NCSS: Free Lesson Plans & Documentaries - Social Studies

NCSS: Free Lesson Plans & Documentaries

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FREE RESOURCES

Lesson Plans

Designed for educators, each film comes with a standards-aligned lesson plan that can be used with

free streaming clips or the full film. Visit pov/educators/ to browse our lesson plans by

Subject and Grade.

Discussion Guides

Each film has an accompanying discussion guide with background information on the issues, discussion

prompts, taking action steps, resources and more. Visit the film page on and click on ¡°Discussion

Guide¡± in the left-hand side-bar.

¡°Delve Deeper¡± Reading Lists

Each film also comes with a list of suggested books, to delve deeper into the issues. Visit the film page on

and click on ¡°Download Reading List¡± in the left-hand side-bar.

NCSS: Free Lesson Plans & Documentaries

Blogging, Civic Engagement and the DREAM Act

Don¡¯t Tell Anyone (No Le Digas a Nadie) by Mikaela Shwer | Grades: 9-12

Students will look at the DREAM Act in the context of immigration reform and reflect on blogging as civic

engagement. They¡¯ll engage in blogging and online conversations to express their opinions about how

the nation should approach immigration policy, then write reflections on whether or not blogging or

participating in online conversations is a valid form of civic engagement.

Building a New Foundation

Neuland by Anna Thommen | Grades: 9-12

Students will examine common perceptions of immigrants and refugees with the goal of debunking them

using the poignant stories and struggles of people who have left their homelands to resettle in new places.

Students will revisit perceptions after delving into the journeys, challenges, dreams and goals of those who

have left their countries to build better lives.

Dissent and Freedom of Speech: Using Biography to Compare China and the U.S.

Hooligan Sparrow by Nanfu Wang | Grades: 9-12

Students will establish what the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article 35 of the Chinese

Constitution say about freedom of speech and assembly. They¡¯ll then research and write biographies of

American activists that compare U.S. government treatment of those activists with treatment of the Chinese

activists by their country¡¯s government.

Educating Girls in Afghanistan: Potential, Power and Promise

What Tomorrow Brings by Beth Murphy | Grades: 6-8; 9-12

Students will look closely at the state of girls¡¯ education in Afghanistan to identify and reflect on the

myriad factors that impede girls¡¯ educational advancement and have impact on their role in society overall.

Students will also compare their educational experiences with those of Afghan girls.

Envisioning the Future, Starting Now

All the Difference by Tod Lending | Grades: 9-12

Students will use the real life experiences of the two young men featured in All the Difference to reflect on

their plans post-high school and to begin thinking about their futures, from college to careers. They will

explore tools and strategies to guide this preliminary planning for life beyond high school.

News Writing, Target Audience and the Syrian Conflict

Return to Homs by Talal Derki | Grades: 9-12

Students will assume the role of a foreign correspondent, reporting on events in Syria for particular target

audiences. By the end of the activity, they¡¯ll understand the role that target audience plays in how news is

reported, and how their policy positions are influenced by that reporting.

Race and Class

Getting Back to Abnormal by Louis Alvarez, Andrew Kolker, Peter Odabashian & Paul Stekler | Grades: 10-12

Students will practice listening, research and discussion skills as they analyze American race relations and

issues of political representation.

The Qualities of a Politician

Koch by Neil Barsky | Grades: 9-12

Students will examine the qualities of a politician to determine which characteristics the most effective

political leaders possess.

Time Served - Now What?

The Return by Kelly Duane de la Vega and Katie Galloway | Grades: 9-12

This lesson intertwines fictional writing (ELA) with policy research and teamwork (civics/government). The

lesson uses clips from The Return--about people who had been sentenced to life in prison under California¡¯s

¡°Three Strikes Law¡± and are now being released due to passage of a voter reform initiative (Prop 36)--to

humanize policy discussions.

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