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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.

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: Teach with Film

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: My Sweet Land

My Sweet Land Learning Guide cover which features My Sweet Land film poster in which an 11 year-old boy faces mountains in the distance. His back is to the camera. The film title is centered on the image and the sky part of the image is covered in film festival laurels.

My Sweet Land is the coming of age story set against a multigenerational war in the post-Soviet Caucasus Mountains. It follows an 11-year-old boy named Vrej. Growing up in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Vrej’s dreams are interrupted by ongoing conflict forcing his family to flee their home.

We offer a My Sweet Land Learning Guide for grades 8-12 & adult/higher ed. 

 

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: UnBroken

UnBroken film poster featuring 7 siblings, their backs to the camera, standing on railroad tracks. UnBroken presents the miraculous true story of the seven Weber siblings, ages 6-18, who evaded certain capture and death, and ultimately escaped Nazi Germany relying solely on their youthful bravado and the kindness of strangers, following their mother’s incarceration and murder at Auschwitz. The siblings ultimately immigrate to the United States and, decades later, Beth Lane, the daughter of one of the Weber siblings, embarks on a journey to uncover the details and share their story.

We offer an UnBroken Learning Guide for grades 6-12 & adult/higher ed. 

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: 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 & adult/higher ed.

 

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: 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 6-12 & adult/higher ed.

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble

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 & adult/higher ed.. This film and lesson pair well with The Neighborhood Storyteller (below).

 

Bring Refugee Stories To Your Classroom: 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 Outby Muzoon Almellehan with Wendy Pearlman, for educators interested in doing a film-book pairing for grades 5-12 & adult/higher ed.

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Grid image featuring film posters for The Neighborhood Storyteller, He Named Me Malala, The Cup, Music of Strangers, My Sweet Land, and UnBroken

 

 

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".
 

 

 

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