DOCUMENTARIES AND NON-FICTION

CREATE LESSON PLANS FROM DOCUMENTARIES & NON-FICTION FILMS

The suggested age range appears in brackets at the end of each entry.

“Moral-Ethical Emphasis” is a reference to Character Counts’ Six Pillars of Character.

Topics relating to Social and Emotional Learning appear after the term “SEL”.

Movie worksheets for documentaries are available through the following links:

- - - Film Study Worksheet for a Documentary that Seeks to Educate and Inform the Viewer ; and
    - Film Study for a Documentary that Seeks to Persuade the Viewer on Issues of Political or Social Significance.

Social Studies/History

TWM Lesson Plans

The Paw Patrol

Citizen Participation in the 21st Century Using The Paw Project (U.S./Politics & California; SEL: Caring for Animals; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship) [13+]

A Unit on National Security Whistleblowers featuring a choice of three films: War on Whistleblowers, Silenced, and The Most Dangerous Man in America (U.S. 1945 – Current & the Press; the Law; Civics; SEL: Courage; Moral-Ethical Responsibility; Citizenship) [13+]

TWM Learning Guides

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 – Four Films About Anne Frank

(World/WWII & Holland; Biography; SEL: Coming of Age; Families in Crisis; Human Rights; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect; Responsibility; Citizenship) [12+]

Baseball: Innings 1 – 9

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]

This is America Charlie Brown: The Birth of the Constitution

Short Subject

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; Subjects: U.S./Creating the Nation) [9 – 12; 24 minutes]

Cowspiracy

(The Environmentment; SEL: Surviving; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [13+]

This is America Charlie Brown: The Great Inventors

Short Subject

(U.S./1865 – 1913) [8 – 11; 24 minutes]

This is America Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers

Short Subject

(Subjects: U.S./1629 – 1750) [7 – 11; 24 minutes]

This is America Charlie Brown: The Smithsonian and the Presidency

Short Subject

(Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Trustworthiness; Subjects: U.S./Creating the Nation, 1860 – 1865; and 1929 – 1941) [7 – 11; 25 minutes]

This is America Charlie Brown: The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad

Short Subject

U.S./1865 – 1913 [8 – 11; 24 minutes]

Torn-from-the-Flag

(World: Hungary, Cold War; Documentary; SEL: Courage in War; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [12+]

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+]

Underwater Dreams

(Science-Technology; U.S. 1991 – Current, Hispanic & Arizona; SEL: Education; Breaking Out; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [12+]

This is America Charlie Brown: The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk

Short Subject

(SEL Ambition, Brothers; Subject Matter: U.S./1865 – 1913; Aviation)) [8 – 11; 24 minutes]

Health

Forks Over Knives

(Health; Medicine; SEL: Taking Care of Yourself; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [12+]

Super Size Me

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 and 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]

Powers of Ten

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.]