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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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.
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 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.
Celebrate Families with Film
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.
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.
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.
4 Films To Inspire A Love of Learning
In honor of School Library Month in April and School Library Week April 7 to 13) we’re highlighting some of our favorite films that inspire a love of learning while they celebrate the critical importance of mentors and educators. These four films from our Global Education Series also encourage cross-cultural understanding, empathy, and knowledge of the people and environments around the world. They are great choices to fire up students and teachers alike, this month and all year long.
Like Stars on Earth
Acclaimed family film Like Stars on Earth (original title: Taare Zameen Par) explores the life and imagination of an artistically-gifted boy who struggles with dyslexia until his new art teacher helps him to thrive. It’s a heartwarming story about how a teacher can transform the life of a student and what students can achieve when they receive the support they need. We offer a Like Stars on Earth Curriculum Guide with nine classroom-ready lessons across ten subjects. For grades 4-12.
He Named Me Malala
Acclaimed documentary He Named Me Malala charts the journey of Malala Yousafzai as an 11-year-old blogger detailing her experiences in the Swat Valley of Pakistan for the BBC, the assassination attempt against her at 15, and her determined rise as an education and human rights advocate. We offer a Curriculum Guide and a Discussion Guide for this film, that both explore Malala’s inspirational story and celebrate the importance of education. Many educators pair this film with Malala’s biography I Am Malala in English Language Arts and Social Studies classes. For grades 7-12.
The Neighborhood Storyteller
In award-winning documentary The Neigbhorhood Storyteller, a young Syrian mother in Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp empowers young girls through transformative reading circles, igniting hope and change. The film celebrates the importance of reading and sharing stories to find one’s voice. Our Discussion Guide explores the topics of Girls and Education, as well as Reading, Literacy and Storytelling. The Guide also features a Literary Connection with Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out by Muzoon Almellehan with Wendy Pearlman, and includes discussion questions about the connections between the book and the film. For grades 9-12 and higher education.
Queen of Katwe
Hit Disney Movie Queen of Katwe is based on the inspiring true story of Phiona Mutesi, a young girl selling corn on the streets of rural Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she meets Robert Katende who introduces her to the game of chess. With the support of her family, her community and Katende as her coach and mentor, she is determined to pursue her dream of becoming an international chess champion. Our free Discussion Guide helps students learn more about Phiona Mutesi and Robert Katende, and explores the power and potential of mentoring young people. The film is based on the book The Queen of Katwe: A Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl’s Rise from an African Slum by Tim Crothers, for a powerful film and book pairing. For grades 9-12.
