Simplify your film screenings with film Discussion Guides from Journeys in Film! Our free Discussion Guides for award-winning films provide questions to encourage critical thinking, powerful discussion, and expanded understanding. Our Discussion Guides make hosting rousing discussions around film screenings to boost impact and engagement simple and easy.
Discussion Guide Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Journeys in Film Discussion Guides for?
The Journeys in Film Discussion Guides are flexible by design to work in a wide range of situations: K12 classrooms and homeschooling, higher education, parenting / family film viewing, after school activities, library programs, community group and service club events, film clubs and doc clubs, and more.
How do educators use the Journeys in Film Discussion Guides?
Our film Discussion Guides are easy to use and require little to no advance preparation. They are great for sub days and end of term. They can also be incorporated into regular classroom use. They’re a flexible resource to keep tucked up your sleeve.
Can I use the Journeys in Film Discussion Guides on my own?
Yes! The questions in our Discussion Guides can serve as prompts for personal reflection, a viewer response journal, or for freewriting or creative writing.
Who makes the Journeys in Film Discussion Guides?
We work with teams of instructional designers, area experts and cultural consultants to create film-specific Discussion Guides with knowledge, care and attention. We do not use A.I. in the creation of our guides.
What kind of films does Journeys in Film create guides for?
We work with premier filmmakers to create Discussion Guides for award-winning social impact films. We develop Discussion Guides for films that don’t necessarily lend themselves to academic standards, but cover topics and themes that are valuable for classroom discussions and in other settings, such as after school clubs, community screenings, and university classes. Our film partners range from indie filmmakers to major studios like Disney.
Journeys in Film creates different kinds of guides to serve the needs of different kinds of learning environments.
We also create Curriculum Guides, featuring teaching-ready lesson plans for classrooms, homeschooling and individual learners.
For select films, we also create Learning Guides or Extended Discussion Guides, a type of film guide that digs even deeper into the material of a film and includes additional resources and extension activities.
Make sure you scroll all the way down each film page to see the full range of guides available.
Does Journeys in Film offer Discussion Guides in other languages?
Yes! We offer the following Discussion Guides in Spanish:
Navalny and Alexei Navalny’s posthumous memoir Patriot;
Queen of Katwe and The Queen of Katwe: One Girl’s Triumphant Path to Becoming a Chess Champion by Tim Crothers;
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, also available in Young Reader and Picture Book editions;
Does Journeys in Film offer Discussion Guides for films under one hour?
Yes. We offer Discussion Guides for several films under one hour, including Finding Pride, Meshes of the Afternoon, The Neighborhood Storyteller, and Unzipped. Check out the Discussion Guide Index by Running Time at the bottom of this article to find discussion guides for films based on length.
Does Journeys in Film offer Discussion Guides for elementary school use?
Yes, We offer Discussion Guides for films and series suitable for ages 8-12. See the Discussion Guide Index by Age Group below.
Does Journeys in Film offer Discussion Guides for middle school use?
Yes, We offer Discussion Guides for films and series suitable for ages 12-15. See the Discussion Guide Index by Age Group below.
Does Journeys in Film offer Discussion Guides for high school and higher education use?
Yes. Almost all of our films are appropriate for ages 14+. See the full Journeys in Film Discussion Guide Index below or individual film listings in the Journeys in Film Library.
Journeys in Film Discussion Guide Index by Age Group
Make Teaching Easy with Classroom-Ready Lesson Plans
Simplify your school year with classroom-ready lesson plans from Journeys in Film! Our free curriculum guides for award-winning films contain ready-to-teach lessons for elementary, middle school, and high school instruction.
Our lesson plans are created by teams of area experts and instructional designers to boost student engagement and teach critical thinking across the curriculum. The lesson plans feature handouts, classroom activities, and experiential lessons. The lessons align with Common Core standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Featured Lesson Plans
Anti-Bias Education
Teach about contemporary antisemitism to grades 9-12 plus higher ed. Lesson Eight of our Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide explores contemporary Anti-semitism and its connections with white supremacy. This lesson is also available as a standalone download from our Schindler’s List page. This is a powerful resource for teaching anti-bias education, social emotional learning and media literacy which we highly recommend to Social Studies teachers.
Civics
Teach about the principles of elections and democracy to grades 6-8. Lesson Two of our Please Vote for Me Curriculum Guide explores the values that are essential for a functioning democracy and what happens when elections are not well run. This non-partisan teaching tool is a great educational resource for election years that can be adapted to use with students of different ages.
Mathematics
Yes, you can teach math with film! Teach how to calculate percentages for grades 6-8. Lesson Four of our Like Stars on Earth Curriculum Guide explores fractions, decimals, and percents to demystify how teachers calculate the student averages for grading their classes.
Science
Teach science to grades 5-7. Lesson Eight of our Whale Rider Curriculum Guide is all about the science of how whales communicate with echolocation. The lesson includes a fun science activity that will get students on their feet and engaging with these science principles.
Visual Arts
Teach visual arts to high school students. Lesson Three of our Rebel Hearts Curriculum Guide features a hands-on visual arts lesson for grades 9-12, inspired by the dynamic pop art of Corita Kent.
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.
Teacher Professional Development Webinars
Anti-Bias Education
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.
Happy Casual Pi Day or Pi Approximation Day! The fraction 22/7 is an approximate value of Pi, so Casual Pi Day falls on July 22; the numerator 22 represents the date, while the numerator seven represents the month. It’s a great day to highlight our lessons for teaching math with film. Our free film teaching guides feature classroom-ready lesson plans across the curriculum suitable for grade 4 all the way to grade 12 — including math lessons!
Hidden Figures
Our most popular math lesson is part of our Hidden Figures Curriculum Guide, about The Math of Space Travel: Orbits and Conic Sections, for grades 9 to 12. You can download the full Hidden Figures guide from our library, or get this lesson on its own from Share My Lesson.
Children of Heaven
Children of Heaven features two math lessons: Lesson 8: Keeping Secrets and Lesson 9: Iran: The Land of Earthquakes.
Please Vote for MeLesson 4 introduces students to Integer Calculations with Chinese Number Rods.
The Cup
The CupLesson 9 looks at the math of The Value of Money.
The Invisible Shield
Learn about the role of data & vital statistics in public health with The Invisible Shield! Discover how data can drive health interventions that save lives. Get students excited about a range of math-based public health careers.
The Way Home
The Way Home Lesson 9 teaches students about Using Graphs.
Whale Rider
Whale Rider Lesson 9 shows students how to Count the Uncountable with Fermi problems, using examples from the film.
Get your free math lesson plans from our library and liven up your math classes today!
Teach with Film for World Brain Day July 22
Teach about neurological disorders with film
World Brain Day on July 22 promotes awareness and education for neurological disorders. We’re pleased to offer engaging resources to help you explore neurological disorders through film with your learning communities.
This a heartwarming feature film tells the story of a dyslexic boy who thrives with the support of his art teacher. Our free film Curriculum Guide features a lesson exploring the structure and function of the brain. It also includes a fun science activity where students analyze their own brain function. This science lesson is for grades 6-8. Learn more about teaching with Like Stars on Earth.
This award-winning documentary tells the story of a rising star transformed by a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and follows her remarkable journey of rehabilitation and recovery. The TBI to the left hemisphere of Gabby Giffords’ brain triggered aphasia, which affects the ability to use language to communicate. Our free film Discussion Guide has a section exploring the science of aphasia as well as Gabby Giffords’ rehabilitation and recovery experiences. This film and guide are a great combination for high school settings as well as community groups, film clubs, and public screenings for World Brain Day! Learn more about teaching with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp explores how a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement. Our free Crip Camp curriculum guide includes a lesson on “Language Power and Ableism”; we recommend this lesson to help educators and learners discuss neurological disorders in a sensitive and appropriate way. Learn more about teaching with Crip Camp.
Celebrate Minority Mental Health Awareness Month with Film
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Mental Health Awareness Month, also known as BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month or Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. It’s a great time to celebrate minority mental health awareness with film. We’re highlighting educational resources that explore mental health and wellness, with a special focus on films that center BIPOC subjects, stories and points of view. These resources cover important social emotional learning topics and can be great assets to health classes.
Celebrate Mental Health and Wellness with BIPOC-Centered Films
The Cup
The Cup, a feature film about a young Tibetan Buddhist monk living as a refugee in India who develops a passion for the World Cup, includes a Visual Arts lesson on Mandala Art as Contemplative Practice. This is a great lesson for teaching practical mental health coping skills. Pair it with our handout on Mandalas from The Story of God Curriculum Guide.
The Dhamma Brothers
The Dhamma Brothers, about a meditation program in an Alabama prison, includes an experiential lesson, Introduction to Meditation, which pairs well with the mediation section in The Story of God. The Dhamma Brothers curriculum guide also features lessons on the mental and physical effects of meditation. Because of the racialized nature of the justice and carceral systems, many of the subjects in this film are men of color. This guide also includes a lesson that examines the roots of racialized sentencing in historical inequity and oppression.
Happy
Award-winning documentary Happy explores The Psychology of Happiness. Through cutting-edge science and remarkable human stories from Namibia, Brazil, Bhutan, Kolkata, Louisiana, and more, the film leads us to a deeper understanding of why and how we can pursue more fulfilling, healthier, and happier lives. The Happy Curriculum Guide is a great tool to bolster social emotional learning (SEL).
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
The Music of Strangers follows more than 50 artists from around the world as they explore the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. Lesson 4 about The Ongoing Syrian Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis is a great way to teach about using art to respond to crisis. It includes a handout on Art as Self-Reflection. This lesson and handout pair well with Defiant Requiem.
The Discussion Guide for Youth v Gov, about the diverse group of young people suing the US government for the right to a safe climate, includes a great section for launching discussions about Climate Anxiety and coping strategies, as well as empowering sections on Climate Justice and Climate Activism.
Defiant Requiem, about how prisoners at Therienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp used art and music as tools of survival and resistance, features a lesson on Art and Resilience.
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
Our Learning Guide for Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, about gunshot survivor turned gun violence activist Gabby Giffords, includes a section on the impact of gun violence on Mental Health which features prompts for personal reflection and for discussion, as well as extension activities.
Greener Pastures
Greener Pastures follows four midwestern farming families in an underdog story of perseverance and determination. The Greener Pastures Discussion Guide is a great springboard for discussing stress, mental health, and resilience.
Additional Resources
Learn more about mental wellness coping strategies with experiential lessons in our article for Religion Matters about Mindfulness, Meditation and Mandala Art.
When to Teach with These Materials
These films are great to teach with all year round. You may find them especially helpful for:
Mental Wellness Month in January,
World Teen Mental Wellness Day on March 2,
Mental Health Awareness Month in May,
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in May,
PTSD Awareness Month in June,
National PTSD Awareness Day on June 27,
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Mental Health Awareness Month in July,
Mental Illness Awareness Week in October,
World Mental Health Day on October 10.
Teach with Film in July
Whether you’re teaching summer school or summer camp or your school is still in session in July, we have suggestions for easy, classroom-ready lesson plans and discussion guides to help you teach with film. Plus great films for summer film programs and summer activities!
July Teaching Highlights
July is Disability Pride Month and July 26 is National Disability Independence Day. Celebrate Disability Rights and Disability Pride with Crip Camp.
July 8 is National Video Game Day. Discover the joy of learning with educational video games, with Walden, a game, from the USC Game Innovation Lab.
July 20 is World Chess Day. Celebrate the game of kings with hit Disney film Queen of Katwe.
July 1 is National Zip Code Day. Teach with UNZIPPED, which tackles income inequality as experienced by three families living in the same zip code.
The Civil Rights Act was enacted on July 2, 1964. Check out our standalone lessons about civil rights and the civil rights movement in our Black History Lessons Collection.
July 4 marks the anniversary of the death of Polish physicist, Marie Curie, who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity, which substantially contributed to cancer treatment methods. Introduce students to more inspirational women of science with Hidden Figures, Jane, and The Love Bugs.
July 9 is the birthday of actor Tom Hanks! We’re pleased to offer guides for two of Hanks’ award-winning collaborations with Steven Spielberg: Bridge of Spies and The Post.
July 23 is International Self-Care Day. Check out our free experiential lessons on meditation and mindfulness — for your students or for yourself!
July 26 is National Disability Independence Day, a great day to watch Crip Camp.
Teach PTSD Awareness with Film
Films can be powerful tools for teaching about PTSD awareness and also about resilience, emotional regulation and coping strategies! We recommend the following lessons in our film guides to help you teach about stress and mental wellness with film.
Defiant Requiem, about how prisoners at Therienstadt (Terezin) concentration camp used art and music as tools of survival and resistance, features a lesson on Art and Resilience.
Greener Pastures
Greener Pastures follows four midwestern farming families in an underdog story of perseverance and determination. The Greener Pastures Discussion Guide is a great springboard for discussing stress, mental health, and resilience.
Teaching about Mental Health, Mental Wellness and Coping Skills
The Dhamma Brothers, about a meditation program in an Alabama prison, includes an experiential lesson, Introduction to Meditation, which pairs well with the mediation section in The Story of God. The Dhamma Brothers curriculum guide also features lessons on the mental and physical effects of meditation.
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
Our Learning Guide for Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, about gunshot survivor turned gun violence activist Gabby Giffords, includes a section on the impact of gun violence on Mental Health which features prompts for personal reflection and for discussion, as well as extension activities.
Happy
Award-winning documentary Happy explores The Psychology of Happiness. The Happy Curriculum Guide is a great tool to bolster social emotional learning (SEL).
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
The Music of Strangers follows more than 50 artists as they explore the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. Lesson 4 about The Ongoing Syrian Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis is a great way to teach about using art to respond to crisis. It includes a handout on Art as Self-Reflection. This lesson and handout pair well with Defiant Requiem.
The Discussion Guide for Youth v Gov, about the young people suing the US government for the right to a safe climate, includes a great section for launching discussions about Climate Anxiety and coping strategies, as well as empowering sections on Climate Justice and Climate Activism.
Additional Resources
Learn more about mental wellness coping strategies with experiential lessons in our article for Religion Matters about Mindfulness, Meditation and Mandala Art.
When to Teach with These Materials
These films are great to teach with all year round. You may find them especially helpful for:
Mental Wellness Month in January,
World Teen Mental Wellness Day on March 2,
Mental Health Awareness Month in May,
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in May,
PTSD Awareness Month in June,
National PTSD Awareness Day on June 27,
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Mental Health Awareness Month in July,
Mental Illness Awareness Week in October,
World Mental Health Day on October 10.
Teach about Iran 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 two curriculum guides to help you teach about Iran with film.
Children of Heaven
Children of Heaven is a valuable resource for introducing students to The Islamic Republic of Iran. This contemporary Iranian film, shot in and around Tehran, follows two siblings who must work together to find a creative solution to deal with a missing pair of shoes. It’s a heartwarming film about families, compassion, moral responsibilities and issues of limited resources. Our Children of Heaven curriculum guide features a social studies lesson about the geography and culture of Iran for grades 6-8. This lesson is also available on its own from Share My Lesson. The full curriculum guide also features a country profile of Iran.
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble is a powerful global education tool. This stunning documentary follows musicians, artists and storytellers from around the world as they explore the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. The film includes an exploration of the life and work of Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor. After the Iranian Revolution, Kalhor moved to Europe and Canada, and eventually immigrated to the United States. His work reflects both the folk melodies of Kurdish Iran and classical Iranian music. Our curriculum guide for The Music of Strangers features a lesson on the pivotal historic event of the Iranian Revolution, and its lasting effects on Iranian culture.
The Music of Strangers is rated PG-13. Learn more about teaching with The Music of Strangers.
We hope that educators will find these resources helpful for putting Iranian culture, history and current events in context for your classroom discussions.
Films can be powerful classroom tools to explore the rich diversity of global families and family ties. We recommend coming of age dramas Children of Heaven, The Way Home, Wadjda, and Whale Rider. There is also a powerful section for discussing family traditions in our discussion guide for award-winning documentary Greener Pastures.
Children of Heaven, about a young brother and sister on a quest for new shoes, is rated PG-13 and recommended for ages 10+. Learn more about teaching with Children of Heaven.
The Way Home addresses intergenerational relationships and rural-urban cultural differences with the story of a boy who moves from the city to stay with his grandmother in the countryside. This film is rated PG. Learn more about teaching with The Way Home.
Wadjda tells the delightful story of a convention-defying Saudi girl whose heart is set on the impossible goal of getting a bicycle, from Saudi Arabia’s first woman director Haifaa Al Mansour. Wadjda is rated PG. Common Sense Media rates recommeds Wadjda for ages 9+. Learn more about teaching with Wadjda.
Greener Pastures follows four faming families in the Midwest, charting their struggles, failures and triumphs. This documentary film is unrated. We recommend it for grades 6+. Learn more about teaching with Greener Pastures.
These can be great films to start classroom discussions about families for:
Whether you’re planning ahead for what to teach in June or you’re looking for last-minute June teaching ideas, we have suggestions for easy, classroom-ready lesson plans and discussion guides to help you teach with film.
June Teaching Highlights
June is Pride Month. Support LGBTQ students, colleagues and community members with Finding Pride.
June is Gun Violence Awareness Month & June 7 is Gun Violence Awareness Day. Start productive conversations in your classroom and community about gun violence with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
June 18 is International Day for Countering Hate Speech. We recommend our webinar about Anti-Bias Education: Using Media to Foster Critical Thinking and Combat Antisemitism and Islamophobia. The session provides an overview of anti-bias teaching tools and as well as strategies for dealing with difficult classroom situations around these topics. This webinar is available free and on-demand through Share My Lesson. Participants can quality for one hour of PD-credit. Learn more about our Anti-Bias Education Webinar.
Black Music Appreciation Month is the perfect time to teach with Summer of Soul, a celebration of the 1969 Harlem Music Festival. This is a moving and joyful film that’s great for the end of the year.
June is National PTSD Awareness Month and June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day. We warmly recommend Big Sonia about Holocaust Survivor turned Holocaust Educator Sonia Warshawski for teaching about PTSD to grades 7 and up.
June is World Refugee Awareness Month and June 20 is World Refugee Day. Check out our resources for Bringing Refugee Stories to Your Classroom for grades 4 to 12. Including a film/book pairing!
Teach about Public Health in June
Teach about the importance of public health, access to healthcare, and healthcare inequities with The Invisible Shield for Men’s Health Month and Men’s Health Week (June 10-16) plus World Aids Vaccine Day on May 18 and World Wellbeing Week (June 26-30). Inspire students about careers in public health!
Special Weeks in June
June 17-23 is Learning Disability Week 2023. Like Stars on Earth is a great choice for teaching about dyslexia. It’s a film filled with joy that students love.
Special June Teaching Days
June 3 is Love Conquers All Day: Teach about the love of nature and the nature of love with The Love Bugs.
June 5 World Environment Day: Get standalone environmental lessons in our new Environmental Studies Lessons collection.
June 6 is Russian Language Day. Teach about inspirational Russian political dissident and champion of democracy Alexei Navalny with Oscar-winning documentary NAVALNY.
June 7 is Gun Violence Awareness Day. Start productive conversations in your classroom and community about gun violence with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down.
June 8 is World Oceans Day. For students in grades 5-7, learn about whales with Whale Rider.
June 20 is World Chimpanzee Day, a great day to teach about pioneering primateologist Jane Goodall with National Geographic’s 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.
June 28 – July 3 marks the Stonewall Riots Anniversary. For a How It Started / How Its Going pairing, complement your Stonewall Riots lessons with Finding Pride from the It Gets Better Project.
June 28 is Matariki, the beginning of the new year in the Māori lunar calendar. Celebrate Māori culture with Whale Rider.
May is a great time to celebrate bicycles in the classroom! May is National BikeMonth, plus May 5 is National Ride a Bike Day and May 8 is National Walk Bike and Roll to School Day! Our global education film collection includes two films that students love about the power of bicycles: The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and Wadjda.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind
In The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, 13-year-old son William 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. Students love this story of determination, STEM ingenuity, and of course the almighty bicycle. We offer a free curriculum guide with six classroom-ready lessons across 9 subjects in the both the sciences and humanities and also a discussion guide for The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.
Wadjda tells the delightful story of a convention-defying Saudi girl whose heart is set on the impossible goal of getting a bicycle, from Saudi Arabia’s first woman director Haifaa Al Mansour. Our free curriculum guide features six lessons that put Wadjda’s life as a young girl in modern Saudi Arabia into context, exploring Saudi geography and culture, as well as gender equity, and introduces the groundbreaking work of filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour.
Here are teaching ideas paired with free teaching resources for teachers and homeschoolers about what to teach with film in May!
May Teaching Highlights
Mental Health Awareness Month
May 5 – 12 is also Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. We recommend these powerful lesson plans and experiential activities to support mental health and wellness all month long: Teach about Mental Health Awareness with Film for grades 4-12.
Holocaust Remembrance Day / Yom Hashoah May 6, 2024
For Jewish Heritage Month, we recommend films about two of our favorite Jewish-Americans: Big Sonia, about Holocaust survivor / Holocaust educator Sonia Warshawski; and Genius (Season One), about Albert Einstein! We also have lessons to introduce students to Jewish belief and traditions in The Story of God.
May 5-11 is Be Kind to Animals Week! Celebrate animals with JANE, about Dr. Jane Goodall’s lifelong work with chimpanzees.
May 6-12 is National Nurses Week and May 12-18 is National Women’s Health Week. Teach about the importance of nurses in the public health system, and the invisible work of public health in promoting health and longevity with The Invisible Shield. It’s a great tool for getting students excited about public health careers.
Looking for Portuguese-language teaching resources for Portuguese Language Day on May 5? Our River of Gold curriculum guide is also available in Portuguese!
May 12 is International Nurses Day! Celebrate nurses as the healthcare heroes they are with The Invisible Shield.
International Day of Families on May 15 is a wonderful day to teach with films that explore the rich diversity of global families and family ties. We recommend coming of age dramas Children of Heaven, The Way Home, Wadjda, and Whale Rider. There is also a powerful section for discussing family traditions in our Greener Pastures Discussion Guide.
Albert Einstein’s work at the beginning of the 20th century changed the way we think about time and light. For International Day of Light on May 16, introduce students to Einstein’s life and work with National Geographic’s Genius.
May 17 is the 70th anniversary of Brown v Board of Education, the landmarks U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1954 which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional. Teach about this milestone in Black History with our Hidden Figures lesson on Segregation and Civil Rights History. You may also find our collection of Black History Lessons helpful.
May 21 is World Meditation Day.May 23 is also Vesak, the Buddhist celebration of the birth of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. Introduce your students to Buddhism and meditation with The Cup, The Dhamma Brothers, and The Story of God.
5 Powerful Documentaries with Spanish-Language Film Guides
Teach with film in Spanish! We’re delighted to offer a range of film teaching guides in Spanish for compelling social impact films.
Our Curriculum Guides / Guías Curriculares, Guías del Currículo y Plans de Estudio feature classroom-ready lesson plans across the curriculum, with handouts and activities all in Spanish.
Our Discussion Guides / Guías de Discusión are designed to deepen the conversation around a film’s subject and themes with questions to encourage critical thinking, powerful discussion, and expanded understanding.
Our flexible Learning Guides / Guías de Estudio Independiente have sections that can be used as standalone units for instruction or personal use, and adapt well for a wide range of situations and contexts.
In addition to classroom use, our guides are also great for homeschooling, afterschool activities, film clubs, community groups, public screenings and more. Our Spanish-language film guides, like all of our educational resources, are free for everyone. — ¡Por supuesto!
Grades 3-5
The Love Bugs explores the love of nature and the nature of love. We offer a Spanish curriculum guide for this Emmy-winning short film with two learning pathways, one focused on science and one on socio-emotional learning. The SEL pathway can also be adapted for use with older students.
The Love Bugs celebra el amor por la naturaleza y la naturaleza del amor. El documental ganador de un premio Emmy “The Love Bugs,” y el plan de estudio acompañante, dan una excelente oportunidad para que usted y sus estudiantes se vuelvan entomólogos amateurs y descubran la maravilla de las criaturas pequeñas, al igual que lo hicieron entomólogos Charlie y Lois O’Brien. También ofrece un proceso para entender la naturaleza del amor a través de los ojos de sus estudiantes y los de una pareja que han trabajado y vivido juntos por 60 años.
Grades 8-12
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down follows former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in her relentless fight to recover from an assassination attempt and her new life as one of the most effective activists in the battle against gun violence. We offer a Learning Guide and Discussion Guide for this film.
Gabby Giffords No Se Rendirá es una película impactante que da espacio para que la audiencia pueda examinar el fenómeno de la violencia con armas de fuego en los Estados Unidos y lidiar con las difíciles emociones elevadas por esta realidad. Ofrecemos una Guía de Estudio Independiente y una Guía de Discusión para esta película.
For Grades 9-12 + Higher Education
The five short films of Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops use stunning video, interviews with leading climate scientists, and thoughtful narration by Richard Gere to educate the viewer on key feedback loops greatly accelerating climate change. We offer a Curriculum Guide for this film.
Las cinco cortometrajes de Emergencia climática: circuitos de retroalimentación utilizan videos impresionantes, entrevistas con científicos climáticos destacados y una narración reflexiva de Richard Gere para educar al espectador sobre los ciclos de retroalimentación clave que aceleran en gran medida el cambio climático. Ofrecemos una Guía Curricular para esta película.
Greener Pastures provides an intimate window into the lives of four multigenerational farming families as they navigate the stressors that have contributed to farming having one of the highest rates of suicide of any U.S. occupation. Throughout the film, we see how farmers carry on in the face of these challenges and, ultimately, find hope in their successes. We offer an Educational Discussion Guide for this film.
Pastos aún más verdes “Pastos aún más verdes” ofrece una ventana Íntima a la vida de cuatro familias de agricultores multigeneracionales mientras navegan los factores estresantes que han contribuido a que la agricultura tenga una de las cifras de suicidio más altas de cualquier oficio en los EEUU. A lo largo de la película, vemos como los agricultores continúan aun en la cara de estos retos y, ultimadamente, encuentran esperanza en sus logros. Ofrecemos una Guía de Discusión Educacional para esta película.
River of Gold follows journalists who specialize in war reportage, filming them as they witnessed the broad, far-reaching, and criminal eradication of the Amazon. The film reaffirms the right of the rainforest to exist as a repository of priceless biodiversity and not as the toxic remains of man’s greed for gold.
Río de Oro siguiera a los periodistas especializados en reportería de guerra, filmándolos mientras eran testigos de una gigantesca y criminal erradicación del Amazonas. La película reafirma el derecho del bosque tropical a existir como depósito de una biodiversidad invaluable y no como los restos tóxicos de la ambición del hombre por el oro. Ofrecemos una Guía del Currículo para esta película.
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PS Filmmakers, if you would like to extend the educational outreach of your social impact films with multilingual educational materials, talk to us!
12 Fun Films to Teach For Earth Month
Film is a powerful tool for engaging students across the curriculum (not just in science classes!) about the wonders of the natural world, environmental science, and youth climate activism. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Earth-related resources to help you inspire your students for Earth Month, Earth Week, Earth Day and all year long!
Films to Teach for Earth Month
Grades 3-5
The Love Bugs – This guide is also available in Spanish.
