Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Multimedia Presentation on Roll of Thunder Hear Me Cry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
What a wonderful way to follow up on the reading of, Roll of Thunder Hear Me Cry! The instructional activity has pupils split up into small groups of two to four students. Each group must work collaboratively to create a multimedia...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Lesson Plan: “Seeing the Way: A Brief History of Cataract Surgery”

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
After looking at the history of cataract surgery techniques, your high schoolers will have a new perspective on medical and scientific advances. Kids alternate between watching short video clips, class discussion, and computer research....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growing up in Las Vegas; Memories of Childhood in the Neon City

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the history of Las Vegas through conducting interviews.  In this oral history activity, students locate and speak with older residents of Las Vegas in order to gain a better understanding of the city....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fish Stories

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students conduct background research about a Pacific Rim country to develop a premise for a documentary film about the fate of traditional fishing industries in the area.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Watershed Documentary

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers conduct research and collect data about a local watershed area. They create an iMovie showing the human and natural impacts on the creek and watershed areas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

War Story Documentary

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers review research skills and determine an aspect of war to research. They research an aspect of a war experience and bring history to life through iMovie.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Documenting Child Labor in Nepal

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders, using Apple's iMovie, create a digital documentary to raise awareness about the existing child labor in Nepal.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Figure of Speech

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Examine the changing nature of language in the U.S. View and discuss excerpts from a PBS documentary with your class and then conduct Internet research, and complete a team project on the evolution of teen expressions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Youth Obesity: Schools Fight Back

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Explore nutrition and healthy eating habits with a study on youth obesity. Learners watch a PBS documentary on the obesity epidemic which discusses government programs aimed at healthier choices, as well as more localized efforts. Kids...
Lesson Plan
5
5
Curated OER

The Internet of Things: IoT

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
How has the Internet of Things affected our lives? Scholars examine the massive influence of mobile devices in this analysis lesson plan, which begins with a seven-minute documentary clip. They also read a New York Times article (linked)...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Historical Perspectives: Coming Home from War

For Teachers 7th - 12th
What do the homecoming experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan reveal about the politics and culture of the US during the time period of each war? Young historians view The Way We Get By, which tells...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Analyzing Photographs: From Theory to Practice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze photographic images and use cameras to document their own life.  For this analyzing photography lesson, students apply formal analysis techniques to images, then create a documentary of photographic images with...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Channel Islands Film

Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Imagine being part of a team of scientists that discover the oldest human remains in North America. Imagine being part of the crew that documents this discovery. Class members get a change to be part of such an exciting adventure in a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Photographs of Dorothea Lange

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students research social-documentary photography using Dorothea Lange’s documentary projects. In this photography analysis lesson, students analyze examples of photographs by Dorothea Lange and research one or more of Dorothea...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Picturing a Story: Photo Essay About a Community, Event, or Issue

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students research Dorothea Lange's documentary projects and create their own photo essay about a subject. In this photo essay lesson, students analyze examples of social-documentary photographs of Lange. Students define a social...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Choosing to Remember

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till and civil rights activist, believed that her son's murder was the last straw before public outrage over racial injustice spilled over into the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. A history...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Films About World War II

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders focus on how filmmakers have changed their view of the Second World War. They create portfolios or their own documentary to investigate the various screen interpretations of the wartime era and explain different points of...
Lesson Plan
Channel Islands Film

Magic Isle: Lesson Plan 1

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
What are the factors that limit growth and expansion? As part of their study of Catalina Island, class members view the West of the West's documentary Magic Isle and research William Wrigley and the Santa Catalina Island Company. After...
Lesson Plan
National Gallery of Canada

Being a Photojournalist

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Tell a story with images. Learners view several photojournalistic photos before agreeing on a message to convey with their own photo stories. In small groups, they take and select photos to include in their final project.
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Communities on the Threshold of Change

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Viewers of the short documentary Santa Cruz Del Islote consider how changes in climate and overfishing impact the life style of the 1,200 residents of a small island off the coast of Cartagena, Columbia.
Lesson Plan
Gobal Oneness Project

Building a Community of Trust

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Barrio de Paz is the story of Nelsa Libertad Curbelo, a nun, who works with the gang youth of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The 17-minute documentary focuses on her explanations for the rise of gangs and for how gang culture reflects...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Issues

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine issues that affect Americans every day and create a documentary regarding a selected topic. In small groups they select an issue, conduct Internet research, and create an information sheet. Students write interview...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Las Vegas: We Are Just Like You

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers practice making multimedia documentary films by investigating cities of America.  In this U.S. geography lesson, students examine Las Vegas and compare the state of Nevada to 15 other states and discuss their main...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflecting On The Past, Looking Towaards The Future

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a instructional activity that is concerned with the formation of a multimedia presentation to create a documentary of a middle school. They take photographs with a digital camera and use computer software to create a...