At Journeys in Film, we are committed to educating the next generation to be globally competent and socially active by harnessing the power of film. As such, we create free curriculum guides and discussion guides for films. Our newest resource is a guide featuring 6 Lesson Plans for Summer of Soul – now an Oscar winner. To its many laurels, the film now adds the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. You can download this free curriculum guide with lessons focused on U.S. History, Civics, Music and more here.
Moreover, Summer of Soul‘s Oscar win comes on the heels of a slew of awards throughout award season. These include the BAFTA for Best Documentary Feature, Film Independent Spirit Award and several others. The documentary tells the story of the legendary 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Previously, this historic event was lost to the annals of history, but is now front and center.
Oscar Winners and Nominees in Our Library
Several other films in our library also received honors in the past from The Academy in the form of nominations and wins. The Post received two nominations: Best Actress (Meryl Streep) and Best Picture in 2018. Our 8-lesson curriculum guide features a lesson on fake news. Hidden Figures, our most popular curriculum guide, received three nominations in 2017. They were Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Octavia Spencer). Bridge of Spies received six nominations. They were Best Supporting Actor (Mark Rylance), Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Production Design and Best Sound Mixing. Our discussion guide focuses on the Cold War and implications for today.
The beautiful film Whale Rider garnered Keisha Castle Hughes a Best Actress nomination (2004). Our 10-lesson curriculum guide offers resources on exploring Maori culture as well as math, science, media literacy and more. Children of Heaven received a Best Foreign Language Film nomination in 1999. It is a relatable, touching film about siblings in Iran. Our 10-lesson curriculum guide offers opportunities to teach about Iran as well as the science of earthquakes and more.
Finally, 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.
More Resources Coming Soon
Additionally, next month we’ll be releasing our free curriculum guide for the powerful documentary film Crip Camp. This essential film about disability rights and the disability justice movement was nominated for Best Documentary Feature in 2021. Sign-up for our email list to receive notice of the guide’s availability.
We are so proud of Summer of Soul. We hope you will join us in bringing this important film to your classroom. Download the curriculum guide today! Peruse additional resources as well. Together, let’s bring the power of film to students. It can inspire, engage and educate!
Written by Jennifer Fischer
