What to Teach in February

Here are teaching ideas paired with free teaching resources for educators, homeschooling individuals to teach with film in February! 

February Monthly Themes

Black History Month

???? Looking for individual lessons for teaching Black history? Check out our brand new Black History Lessons collection, with classroom-ready individual lessons for teaching US Black History and Global Black History. Plus free, on-demand professional development webinars to support teaching Black History.

White background with various movie posters on it: Summer of Soul, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chevalier, Hidden Figures and Justice Mercy. Journeys in Film logo at the bottom.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month
CTE Month (Career & Technical Education)
National Gun Violence Survivor Week Feb.1-7
World Interfaith Harmony Week Feb.1-7
African Heritage & Health Week February 7-13
  • Teach about the impact of healthcare inequities on public health and the urgency of healthcare for all with The Invisible Shield (and yes, it talks talks about the Tuskegee Institute, as it should).

February Daily Themes

Feb 1 National Freedom Day (signing of 13th amendment – USA)
Feb 7 World Read Aloud Day
Feb 10 Lunar New Year 2024
Feb 11 International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Feb 11 National Inventors Day
Feb 14 Valentine’s Day

Light blue background with three movie posters: Jane, Genius and Love Bugs. Text, center, lower third, reads: Inspiring Students: Science Through Film. Journeys in Film logo across the bottom.

Feb 20 World Day of Social Justice
  • Check out our films on gender equity, racial equity, LGBTQ equity, human rights & more in the Journeys in Film library.

Finally, while thematic weeks and months are fun and helpful, we know that media literacy, civics, Black history, and many of the other themes we have highlighted can be integrated into your curriculum any time of year, so we hope these resources inspire you no matter when you find them!

Written by SJ Evans

 

Top Ten Downloads of 2023

Prepare for the new year with our TOP resources of 2023, Discover which ones made the list and get ready to level up your teaching game. Check out the top ten downloads of 2023!

10. A three-way tie for Crip Camp, The Post, and Whale Rider

Teach about Camp Jened and Disability Justice with our Crip Camp Curriculum Guide and Discussion Guide (for high school). Explore Freedom of the Press with The Post Curriculum Guide (for high school). Discover Māori culture with 10 cross-curriculum lessons in our Whale Rider Curriculum Guide (grades 6-12). All three of these films were Oscar nominees.

Movie posters for Crip Camp, The Post and Whale Rider

9. Just Mercy

Based on the true story of Harvard Law School graduate Bryan Stevenson’s move to Alabama where he recognizes an urgent need to provide free legal assistance to minorities who have been unfairly sentenced. Our Just Mercy Curriculum Guide & Student Learning Guide (for high school) is a powerful tool for exploring racial inequity in the US criminal justice system. Just Mercy won multiple awards, including the BET Awards, the NAACP Image Awards, and the African American Film Critics Association Awards.

Promotional image featuring Michael B. Jordan for the film Just Mercy

8. Schindler’s List

In 2023 we launched a new improved Schindler’s List Curriculum Guide with a brand new antisemitism lesson (for high school) to teach with this powerful & inspiring Academy Award-winner.

Schindler's List 30th Anniversary Teaching Guide

7. Happy

Happy takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. Our Happy Curriculum Guide presents an opportunity to explore the psychology of happiness with your students, bolster social emotional learning (SEL) and so much more! (For grades 7-12.)

Happy film poster. Bright blue sky is the background with white clouds at the edges. The word Happy is large across the center in white fluffy letters, all capitalized. Below that, white text reads: A Documentary by Roko Belic. In the upper left-hand corner is a gold circle with the 7 inside.

6. Glossary of Film Terms

Our Glossary of Film Terms is useful for Film Literacy and Film Studies classes. It pairs well with our curriculum guides for Big Sonia, He Named Me Malala, Hidden Figures, Schindler’s List, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, The Music of Strangers, and The Post.

Bright yellow background. White text: Glossary of Film Terms. Slate board to the left of text. Gold circle with 6 inside it, bottom right.

5. Queen of Katwe

Based on the real life story of Phiona Mutei’s rise from the largest slum in Kampala, Uganda to become an international chess star on the world stage. Our Queen of Katwe Discussion Guide (for high school) inspires the next generation of chess players, high achievers and mentors. This hit Disney film directed by Mira Nair won four NAACP Image Awards.

Queen of Katwe movie poster

4. He Named Me Malala

This critically-acclaimed documentary explores the rise of Malala Yousafzai from a young BBC blogger in Pakistan to become the youngest Nobel Prize winner at age 17 for her human rights advocacy for gender equity in education for girls in Pakistan and around the world. Educators often pair our He Named Me Malala Curriculum Guide and Discussion Guide with her autobiography I Am Malala in ELA classes and Social Studies classes. Speech educators also use Lesson 7 as a fabulous stand alone lesson for examining Malala’s iconic Nobel Prize acceptance speech. (For grades 7-12.)

He Named Me Malala film poster: abstract art behind Malala that emulates a sunrise, a hot pink circle with a yellow circle band behind it and orange and pink shadings behind it. A large book splays open behind her as well, with pages spread out and a few pages lifting off like birds. Malala is a Pakistani young woman wearing a deep pink head scarf. She has brown hair and eyes. Text reads: He Named Me Malala.

3. Summer of Soul

Summer of Soul is a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. The film features concert footage of iconic 1960s Black musicians including Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, and The 5th Dimension. Our Summer of Soul Curriculum Guide (for grades 7-12) provides an engaging introduction to major events in Black history. This critically-acclaimed film won the 2022 Best Documentary Oscar.

Summer of Soul movie poster

2. The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

Based on the inspirational true story of William Kamkwamba. Against all the odds, a thirteen-year-old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine. We offer a Curriculum Guide and a Discussion Guide for The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (for grades 7 to 12) that’s sure to inspire students about engineering, STEM careers, and high achievement. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s feature film directing debut won multiple awards including the Sundance Film Festival Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.

Image with wheat stalks and text overlay that reads: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Upper right: gold circle with number 2 in it.

1. Hidden Figures

Based on the triumphant true story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson, three Black women mathematicians who worked in the 1960s NASA space program. Our Hidden Figures Curriculum Guide (for grades 7 to 12) explores the civil rights movement, the Cold War, and the space race. It’s a powerful tool to address gender equity in STEM fields while teaching across subjects. This hit Disney movie was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Cloud background. Text reads: Hidden Figures. Gold circle with a black 1 inside.

 

Around the Web: Educational Resources

Our educational resources and content are often shared by other premium educational organizations like Share My Lesson, Edutopia, Video Librarian and others. On these sites, and others, you’ll find free lesson plans, articles of relevance for educators, film reviews and filmmaker interviews and much more. Here are just a few examples of where you’ll find Journeys in Film around the web!


Share My Lesson

This free, award-winning community-based site brings together educators, parents and caregivers, paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, union and nonunion members, educational partners, and higher education professionals who have the common goal of finding and sharing the best educational resources available.
Summer of Soul: 1969, A Unique Year was the #1 Partner Content in 2022!
➡ Check out our lesson on Teaching the Math of Space Travel with Disney’s Hidden Figures.
➡ Read our latest article on Teaching About Misinformation & Freedom of the Press!
➡ Webinars and additional resources available through Share My Lesson: Journeys in Film Share My Lesson Partner Page.

 

Edutopia

This site features free articles and information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education.
➡ Environmental Education: Teaching Climate Change in Social Studies
3 Great Films for Teaching About Globalization and Modernization
➡ All articles at Edutopia by Executive Director Jen Fisher and Curriculum Development Consultant Eileen Mattingly.

Video Librarian

This trusted resource for librarians and faculty supports individuals seeking to develop film collections for their campuses, institutions, and communities for over 30 years. Our resources at Video Librarian include articles, interviews, recommendations/film lists, and film reviews.
➡ Article: Educational Film Distribution: What Librarians and Teachers Need to Know
➡ Interview: Interview with Crip Camp Documentary Filmmaker Jim LeBrecht
➡ Recommendations: Bringing Books and Films Together to Inspire and Engage Students
All articles at Video Librarian by our Executive Director Jen Fischer.

Multicultural Kid Blogs

➡  Global Learning through Film
➡  More Multicultural Kids Resources

Religion Matters

➡  Exploring World Religions Through Art: Hands-on Activities for Students of All Ages
➡  Teaching Religious Literacy with Films

iCivics

➡  Bringing Civics to Life for Students Through Film

We’d love to hear from you about your favorite educational resource sites: What are your go-to sites for educational resources? What additional educational sites would you like to see us on? How can we support your teaching initiatives? Get in touch and let us know!

 

Journeys in Film After-School Film Club Launches in Florida

Journeys in Film’s amplification of the power of storytelling through film and media content expands as our first After-School Film Club launches in Florida this September. Programming for the film club centers around youth action and social justice. As such, we curated a diverse slate of short films. These films highlight the work of young people all over the world. Furthermore, we are offering support for the student-led group with guiding questions for thoughtful discussions. The club’s goal is to empower, inspire and engage students in their journey toward youth leadership. 

Promotional flyer image for film club featuring the Journeys in Film logo and a movie style sign with text: Watch movies, make a difference, come join the inside the sign and then the after school film club text below

The club reflects Journeys in Film’s mission to educate the next generation to be globally competent and socially active. Additionally, it underscores the power of film to broaden perspectives and encourage empathy and action.

We hope this pilot program will be the first of many, empowering students to develop media literacy and create meaningful discussions around issues important to participants.  So, if you want us to consult with you or develop a program for your community group or after-school club, reach out, we are here for you!  Email: je******@************lm.org directly to learn more.

In sum, this initiative reflects our understanding that education happens everywhere. Learning communities, film clubs, book clubs, library discussion groups and homeschooling cooperatives provide powerful and important opportunities for discovery and growth. This is why we create discussion guides, in addition to our standards-based curriculum guides, which you can find our resource library. These discussion materials are designed with a wide array of communities in mind. 

Discussion Guides for Learning Communities

Discussion guides are available for the following films. Click on the title of the film to be directed to the film’s resource page and add the discussion guide to your cart. All guides are free and simply require a Journeys in Film account. We’ve also noted where the film is available to stream or rent for your convenience (streaming links take you to the services landing page). 

America Inside Out/National Geographic’s The Race Issue (streaming on Disney Plus)

The Boy Who Harness the Wind (streaming on Netflix)

Bridge of Spies (streaming on Fubo or AMC+, available to rent via most services)

Crip Camp (streaming on Netflix. It is also available on Youtube, with closed captions optional and open captions and audio description)

JANE (streaming on Disney Plus, available to rent via most services)

From the Ashes (click here for watch options)

LA92 (available to rent via most services)

Genius (streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu, available to rent via most services)

Gender Revolution (streaming on Disney Plus and Fubo)

He Named Me Malala  (available to rent through most services)

Hidden Figures (streaming on Disney Plus and for rent through most services)

Know How (streaming through Kanopy, available to rent through AppleTV)

Navalny (available for institutions through Good Docs, for home viewing via CNN Films/Amazon Prime)

Out of the Dark  (streaming through Tubi, Peacock and others, rent through various services)

Queen of Katwe  (streaming on Disney Plus, available to rent through most services)

Story of God with Morgan Freeman (streaming on Fubo, available to rent from AppleTV and Amazon)

Story of Us with Morgan Freeman (available to rent from AppleTV and Amazon)

Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality  (a community learning guide is available with actionable items regarding affordable housing; the film is available On Demand Through Vimeo)

Youth v Gov (available for institutions through Good Docs, for home viewing on Netflix)

 

Written by Jennifer Fischer

Summer of Soul – Now an Oscar Winner

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.

 

Collage image with movie posters for: Whale Rider, Hidden Figures, The Post, Children of Heaven, Bridge of Spies, Schindler's List and Summer of Soul.

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.

Film poster for Crip Camp featuring an image from the film and laurels

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

Translate »