, mental health, media responsibility, and career pathways.
Learn how Hidden Figures can excite & engage your grade 3-12 students about 9 different subjects. This webinar uses Hidden Figures as an example to guide educators to resource techniques in teaching with film while addressing Common Core objectives. Grounded in the inspiring true story of the Black women mathematicians who worked in the NASA space program, participants explore our Hidden Figures lessons on the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and the Space Race as tools to address gender equity in STEM fields when teaching across subjects for their own classroom.
Learn about exploring Inequity in Criminal Justice with Just Mercy. This narrative film is based on the true story of Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson and his crusade as a young lawyer to exonerate Walter McMillian, a Black man unjustly convicted for murder. The webinar explores strategies for culturally responsive teaching to support working with students on difficult and crucially important topics like inequities in criminal justice.
Teach Black History all year round! Learn about celebrating Black History through music & film with Oscar-winner Summer of Soul. Directed by Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Summer of Soul is a powerful, transporting film about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 featuring performances by Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more. Bring Black Joy and Black Excellence to your classroom to engage students in celebrating Black History through music and film.
Learn about teaching STEAM classes with film, with a special focus on The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. This Netflix film is based on the true story of William Kamkwamba, a brilliant teenager whose creativity, persistence and courage provided a solution to devastating drought for his family and eventually for his village and many others in his country of Malawi and beyond. The webinar presents an overview of the interdisciplinary resources available for the film to support science, physics, language arts and social studies teachers in exploring the geographical and environmental context of Malawi, the history and engineering of wind power and the factors that influenced William’s journey: religion, politics, the environment, and education. William Kamkwamba himself joins the presentation for the Q&A.
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 from Saudi Arabia that students love. We also recommend The Neighborhood Storyteller, a short documentary about Syrian refugee Asmaa Rashed.
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 12-20, 2025: introduce your students to Judaism with The Story of God, and share Steven Spielberg’s moving Passover Story from the making of Schindler’s List.
Teach about Public Health in April
National Interprofessional Healthcare Month
World Minority Health Month
National Public Health Week April 1-7
Black Maternal Health WeekApril 11-17;
National Infant Immunization Week April 22-29
World Immunization Week April 24-30
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 5-11, 205) is a great time to screen Children of Heaven.
Discover the magic of forests for National Parks Week (April 19-25, 2025): 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.
April 30 is International Jazz Day. Wrap up April with the joyful sounds of Summer of Soul.
Music in Our Schools Month: Teach with Film
March is Music in Our Schools Month. Celebrate with these beautiful films plus our free lesson plans to boost student engagement across the curriculum including Music Education, Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Environmental Science and more! For grades 5 and up.
Five Great Films to Teach for Music in Our Schools Month
Disney’s hit film Chevalier was inspired by the true story of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the historic Black violinist, composer and fencer at the court of Marie Antoinette. The Chevalier Discussion Guide explores Joseph Bologne’s legacy, as well as the impact of music and the arts on social and cultural revolutions. For high school.
Powerful Holocaust Education film Defiant Requiem chronicles how prisoners at Theresienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp used music and the arts as a tool of resilience and resistance. The Defiant Requiem Curriculum Guide includes lessons on Verdi and his requiem, and also on the psychology of art and resilience. For grades 6 and up.
Landfill Harmonic is an inspiring documentary about the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, the Paraguayan classical music group that plays instruments made entirely out of upcycled garbage. The Landfill Harmonic Curriculum Guide includes a lesson all about this amazing youth orchestra. For grades 5-10.
Summer of Soul documents the extraordinary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, in an epic celebration of Black history, culture and fashion. The Summer of Soul Curriculum Guide introduces students to iconic Black musicians of the 1960s. It also features an activity where students plan their own music festival. For grades 9-12.
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble presents a vivid portrait of a bold musical experiment and a global search for the ties that bind that brings together musicians and artists from around the world. The Music of Strangers Curriculum Guide features a lesson on ancient instruments and a printable PDF about traditional instruments around the world. For grades 9-10.
Plan Ahead
In addition to Music in Our Schools Month, these films can also be great choices to teach with for Classical Music Month in September, International Music Day on October 1, and Violin Day on December 13.
Teach with Oscar movies to boost student engagement across the curriculum! We are proud to offer free, classroom-ready lesson plans and discussion guides to make it easy to teach with Oscar winners and Oscar-nominated films.
Bridge of Spies
Bridge of Spies received six nominations. They were for Best Supporting Actor (Mark Rylance), Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Production Design and Best Sound Mixing. Our Bridge of Spies Discussion Guide explores the Cold War and implications for today.
Crip Camp
Crip Camp was nominated for Best Documentary Feature Film in 2021. Our Crip Camp Discussion Guide explores the history-making 504 Sit-In. We also offer a Crip Camp Curriculum Guide, featuring a powerful anti-bias education lesson on language and ableism.
Children of Heaven
Children of Heaven received a Best Foreign Language Film nomination in 1999. It is a relatable, touching film about siblings in Iran. Our Children of Heaven Curriculum Guide offers opportunities to teach about Iran as well as the science of earthquakes and more.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures received three nominations in 2017. They were for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer). OurHidden Figures Curriculum Guide is our most downloaded film guide. We also offer a Hidden Figures Discussion Guide.
Navalny
Navalny won the 2023 Oscar for Best Documentary. This political thriller 2023 Oscar Winner for Best Documentary Feature follows follows the late Russian opposition leader and democracy activist Alexei Navalny in his quest to identify the men who poisoned him in August 2020. We offer two resources for this acclaimed film: a Navalny Discussion Guide and a Navalny Learning Guide.
Schindler’s List
Schindler’s List, one of the first films we created resources for, dominated the Oscars in 1994. The film received 7 wins and a total of 11 nominations.
Wins include: Best Picture, Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction (Set), Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score).
Nominations include: Best Actor (Liam Neeson), Best Supporting Actor (Ralph Fiennes), Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Makeup.
Summer of Soul won the 2022 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature Film. Our Summer of Soul Curriculum Guide introduces students to iconic Black musicians of the 1960s and also explores US History, Music, Current Events, Economics, Film Literacy, Language Arts, Sociology and Speech.
The Post
The Post received two nominations: Best Actress (Meryl Streep) and Best Picture in 2018. Our 8-lesson curriculum guide for The Post features a lesson on fake news.
Whale Rider
The beautiful New Zealand film Whale Rider garnered Māori actress Keisha Castle Hughes a Best Actress nomination in 2004. Our Whale Rider Curriculum Guide offers resources on exploring Maori culture as well as math, science, media literacy and more.
We are proud to partner with Share My Lesson and we warmly recommend their free educational resources. Check out more of our free articles and teaching materials available through Share My Lesson, including free professional development webinars:
Created and maintained by the American Federation of Teachers, Share My Lesson is a community of teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, higher education faculty, and parents and caregivers who contribute content, collaborate, and stay up to date on the issues that matter to students and educators everywhere.
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.
Women’s History Month: Teach With Film
Free Resources for Women’s History Month
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.
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Windows and Mirrors: Building Belonging Through Literary Perspective
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 and a sense of belonging.
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s windows and mirror concept presents a simple way to explain and visualize much of what I had studied and believed but clunkily explained in class:
Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us and in that reflection, we can see our lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirror in books.
I use this metaphor when I begin planning a unit or syllabus, asking myself if I am providing both windows and mirrors to my students, and I consider how they might interact with the variety of texts. It is an imperfect science, of course, but my reading and film lists have grown in diversity of perspectives in affirming ways.
Students catch the metaphor and make it their own immediately. In class discussion, we take a moment to track our readings and consider individually and collectively whether a text is a window or mirror. If we are leaning heavily towards one or the other, we brainstorm what kinds of stories we might add to balance out the metaphor.
In classes with older students, we do media audits, recoding and categorizing what we read, watch, listen to, and swipe through, noting how many mirrors and windows are in our feed. This exercise is not about shaming or guilting students for what they enjoy; it is to notice and raise awareness so they can become informed and conscientious transmedia consumers. Teachers can participate with students and model the process. It is also helpful to share (or even display if appropriate) some of the cultural content students reported and challenge them to add something from another’s list.
Adopting and sharing this lens with my students has nurtured a sense of belonging in the classroom. More than once, I have students stay after class to express excitement that we are reading about characters or topics that reflect their world. For some of them it is shocking. However, it is important to note that this content expansion should not happen in a vacuum. It is imperative to include students’ perspectives and opinions when choosing materials. I ask them directly and listen closely for recommendations on subjects or stories that have been impactful or transformative in their lives. I also listen to them through in-class writing, casual conversations, and student-to-student discussions. This process has helped ensure I do not offer a banquet of personal mirrors based on my likes. Instead, we build a class filled with windows that stream in light, allowing us to see ourselves and each other more clearly.
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.
Looking for ways to teach with film for Violin Day on December 13? Celebrate Violin Day with these beautiful films featuring violins and violinists plus our free teaching guides with lesson plans that cover subjects across the curriculum including Music Education, Language Arts, Social Studies, History, Environmental Science and more!
Four Great Films to Teach About Violins and Music
Disney’s hit film Chevalier was inspired by the true story of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the revolutionary Black violinist, composer and fencer at the court of Marie Antoinette. The Chevalier Discussion Guide explores Joseph Bologne’s legacy, as well as the impact of music and the arts on social and cultural revolutions. For high school.
Defiant Requiem, a powerful Holocaust Education film, chronicles how prisoners at Theresienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp used music and the arts as a tool of resilience and resistance. The Defiant Requiem Curriculum Guide includes lessons on Verdi and his requiem, and also on the psychology of art and resilience. For grades 6 and up.
Landfill Harmonic is an inspiring documentary about the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, the Paraguayan classical music group that plays instruments made entirely out of upcycled garbage. The Landfill Harmonic Curriculum Guide includes a lesson all about this amazing youth orchestra. For grades 5-10.
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble presents a vivid portrait of a bold musical experiment and a global search for the ties that bind that brings together musicians and artists from around the world. The Music of Strangers Curriculum Guide features a lesson on ancient instruments and a printable PDF about traditional instruments around the world. For grades 9-10.
Plan Ahead
In addition to Violin Day on December 13, these films are also great choices to teach with for Music in Our Schools Month in March, Classical Music Month in September, and International Music Day on October 1.
Boost Student Engagement with Film & Book Pairings
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 to life.
Films can be highly effective learning tools for auditory- and visual learners who may struggle with texts.
Classroom film screenings create a powerful shared classroom experience.
Film-book pairings work well for classroom instruction and for homeschooling.
We offer free film-based lesson plans and discussion guides for films with literary connections suitable for use with elementary school, middle school, high school, and higher education learners.
Combining books and films are great indoor activities for after school clubs and youth organizations.
Film-book pairings are perfect for library programming while saving budget lines — our resources are free and many of our films are available to stream for free.
Film-book pairings are a fun way to liven up book clubs, film clubs and doc clubs.
Journeys in Film Recommends Film-Book Pairings
We recommend the following pairings of books and award-winning films. We would love to hear from you about other literary connections you make in your classrooms with the films in our library.
Book and Film Pairings for Elementary School Learners (and up)
Themes: Black Excellence, Black History, Character, Climate Change, Desertification, Engineering and Activism, Wind Power.
Lesson Plan Subjects: Economics, Engineering, English Language Arts, Environmental Science, Film Studies, Physics, Service Learning, Social Studies, World History.
Noteworthy: This are a great resources for boosting student engagement in science classes.
Themes: Gender Equity and Education Access; Importance of Education; Reading, Literacy and Storytelling; Refugees; Syria; Grassroots Work, Life Skills, and Future Vision.
This film discussion guide features Essential Question and Discussion Questions to explore the film and story individually as well as their thematic connections.
More Film and Book Pairings for Elementary School Learners (and up)
Disney’s Hidden Figures, about the Black women mathematicians of the 1960s NASA space program, and the book it was based on, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, also available as a Young Readers Edition and a Picture Book. For grades 4 and up.
National Geographic’s Jane, about Dr. Jane Goodall, and any of the many excellent books about her, including picture books. For grades 3 and up. Educators may also enjoy books written by Dr. Goodall, including Jane Goodall: 50 Years at Gombe: A Tribute to the Five Decades of Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation and The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times.
Whale Rider, about a Māori girl who challenges tradition to pursue her destiny, and the book it was based on, The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera. For grades 5 and up.
Book and Film Pairings for Middle School Learners (and up)
Themes: Farming — Small Farms, Family Farms, Independent Farms, Midwest Farmers; Mental Health and Wellness — Hardship, Coping Strategies, and Resilience; Family Traditions; Soil and Food; Health; Community Action and Engagement.
Pair it with: Malala Yousafzai’s memoir I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb, also available in a Young Readers Edition. Or Malala’s Magic Pencil, the children’s book by Malala Yousafzai and illustrator Kerascoët.
Themes: Gender Equity and Education Access; Importance of Education; The Influence of Family; Pakistan; Religious Extremism; Activism and Engagement.
Lesson Plan Subjects: Community Service, Economics, English Language Arts, Film Literacy, Geography, Health, Social Studies, Sociology, Speech/Communication, World History.
Noteworthy: These resources make a power combination with The Neighborhood Storyteller and Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out.
This film discussion guide features Essential Question and Discussion Questions to explore the film and story individually as well as their thematic connections.
Themes Russia — Navalny and Putin; Civic Engagement — Political Corruption, Nationalism, Leadership; Data Tracking, State Surveillance, and the Role of Journalism; Social Media, Censorship, and Propaganda; State-Sanctioned Assassinations and Political Prisoners; Power — What Is Power? Who Has Power?
Noteworthy: These are great resources for teaching with in an election year.
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Can watching movies rewire your brain?
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 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Film intervention increases empathic understanding of formerly incarcerated people and support for criminal justice reform.
Filmmakers, if you want to harness the transformative power of film to increase empathy, talk to us about our customized impact materials and outreach programs.
12 Films That Celebrate Young Heroes
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
This feature film from Iran tells the story of a young brother and sister on a quest for a new pair of shoes. Our Children of Heaven Curriculum Guide features arts and science lessons, plus an introduction Iran and its culture. It’s a great global education tool.
This Oscar-nominated documentary shares with insight, humor, and joy the experiences of a group of disabled teenagers and their journey to adulthood and activism that sparked a revolutionary disability rights movement. We offer a Crip Camp Curriculum Guide with film studies, media literacy, and humanities lessons, that includes a powerful lesson on language, power and ableism, a great addition to anti-bias education toolkits. We also offer a Crip Camp Discussion Guide that empowers students around activism and civic engagement.
This BAFTA-winning documentary explores the events leading up to the Taliban’s attack on Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai for speaking out on girls’ education, followed by the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations. We offer a He Named Me Malala Curriculum Guide with film studies and humanities lessons, including an English Language Arts lesson about her speech as the youngest ever Nobel Prize Laureate. We also offer a He Named Me Malala Discussion Guide that explores Pakistan, religious extremism, the importance of education, and community engagement.
This award-winning documentary follows the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, a Paraguayan musical group of students who play instruments made entirely out of garbage. Our Landfill Harmonic Curriculum Guide features lessons about these musical upcycling heroes for arts and science classes.
This a heartwarming feature film from India tells the story of a boy with dyslexia who thrives with the support of his new art teacher. Our Like Stars on Earth Curriculum Guide features lessons across the curriculum, including a science lesson about how the brain works, as well as introductions to India and to Bollywood films.
Please Vote for Me, about elections for class monitor in a Chinese elementary school, is a perfect movie for classroom learning on democracy and voting, especially for Grades 3-7. Our Please Vote For Me Curriculum Guide features lessons across the curriculum, including an introduction to China and several aspects of Chinese culture, as well as a civics lesson about democracy.
Hit Disney film Queen of Katwe follows the rise of young chess prodigy Phiona Mutesi from a slum in Uganda to become an international chess star. Our Queen of Katwe Discussion Guide explores themes of Black Excellence, Black History, Chess, Gender Equity, Mentoring.
In Chewitel Ejiofor’s directorial debut, William Kamkwamba is forced to leave school after when his family falls behind on payments in drought-stricken Malawi. He becomes determined to help not only his family but a community facing famine — and builds a windmill out of scrap materials and bicycle parts. Our The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Curriculum Guide features lessons across the curriculum, including science lessons that get students excited about engineering and STEM fields. Our The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind Discussion Guide explores themes of Black Excellence, Black History, Character, Climate Change, Desertification, Engineering and Activism, and Wind Power.
This joyful feature film follow the adventures of two young refugee Tibetan monks who are determined to watch the World Cup. Our The Cup Curriculum Guide introduces students to Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism, and the world of refugees, with lessons across the curriculum.
This heart-warming feature film follows a young Saudi girl despite cultural norms about girls’ roles in society desperately wants the freedom of a bicycle. Our Wadjda Curriculum Guide introduces Saudi Arabia, social constructions of gender, and also Saudi Arabia’s historic first woman film director Haifaa Al Mansour (the director of Wadjda).
This acclaimed feature film from Aotearoa / New Zealand follows a young Māori girl who is determined to fulfill her destiny despite traditional gender barriers. (Wadjda and Whale Rider make a great global education double bill!) Our Whale Rider Curriculum Guide introduces Māori culture and features lessons across the curriculum.
This powerful documentary follows the 21 youth plaintiffs suing the US federal government in a landmark climate justice case for their right to a safe climate. Our Youth v Gov Curriculum Guide features lessons that dig into the connections between climate laws, fossil fuels, the government, and the court system. We also offer a Youth v Gov Discussion Guide that caps off the exploration of the films main themes with an inspiring section on community action and engagement.
We hope these materials can help you give your students the unparalleled experience of seeing young people like themselves and their friends on screen as heroes and role models.
More January Teaching Ideas