Cultural Products as Historical Narrative is the second of three sessions in the Stories That Connect: Using Film and Primary Sources to Build Belonging professional development webinar series. View all sessions. 

This webinar includes a live musical performance! 

Date: September 22, 2026  4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time/7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Online (Zoom link will be sent to participants once they register)

Subjects: Art, Art History, English Language Arts, History, Music, Social Studies

Great For: Professional Learning, Teaching with Primary Sources, Oral History

Themes/Focus Areas: Active Listening Handouts, Civil Rights, Fashion as History, Music as History, Protest Art and Songs, Transcontinental Railroad, U.S. History, World War II

Grade Level: Grades 4-12, Professional Development

REGISTER HERE!

This webinar series is funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.

About This Webinar

This webinar will focus on the power and importance of Cultural Products and what they offer to compliment historical narratives and primary source learning with emphasis on:

• My Music with Rhiannon Giddens, which brings US history alive to explore the development of the Transcontinental Railroad during western expansion in the United States.
• The Bomber Boys: Flight Jacket Art, forthcoming materials that use this beautiful photographic history book highlighting various individuals served in World War II. This resource brings to life bomber jackets, oral history, and letters as important cultural products for historical learning.
• Rebel Hearts, which brings to life the power of art as a form of political protest and engagement
• Summer of Soul, highlighting the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 with opportunities for education regarding the civil rights movement, Black History, and more.

Mazz Swift and the Silkroad Project

We are pleased to announce that violinist Mazz Swift will be joining this free teacher webinar. During the webinar, Swift will be performing LIVE! She will also discuss her work as a creative artist engaging with historical songs.

Mazz Swift was featured in Episode Three of My Music with Rhiannon Giddens Season Two. Our learning materials for this episode focus on:

• Neurodiversity and Learning Styles
• Creative and Artistic Community
• Creative and Artistic Growth
• Improvisation in Music
• History of the American Transcontinental Railroad and Black Americans
• History through Music
• Music Lessons

Learn more about Mazz Swift in this Silkroad Ensemble artist profile: Spotlight: Mazz Swift.

This learning guide contains background context about the Transcontinental Railroad, a Pre-viewing Activity, and Active Viewing Recommendations.

Additionally, it also includes glossaries / lists of useful terms, discussion questions, related resources, and extended learning activates. The extended learning activities can include our supplementary Music Listening Handout and Song Analysis Handout.

Episode running time: 25 minutes
Subjects: History, Music, Music History, Social Studies, U.S. History
Lesson Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

We hope you’ll join us at this upcoming free teacher webinar!

REGISTER HERE!

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About the American Railroad Instructional Materials 

The American Railroad Instructional Guide brings accurate historical information regarding the development of the Transcontinental Railroad. The guide address the impact of the railroad’s progress on individuals and groups vital to the success of this national endeavor. The lessons also present realistic experiences, many of which have been overlooked and misrepresented.

The American Railroad Unit is standard-based, with an emphasis on ELA and Social Science for middle school students. The Enduring Understanding – Students understand that progress has varying impacts on the people and cultures it touches – is the foundation that unifies each lesson. Each lesson, then, is designed to be integral to the unit outcome and relies upon the previous lesson(s), ensuring clarity of the day’s learning and the instructional journey.

Each lesson relies on key reading, critical thinking, processing, collaboration, communication, creativity, and reflection. Every lesson contains a student handout and a teacher key.

The American Railroad Student Guide features printable student handouts for all 11 lessons. Each lesson includes a Share Out, a Daily Learning Target, a detailed Reading Process, and Discussion Questions. They also include related primary sources, terms to know, worksheets and activities.

About The Bomber Boys: Flight Jacket Art

Our forthcoming teaching materials for this beautiful book offer a new way to engage students as they learn about World War II. Materials emphasize the A-2 Jacket as a Historical Document, handouts regarding material culture, object analysis as well as learning materials regarding folk art, symbology, oral history and more.

We will preview these materials in the webinar. Don’t miss out when they become available. Sign up for our newsletter!

About Rebel Hearts

Rebel Hearts tells the remarkable story of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In 1960s Los Angeles, they bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church, fighting for equality, their livelihoods, and their own freedom against an all-powerful Cardinal who sought to keep them in their place.

Our Curriculum Guide for this film features three lesson plans:

• Lesson One: The Context of Change
• Lesson Two: Change Comes to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters
• Lesson Three: The Power of Corita Kent’s (Sister Mary Corita’s) Calligraphic Art

In the webinar, we will focus on Corita Kent’s art to inspire learners.

About Summer of Soul

In Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary — part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of 6 weeks in the summer of 1969, just 100 miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten–until now. Summer of Soul shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being.

Our Curriculum Guide for this film features six lessons, including our very popular lesson that allows students to create their own music festival!

This film is a strong example of music as a powerful primary source.

If you haven’t registered for this free teaching webinar, you can do so now! REGISTER HERE!

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 is GLSEN 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.

January 24 is International Education Day. Celebrate with films about educators + education: He Named Me Malala, Like Stars on Earth, Please Vote for Me, Queen of Katwe and The Neighborhood Storyteller.

January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Educate your students about the Holocaust with these resources, including our guides for Big Sonia, Defiant Requiem, and Schindler’s List; the cultural preservation lesson in The Music of Strangers, and our standalone lesson on Antisemitism Today (available from Share My Lesson and from our Schindler’s List page.) Learn more in our article on Holocaust Education: 7 Essential Teaching Tools.

More January Teaching Ideas

January 5 is National Bird Day. Discover the fauna of the Amazon with River of Gold

January 6 is National Technology Day. Celebrate with two of our favorite STEM-themed films: Hidden Figures and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.

January 16 is National Religious Freedom Day. Explore films from our religions literacy collection spanning religions from across the globe including: The Story of God, Big Sonia, Children of Heaven, Defiant Requiem, Like Stars on Earth, Rebel Hearts, Schindler’s List, The Cup, The Dhamma Brothers, The Way Home, Wadjda and Whale Rider. 

 We also recommend this article from Religion Matters: Exploring World Religions Through Art: Hands-on Activities for Students of All Ages.

January 19 is National Popcorn Day, a great day to bring film into your classroom!

January 22-26, 2024 is National Gun Violence Survivors Week. Hold productive conversations about gun violence with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down + our Facilitation Guidelines for Group Discussions.

January 24 is World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture. Celebrate with global films about Black Excellence, like Chevalier, Queen of Katwe, Summer of Soul, and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. Our Black History Lesson collection also includes lesson on US Black History and Global Black History.

Jan 26 is International Day of Clean Energy. Check out the section on Energy Alternatives in our From the Ashes Discussion Guide. Pair it with Youth v Gov!

January 29 is Canadian National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia. We have five films to help you teach about Islam and counter Islamophobia.

January 31 is National Inspire Your Heart With Art Day. Many of our teaching guides include hands-on art activities to inspire and engage your students. Some of our favorites include Please Vote For Me: Chinese Papercuts, Rebel Hearts: Corita Kent’s Pop Art, The Cup: The Art of the Mandala,  The Love Bugs: Make a Bug Kite (great for grades 3-5!), and The Way Home: Korean Fighter Shield Kites.

 

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 is GLSEN 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.

January 24 is International Education Day. Celebrate with films about educators + education: He Named Me Malala, Like Stars on Earth, Please Vote for Me, Queen of Katwe and The Neighborhood Storyteller.

January 27 is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Educate your students about the Holocaust with these resources, including our guides for Big Sonia, Defiant Requiem, and Schindler’s List; the cultural preservation lesson in The Music of Strangers, and our standalone lesson on Antisemitism Today (available from Share My Lesson and from our Schindler’s List page.) Learn more in our article on Holocaust Education: 7 Essential Teaching Tools.

More January Teaching Ideas 

January 5 is National Bird Day. Discover the fauna of the Amazon with River of Gold

January 6 is National Technology Day. Celebrate with two of our favorite STEM-themed films: Hidden Figures and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind.

January 16 is National Religious Freedom Day. Explore films from our religions literacy collection spanning religions from across the globe including: The Story of God, Big Sonia, Children of Heaven, Defiant Requiem, Like Stars on Earth, Rebel Hearts, Schindler’s List, The Cup, The Dhamma Brothers, The Way Home, Wadjda and Whale Rider. 

 We also recommend this article from Religion Matters: Exploring World Religions Through Art: Hands-on Activities for Students of All Ages.

January 19 is National Popcorn Day, a great day to bring film into your classroom!

January 22-26, 2024 is National Gun Violence Survivors Week. Hold productive conversations about gun violence with Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down + our Facilitation Guidelines for Group Discussions.

January 24 is World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture. Celebrate with global films about Black Excellence, like Chevalier, Queen of Katwe, Summer of Soul, and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind. Our Black History Lesson collection also includes lesson on US Black History and Global Black History.

Jan 26 is International Day of Clean Energy. Check out the section on Energy Alternatives in our From the Ashes Discussion Guide. Pair it with Youth v Gov!

January 29 is Canadian National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia. We have five films to help you teach about Islam and counter Islamophobia.

January 31 is National Inspire Your Heart With Art Day. Many of our teaching guides include hands-on art activities to inspire and engage your students. Some of our favorites include Please Vote For Me: Chinese Papercuts, Rebel Hearts: Corita Kent’s Pop Art, The Cup: The Art of the Mandala,  The Love Bugs: Make a Bug Kite (great for grades 3-5!), and The Way Home: Korean Fighter Shield Kites.

 

As a new year begins, we’re excited to share our newest film guides with you!

 

Our Latest Teaching Resources for Acclaimed Contemporary Films

To start a new year, we’re recapping our ten newest film guides. These acclaimed documentaries and hit feature films shed new light on history, current events, and the important figures and issues of our time. Our free teaching resources can help you put the rapidly-shifting news landscape into context for your students and lead productive discussions on sensitive and sometimes difficult topics.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

 

Share My Lesson, a project of the American Federation of Teachers, is a free award-winning, community based site featuring bringing together educators, parents, caregivers, educational resource creators, paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel. It is a vibrant community and rich site of resources including articles, lesson plans, webinars and much more.

Several Journeys in Film lessons and webinars are available on the Share My Lesson website. This year, Lesson 3: 1969, A Unique Year from our Summer of Soul curriculum guide was selected as the #1 partner resource of the year. You can check it out here: https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/summer-soul-1969-unique-year-401164.

You can check out all of the fabulous Journeys resources on the Share My Lesson site, including free on-demand webinars for Share My Lesson and more: https://sharemylesson.com/partner/journeys-film.

Check out our full Summer of Soul curriculum guide as well: https://journeysinfilm.org/product/summer-of-soul/.

 

Written by Jennifer Fischer