CREATE U.S. HISTORY LESSON PLANS FROM MOVIES AND FILM
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
Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided
U.S./1812 – 1865; Biography [10+]
Baseball: Inning 1
The 1840’s – 1900 Sports; U.S. History & Culture [10+]
The Civil War
U.S./1860 – 1865 [12+]
Free State of Jones
Rethinking the Southern Home Front in the Civil War
(U.S. 1860 – 1991, The African/American Experience and the Civil Rights Movement, and Mississippi; SEL: Rebellion; Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship) [14+]
Gone With the Wind
U.S./1860 – 1865 & Georgia [12+]
Harriet
(U.S. History 1812- 1865; African-American; Maryland; SEL: Human Rights; Female Role Model; Breaking Out; Courage; Disabilities; Moral/Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [13+]
The King and I
Drama/Musicals; World/Thailand; U.S./1860 – 1865; Dance/Performance [8+]
Lincoln
Lesson Plan: The End of American’s Nightmare Dance with Slavery
(U.S./1812 – 1865; Biography; SEL: Leadership; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship) [13+]
Little Women
U.S./1860 – 1865 & Massachusetts; Literature/U.S. [6+]
The Red Badge of Courage
U.S./1860 – 1865; Literature/U.S. [10+]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Smithsonian and the Presidency
U.S./Creating the Nation, 1860 – 1865; and 1929 – 1941 [7 – 11; 25 minutes]
Winslow Homer: An American Original
U.S./1861 – 1913; Visual Arts; Medicine-Psychiatry; Biography [8 – 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) [10+]
An American Tail
U.S./1865 – 1913; Diversity & New York; Religions/Judaism [7 – 10]
An American Tail
Talking and Playing for Growth
U.S./1865 – 1913; Diversity & New York; Religions/Judaism) [5 – 8]
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
U.S./1865 – 1991 & Diversity [10+]
Baseball: Inning 1
The 1840’s – 1900 Sports; U.S. History & Culture [10+]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
U.S./1865 – 1913 [8 – 11; 24 minutes]
The Color Purple
Literature/U.S. & Literary Devices: motif, theme, symbol, characterization; U.S./1865 – 1913, 1913 – 1929; & Diversity/African-American [15+]
Cross Creek
U.S./1865 – 1913 & Florida; Literature/U.S. [the events that inspired The Yearling]
Edison: The Wizard of Light Science
Technology; U.S./1865 – 1929; Cinema; Biography [8 – 13]
Eleanor Roosevelt
Biography; U.S./1865 – 1991; Politics [10+]
Free State of Jones
Rethinking the Southern Home Front in the Civil War
(U.S. 1860 – 1991, The African/American Experience and the Civil Rights Movement, and Mississippi; SEL: Rebellion; Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship) [14+]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Great Inventors
Science – Technology; U.S./1865 – 1929 [8 – 11; 24 minutes]
Hester Street
U.S./1865 – 1913; Diversity & New York [12+]
High Noon
American 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 on the Expository Phase ELA: Expository Phase
[12+; snippet: 15 minutes, 20 seconds; lesson: one to two class periods]
Life With Father
U.S./1865 – 1913 & New York [8+]
Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist
Visual Arts; World/France; U.S./1865 – 1913; Biography [8+]
The Miracle Worker
Biography/Keller; U.S./1865 – 1913 [10+]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Music and Heroes of America
Short Subject: Music
[8 – 11; 25 minutes]
The Music Man
Drama/Musicals; U.S./1865 – 1913; Dance/Performance [6+]
Oklahoma!
Drama/Musicals; U.S./1865-1913 & Oklahoma; Dance/Performance [12+]
Old Yeller
U.S./1865 – 1913 [7-12]
The Ox-Bow Incident
U.S./The Frontier and the West; 1865 – 1913; The Law; & Nevada [12+]
Roots Vol. VI
U.S./1865 – 1913 & Diversity [12+]
The Searchers
(U.S./1865 – 1913; ELA) [13+; Literary devices analyzed: expository phase, character development, theme.]
The Shootist
(U.S./1865 – 1913; Literature/Myths of the Western Genre; Literary Devices: theme & characterization; Cinema) [14+]
This is America Charlie Brown
The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk
Short Subject
U.S./1865 – 1913; Aviation [8 – 11; 24 minutes]
Show Boat
U.S./1865 – 1913 & Diversity; Cinema; Drama/Musicals; Dance/Performance [11+]
Winslow Homer: An American Original
U.S./1861 – 1913; Visual Arts; Medicine-Psychiatry; Biography [8 – 12]
All The King’s Men
U.S./1913 – 1941, Politics & Louisiana; Literature/U.S. [13+]
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
U.S./1865 – 1991 & Diversity [10+]
Boystown
U.S./1913 – 1929 & Nebraska; Religions/Christianity [10+]
The Color Purple
Literature/U.S. & Literary Devices: motif, theme, symbol, characterization; U.S./1865 – 1913, 1913 – 1929; & Diversity/African-American [15+]
Eleanor Roosevelt
Biography; U.S./1865 – 1991; Politics [10+]
The Glenn Miller Story
Biography; Music/Popular; U.S.: 1929 – 1941 – 1945 [12+]
The Great Gatsby
(U.S. 1913 – 1929 & New York; Literature; Literary Devices: symbol, imagery, motif, flashback, characterization; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [13+]
Inherit the Wind
Cinema; U.S./1913 – 1929, 1945 – 1991 & Tennessee [12+]
The Jazz Singer
Cinema; U.S./1913 – 1929, Diversity & New York; Music/Popular [12+]
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
(U.S./1929 – 1941 (the Great Depression) [6-12]
Knute Rockne — All American
Sports/Football; U.S./1913 – 1929; Biography [8+]
Matewan
U.S./1913 – 1929, Diversity & West Virginia; Religions/Christianity [12+]
My Family
(U.S. 1929 – 1991; Hispanic & California; World/Mexico; SEL: Families in Crisis; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [13+]
Partners of the Heart
Medicine; U.S./1917 – 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]
Something the Lord Made
Medicine; U.S./1917 – 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]
To Kill A Mockingbird
U.S./1929 – 1941, the Law & Diversity; Literature/U.S. [11+; Literary devices analyzed: symbol; flashback; irony; humor]
A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
U.S./1913 – 1929, Diversity & New York [9+]
Warm Springs
U.S./1913 – 1929 & Georgia; Biography [12+]
All The King’s Men
U.S./1913 – 1941, Politics & Louisiana; Literature/U.S. [13+]
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
U.S./1865 – 1991 & Diversity [10+]
Captains Courageous
U.S./1929 – 1941 & Massachusetts; Seafaring [8 – 12]
Damn Yankees
Drama/Musicals; Sports/Baseball; Dance/Performance; U.S./1945 – 1991 [10+]
Eleanor Roosevelt
Biography; U.S./1865 – 1991; Politics [10+]
The Glenn Miller Story
Biography; Music/Popular; U.S.: 1929 – 1941 – 1945[12+]
The Grapes of Wrath
U.S./1929 – 1941; Oklahoma & California; Literature/U.S.; [12+]
It’s a Wonderful Life
U.S./1913 – 1945 [10+]
Modern Times
Cinema; U.S./1929-1941 [8+]
My Family
(U.S. 1929 – 1991; Hispanic & California; World/Mexico; SEL: Families in Crisis; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [13+]
Partners of the Heart
Medicine; U.S./1917 – 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]
This is America Charlie Brown
Short Subject: The Smithsonian and the Presidency
U.S./Creating the Nation, 1860 – 1865; and 1929 – 1941 [7 – 11; 25 minutes]
Something the Lord Made
Medicine; U.S./1917 – 1991, Diversity, Tennessee & Maryland [10+]
Warm Springs
U.S./1913 – 1929 & Georgia; Biography [12+]
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.