Lesson Plans from Documentary Films

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Create Lesson Plans from
Documentaries & Non-Fiction Films

The suggested age range appears in brackets at the end of each entry. Topics relating to Social and Emotional Learning appear after the term "SEL". "Moral-Ethical Emphasis" is a reference to Character Counts' Six Pillars of Character.

Movie worksheets for documentaries are available to TWM subscribers through the following links:

Film Study Worksheet for a Documentary; and

Film Study for a Documentary that Seeks to Persuade on Issues of Political or Social Significance.

Social Studies/History

Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided (U.S./1812 - 1865; Biography; SEL: Families in Crisis; Marriage; Grieving; Leadership; Father/Daughter; Mother/Son; Romantic Relationships; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect, Responsibility, Fairness) [10+]

Eleanor Roosevelt (Biography; U.S./1865 - 1991; Politics; SEL: Leadership; Female Role Model; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring, Citizenship) [10+]

Anne Frank Remembered-- Four Films About Anne Frank (World/WW II & Holland; Biography; SEL: Coming of Age; Families in Crisis; Human Rights; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect; Responsibility; Citizenship) [12+]

Baseball: Innings 1 - 9. Our Game: The 1840s - 1900 (Sports; U.S. History & Culture; SEL: Sportsmanship; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Fairness)[10+]

The Civil War (U.S./1860 - 1865; SEL: Courage in War; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Trustworthiness) [12+]

A Force More Powerful -- Short Subject (World/India, Poland, Denmark, Chile, South Africa; 1800s - the Present; U.S./1945 - the Present; Civil Rights Movement, Tennessee; SEL: Peace/Peacemakers; Moral-Ethical: --- Citizenship) [12+; Six sections, each between 20 and 30 minutes in length]

The Birth of the Constitution -- Short Subject -- from the series "This is America Charlie Brown" (Trustworthiness; Citizenship; Subjects: U.S./Creating the Nation) [9 - 12; 24 minutes]

The Great Inventors -- Short Subject -- from the series "This is America Charlie Brown" (U.S./1865 - 1913) [8 - 11; 24 minutes]

The Mayflower Voyagers -- Short Subject -- from the series "This is America Charlie Brown" (Subjects: U.S./1629 - 1750) [7 - 11; 24 minutes]

The Smithsonian and the Presidency -- Short Subject -- from the series "This is America Charlie Brown" (Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Trustworthiness; Subjects: U.S./Creating the Nation, 1860 - 1865; and 1929 - 1941) [7 - 11; 25 minutes]

The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad -- Short Subject U.S./1865 - 1913 [8 - 11; 24 minutes]

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives (U.S./1812 - 1865; 1865 - 1913; and African Americans & the Civil Rights Movement; Literature/U.S. (Narrative Writing); SEL: Human Rights; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect; Fairness) [10+]

The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk-- Short Subject -- from the series "This is America Charlie Brown" (SEL Ambition, Brothers; Subject Matter: U.S./1865 - 1913; Aviation)) [8 - 11; 24 minutes]

Health

A Lesson Plan for Health Classes based on "Super Size Me" (U.S./1991 - present; Medicine; SEL: Taking Care of Yourself; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [11+]

Mathematics

Donald in Mathmagic Land -- Short Subject (Mathematics; World/Greece; Music) [7+; 27 minutes]

Powers of Ten (Math anbd Science & Technology) [12+: Middle and High School Levels; Film Clip: 9 minutes; Lesson: not applicable – the film clips and supplemental materials presented in this Snippet Lesson Plan are designed to supplement teachers' existing lesson plans on the topics covered.]

The Sciences

March of the Penguins (Science; the Environment; World/Antarctica; SEL: Caring for Animals) [10+]

Partners of the Heart (Medicine; U.S./1917 - 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland; SEL: Teamwork, Education, Friendship; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [10+]

Snippet Lesson Plans Using Cosmic Voyage

Interstellar and Intergalactic Distances (Science & Technology — Interstellar & Intergalactic Distances) [10+; Middle & High School; film clip: either two minutes and 17 seconds or 12 minutes; Lesson: One 50 minute class period]

Winged Migration (Science; the Environment; SEL: Caring for Animals) [12+]

Snippet Lesson Plans Using Planet Earth

The Arctic and Antarctica [10+; film clip: 40 minutes, 30 seconds; Lesson: One and one-half 45 - 55 minute class periods]

Caves and Extremophiles [10+; film clip: 16 minutes, 15 seconds; lesson: 40 minutes]

Deep Ocean Dwellers [10+; film clip: 26 minutes; Lesson: One 45 to 55 minute class period]

Snippet Lesson Plans Using Microsmos

Surface Tension (Science/Chemistry; molecules; surface tension) [ 10+; Middle School and High School; Film Clips: 2 minutes (in three segments); Lesson: The clips and related discussion will add about fifteen minutes to existing lesson plans.]

Complex and Cooperative Ant Behaviors (Science-Biology) [5+; grades K - 12; film clip: 4 minutes; lesson: 30 minutes]

Symbiosis and Predation in the World of Insects [5+; grades K - 12; film clip: 25 minutes; lesson: one class period]

Set-Up-the-Sub Lesson Plan for Symbiosis and Predation in the World of Insects [5+; grades K - 12; film clip: 25 minutes; lesson: one class period]

Mosquito Emerging from Pupal Sack (Science-Biology) [10+; film clip: 4 minutes; lesson: 25 minutes]

Music

The Bolero -- Short Subject (Music (classical); SEL: Talent; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: None) [9+; 26 minutes]

The Music and Heroes of America -- Short Subject -- from the series "This is America Charlie Brown" (U.S./1865 - 1913; Music) [8 - 11; 25 minutes]

Other Arts

Dancemaker (Biography/Taylor; Dance; SEL: Talent; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [12+]

Looking For Richard (Drama/England; World/England; SEL: Brothers; Ambition; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: General) [12+]

Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh (Biography; World/France; Visual Arts; SEL: Talent; Brothers, Mental Illness; Suicide; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [12+]

Other

Born Free (World/Africa; the Environment; SEL: Caring for Animals; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect; Caring) [10+]

The Witness (U.S./1991 - present & New York; SEL: Caring for Animals; Breaking Out; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect; Caring) [13+]

The suggested age range appears in brackets at the end of each entry. Topics relating to Social and Emotional Learning appear after the term "SEL". "Moral-Ethical Emphasis" is a reference to Character Counts' Six Pillars of Character.

TWM provides Lesson Plans and Learning Guides based on feature films & movies,
full length and snippets (video clips), for classes in English, Social Studies, Health, Science and the Arts.

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Lesson Plans Based on Movies & Film!

Create Lesson Plans fromDocumentaries & Non-Fiction Films