Table of Contents for U.S. History Learning Guides and Lesson Plans from Movies and Film
Full-Length Movies — Short Subjects — Movie Clips — Film Clips — Video Clips — Snippets
- 1629 – 1750: The Colonial Period
- 1750 – 1812: Creating the Nation
- The Frontier and the West
- 1812 – 1860: Manifest Destiny and Prelude to the Civil War
- 1860 – 1865: The Civil War
- 1865 – 1913: Reconstruction and the Beginning of the Age of Invention
- 1913 – 1929: WWI and the Roaring 20s
- 1929 – 1941: The Great Depression and the Clouds of War
- 1940 – 1945: WWII
- 1945 – 1991: The Cold War, Korea, and Vietnam; The Civil Rights Movement
- 1991 – present
1629 – 1750: The Colonial Period
The Crucible
U.S./1629 – 1750, 1945-1991 & Massachusetts; Drama/U.S. (Two versions, one in French with English Subtitles [12+]
This Is America Charlie Brown
The Mayflower Voyagers
Short Subject: U.S./1629 – 1750
[7 – 11; 24 minutes]
Roots Vol. I
U.S./1629 – 1750 & Diversity; World/Africa [12+]
Roots Vol. II
U.S./1629 – 1750 & Diversity [12+]
The Scarlet Letter
U.S./1629 – 1750 & Massachusetts; Religions/Christianity; Literature/U.S. [12+]
Multi-Media Supplement for Jonathan Edwards’ “SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD”
Snippet Lesson Plan
Using “Sinner Man” in Song and in Dance to Enliven the Study of the Sermon, Enhance its Meaning, Demonstrate the Metaphorical Nature of Artistic Expression, and Foster Appreciation for the Arts (U.S. 1629 – 1750; ELA — American Literature, Metaphor; Music; Dance) [15+; 3 minutes, played several times]
TWO CONTRASTING TRADITIONS RELATING TO RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA and a Tragic Irony of the American Revolution: the Sacrifice of Freedom for the African-American Slaves on the Altar of Representative Democracy
(U.S.: all time periods & Diversity/African-American and World: The Enlightenment and all time periods thereafter; SEL: Human Rights; Justice; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect)
1776
U.S./1750 – 1812 & Pennsylvania; Drama/Musicals [11+]
Ben and Me
Short Subject
Biography/Franklin; U. S./1750 – 1812 & Pennsylvania; Science-Technology
[8 & 9; 27 minutes]
Ben and Me
Talking and Playing for Growth
Short Subject (SEL: Friendship; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship [5 – 8; 27 minutes]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Birth of the Constitution
Short Subject
U.S./Creating the Nation; [9 – 12; 24 minutes]
The Crossing
U.S./1750 – 1812, New Jersey & Pennsylvania [12+]
Roots Vol. III
U.S./1750 – 1812 & Diversity [12+]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Smithsonian and the Presidency
Short Subject
U.S./Creating the Nation, 1860 – 1865; and 1929 – 1941 [7 – 11; 25 minutes]
TWO CONTRASTING TRADITIONS RELATING TO RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA and a Tragic Irony of the American Revolution: the Sacrifice of Freedom for the African-American Slaves on the Altar of Representative Democracy
(U.S.: all time periods & Diversity/African-American and World: The Enlightenment and all time periods thereafter; SEL: Human Rights; Justice; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect)
Barbary Coast
U.S./California [12+]
Fort Apache
U.S./The Frontier and the West & Arizona [8+] (Some Spanish spoken by the Native Americans)
High Noon
Amercian History and Civics Classes
(U.S./The Frontier & the West, 1865 – 1913 and 1945 – 1991 (the Red Scare); Cinema; SEL: Marriage; Leadership; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility; Citizenship) [11+]
High Noon
ELA Classes
(Literature/Myths of the Western genre; Literary devices: symbol; motif; foil; and expository phase; SEL: Marriage; Leadership; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility; Citizenship) [11+]
High Noon
Snippet Lesson Plan: Expository Phase ELA: Expository Phase
[12+; snippet: 15 minutes, 20 seconds; lesson: one to two class periods]
The Ox-Bow Incident
U.S./The Frontier and the West; 1865 – 1913; The Law; & Nevada [12+]
TWO CONTRASTING TRADITIONS RELATING TO RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA and a Tragic Irony of the American Revolution: the Sacrifice of Freedom for the African-American Slaves on the Altar of Representative Democracy
(U.S.: all time periods & Diversity/African-American and World: The Enlightenment and all time periods thereafter; SEL: Human Rights; Justice; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect)
12 Years a Slave
(U.S./1812 – 1865; Literature/U.S. (Slave Narrative); Biography; SEL: Human Rights; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect) [15+]
Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided
U.S./1812 – 1865; Biography [10+]
The Adventures of Huck Finn
U.S./1812 – 1860, Diversity & Missouri; Literature/U.S. [6+]
Amistad
U.S./1812 – 1860 & Diversity [14+]
Baseball: Inning 1
The 1840’s – 1900 Sports; U.S. History & Culture [10+]
Harriet
(U.S. History 1812- 1865; African-American; Maryland; SEL: Human Rights; Female Role Model; Breaking Out; Courage; Disabilities; Moral/Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [13+]
Hawaii
U.S./1812 – 1860 & Hawaii; Religions/Christianity [12+]
Lincoln
Lesson Plan: The End of America’s Nightmare Dance with Slavery
(U.S./1812 – 1865; Biography; SEL: Leadership; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship) [13+]
Moby Dick
Literature/U.S.; Seafaring; U.S./1812 – 1860 & Massachusetts [10+]
Roots Vol. IV
U.S./1812 – 1860 & Diversity [12+]
Roots Vol. V
U.S./1812 – 1860 & Diversity [12+]
TWO CONTRASTING TRADITIONS RELATING TO RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA and a Tragic Irony of the American Revolution: the Sacrifice of Freedom for the African-American Slaves on the Altar of Representative Democracy
(U.S.: all time periods & Diversity/African-American and World: The Enlightenment and all time periods thereafter; SEL: Human Rights; Justice; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect)
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) [10+]
Will the future of the United States be more like the years after 1858 or the years after 1968?
(U.S. History & Culture; SEL: Justice; Human Rights; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship) [15+]
For more U.S. History Lesson Plans from movies and film,
from the Civil War to the present day, click here.
TeachWithMovies.org Learning Guides are ideal lesson plan makers for teachers of U.S. history. Each Learning Guide contains sections on Helpful Background, Benefits of the Movie, Possible Problems, Discussion Questions, and Assignments. They are designed to allow you to quickly create great U.S. history lesson plans.
The film clips and short subjects used in Snippet Lesson Plans are less than 40 minutes in length and are ideal for classroom use.
Movies make the events they portray come alive. TeachWithMovies.org helps teachers and parents make U.S. history vivid and personal for children.