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Five Films About Amazing Women

These five award-winning documentary and feature films highlight the stories of exceptional women and their impressive accomplishments in STEM, religion, the arts, and human rights advocacy. Our free discussion guides and curriculum guides for these films can deepen engagement with the themes of gender, equality and human rights for all students. These positive representations of women can also expand students’ ideas about what leadership and excellence look like and inspire them in their own ambitions.

Jane

Documentary film Jane follows the life and career of Dr. Jane Goodall. Jane’s work with chimpanzees allowed a new understanding of what it means to be human and at the same time proved that women could be successful as scientists in a world previously dominated by men. Our free discussion guide includes a section on Women in the Biological Sciences Today. This film is a great way to get students of all genders excited about gender equity and STEM careers. For grades 4-12.

He Named Me Malala

He Named Me Malala charts the rise of Malala Yousafzai as an international advocate for girls’ education to become the youngest ever Nobel Prize winner at 17. Our curriculum guide for this documentary includes lessons on Working for Change (Social Studies/Community Service); Global Violence Against Women and Girls (Social Studies/Sociology); and Women’s Education, Health, and Economic Development (Social Studies/Health/Economics). Our discussion guide also explores the global status of girls’ secondary education and why education is so critical. In addition to introducing Malala’s incredible story, this film will inspire students about the power and importance of education for all. For grades 7-12.

Hidden Figures

The hit Disney film Hidden Figures is based on the real-life story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three Black women who overcame adversity to make historic contributions in the 1960s NASA space program. Our curriculum guide includes a career readiness lesson on Women of Science. Our discussion guide includes questions for students to consider about the lived experiences of the title characters as well as an exploration of STEM careers. These materials are our most popular downloads because students and teachers love this film! For grades 7-12.

The Neighborhood Storyteller

In compelling documentary The Neighborhood Storyteller, a Syrian refugee mother in Jordan’s Zaatari camp empowers young girls through transformative reading circles, igniting hope and change. Asmaa Rashed’s read-aloud project uses literature as a catalyst to expand the teenage girl participants’ horizons, nurture self-worth, and inspire them to envision a future filled with opportunities. Our discussion guide deepens engagement with Asmaa’s story and includes a section on Grassroots Work, Life Skills, and Future Vision. This must-watch film inspires students of all genders about the power of finding their own voice and the potential to change the world they live in. For grades 9-12.

Rebel Hearts

Rebel Hearts chronicles the radical activism of The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church in the 1960s, fighting for equality, their livelihoods, and their own freedom. Their bold acts of faith, defiance and activism turned the Church upside down, helping to reshape our society in ways that continue to resonate more than fifty years later. Our curriculum guide explores the sisters journey and also introduces the protest art activism of Sister Mary Corita aka Corita Kent with a hands-on art lesson. This film will fire up students with confidence to face down adversaries and obstacles of all sizes. For grades 9-12.

Collage of film posters for The Neighborhood Storyteller, Jane, Rebel Hearts, Hidden Figures, and He Named Me Malala. Text says: "5 Films About Amazing Women To Teach Today".
 

 

 

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom

The global plight of migrants, refugees and displaced persons is a growing and urgent contemporary issue that teachers increasingly seek to address in their classrooms. Our teaching materials are designed to support students to practice compassion and humility and make meaningful attempts to understand why refugees flee their homes, what their lives are like, and how everyday people can get involved to help. We warmly recommend the following film guides with lessons across the curriculum to provide a personal perspective on refugees’ experiences to engage and inspire your students.

 

He Named Me Malala

The poster for He Named Me Malala appears over a hot pink background. The poster shows Malala as a young girl in a deep pink headscarf over an illustration of an open book whose pages turn into birds and fly away. White vertical text on the side says: "Celebrate Islam with Film."

He Named Me Malala follows events leading up to the Taliban’ attack on Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai for speaking out on girls’ education, followed by the aftermath, including her life as a displaced person.

We offer a He Named Me Malala Curriculum Guide and a He Named Me Malala Discussion Guide for grades 7-12

The Cup

The film poster for The Cup over a bright orange background, showing an adult Buddhist monk and a young boy monk standing under an umbrella. Text on the side says: "Teach about Migrants and Refugees with Film".

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. Our The Cup Curriculum Guide includes a social studies / current events lesson about refugees. For grades 4-12.

The Music of Strangers

The film poster for The Music of Strangers over a dark orange background, showing globe exploding with instrumens.. Text on the side says: "Teach about Migrants and Refugees with Film".The Music of Strangers
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble follows more than 50 artists as they explore the ways art can both preserve traditions and shape cultural evolution. Our Curriculum Guide for The Music of Strangers includes a lesson about The Ongoing Syrian Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis. For Grades 7-12 + Higher Education. This film and lesson pair well with The Neighborhood Storyteller (below).

The Neighborhood Storyteller

The film poster for The Neighborhood Storyteller appears over a bright green background. The poster shows Asmaa Rashed, a young Syrian woman, in khaki hijab, looking off camera with a serious expression. Vertical white text along the side says: "Celebrate Islam with Film."
In The Neigbhorhood Storyteller, a young Syrian woman in a refugee camp in Jordan embarks on a read-aloud project to raise a new generation of successful young women.
Our The Neighborhood Storyteller Teaching Guide also features connections to Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out by Muzoon Almellehan with Wendy Pearlman, for educators interested in doing a film-book pairing for grades 5-12.

Collage of film posters over colorful backgrounds for The Cup, The Neighborhood Storyteller, The Music of Strangers, and He Named Me Malala.

 

 

Teach about Islam with Film

Celebrate Islam with film all year round with these global education films that center Muslim stories plus our free teaching guides.

Children of Heaven

The film poster for Children of Heaven appears over an orange background. Th poser shows silhouettes of a boy and girl under a blue sky full of goldfish. Vertical white text says "Celebrate Islam with Film."

Children of Heaven follows an Iranian brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. The film showcases both modern and tradition Tehran and portrays a loving family trying to do their best.

Our free Children of Heaven Curriculum Guide for grades 4-12 includes an introduction to the Islamic Republic of Iran

He Named Me Malala

The poster for He Named Me Malala appears over a hot pink background. The poster shows Malala as a young girl in a deep pink headscarf over an illustration of an open book whose pages turn into birds and fly away. White vertical text on the side says: "Celebrate Islam with Film."

He Named Me Malala follows events leading up to the Taliban’ attack on Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai for speaking out on girls’ education, followed by the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.

Our free He Named Me Malala Curriculum Guide for grades 7-12 includes a lesson about examining Malala’s iconic Nobel Peace Prize address.

The Neighborhood Storyteller

The film poster for The Neighborhood Storyteller appears over a bright green background. The poster shows Asmaa Rashed, a young Syrian woman, in khaki hijab, looking off camera with a serious expression. Vertical white text along the side says: "Celebrate Islam with Film."The Neigbhorhood Storyteller, a young Syrian woman in a refugee camp in Jordan embarks on a read-aloud project to raise a new generation of successful young women.

Our The Neighborhood Storyteller Teaching Guide features connections to Muzoon: A Syrian Refugee Speaks Out by Muzoon Almellehan with Wendy Pearlman, for educators interested in doing a film-book pairing for grades 5-12.

Wadjda

The film poster for Wadjda appears over a deep purple background. The poster shows a young Saudi girl, bare-headed, tying the purple shoelaces o her hightop sneaker. White vertical text along the side says: "Celebrate Islam with Film".In Wadjda, a young Saudi girl signs up for her school’s Quran recitation competition as a way to raise the funds she needs in order to buy the bicycle of her dreams.

Our free Wadjda Curriculum Guide for grades 6-12 features a lesson with an introduction to the Quran.

The Story of God

The film poster for The Story of God with Morgan Freeman appears over a yellow background. The posters shows Morgan Freeman seated in a relaxed pose in front of a wall covered in religious symbols. Black vertical text along the side says: "Celebrate Islam with Film."National Geographic’s docuseries The Story of God with Morgan Freeman sheds a brilliant light on the remarkable and unmistakable similarities among different faiths.

The section on Islam in our free The Story of God Curriculum Guide for or grades 4-12 includes an introduction to Muslim beliefs and practices, highlights arts of the Islamic world, explores Islamic empires, and examines Islam’s rich contributions to science.

 

Related Resources

Collage of film posters over colorful backgrounds for The Neighborhood Storyteller, Children of Heaven, He Named Me Malala, and Wadjda. On the left side, vertical text says: "Celebrate Islam with Film." The Journeys in Film logo is a the bottom.

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