CREATE WORLD HISTORY LESSON PLANS
Table of Contents for World History Learning Guides and Lesson Plans from Movies and Film
Full Length Movies — Short Subjects — Movie Clips — Film Clips — Video Clips — Snippets
Events/Epochs
- Pre-History
- Indigenous Civilizations in the Americas
- The Ancient World
- Babylon
- China
- Egypt
- Greece
- Muslim Culture
- Roman Empire
- The Middle Ages
- The Renaissance
- The Enlightenment
- The 1800s to the First World War
- The First World War
- Between the Wars and The Great Depression
- The Second World War
- The Cold War Era
- The Post Cold War Era
Dr. Sarmast’s Music School
Music as a Human and Cultural Right using Clips from Dr. Sarmast’s Music School
(Music and Social Studies (World/Afghanistan; Human Rights of Artists; Women’s Rights) [12+; 100 minutes]
Travis: A Soldier’s Story
(Health (Resilience); U.S. 1991 – Current; World/Afghanistan; SEL: Courage in War; Surviving; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [14+]
Albania — Movie Lesson Plans Relating to Albania
Behind the Sun
World/Brazil & Albania [12+; Literary devices analyzed: symbols, subplot, flashback, foreshadowing and irony]
Argentina — Lesson Plans from Films Relating to Argentina
Australia — Movie Lesson Plans Relating to Australia
Austria — Lesson Plans from Films Relating to Austria
Amadeus
Biography/Mozart; Music/Classical; World/Austria [12+]
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Biography; Music/Classical; World/Austria [9 – 12]
The Sound of Music
Drama/Musicals; World/ WWII & Austria [6+]
Strauss: The King of Three-Quarter Time
Biography; Music/Classical; World/Austria [6 – 12]
Brazil — Movie Lesson Plans Relating to Brazil
Behind the Sun
World/Brazil & Albania [12+; Literary devices analyzed: symbols, subplot, flashback, foreshadowing and irony.]
The Mission
Religions/Christianity; World/South America, Paraguay, Brazil [13+]
Canada — Lesson Plans from Films Relating to Canada
Anne of Green Gables
World/Canada [8+]
Beautiful Dreamers
Biography/Whitman; Literature/U.S.; World/Canada; Medicine [12+; useful for getting students to read and appreciate the poetry of Walt Whitman]
Fly Away Home
Parenting; Father/Daughter; Teamwork; Caring for Animals [10+]
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Sports/Chess; World/Canada [10+]
Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
Biography/Gould; Music/Classical; World/Canada [14+] (Small portions in French with English subtitles.)
Chile — Movie Lesson Plans Relating to Chile
Force More Powerful
Short Subject
World/India, Poland, Denmark, Chile, South Africa; 1800s – the Present; U.S./1945 – the Present; Civil Rights Movement, Tennessee [12+; Six sections, each between 20 and 30 minutes in length]
China — Lesson Plans from Films Relating to China
The Joy Luck Club
U.S./1945 – 1991, Diversity; California; World/China [14+]
Kundun
World/Tibet & China; Religions/Buddhism [13+]
Mao’s Last Dancer
(Literature: NonFiction; Literary Devices: allegory/parable; Biography; World/China; U.S.: 1945 – Present; Dance; SEL: Breaking Out; Human Rights; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility) [12+]
Mulan
Mythology; World/China [6-9]
(Films in Chinese with English Subtitles)
Cuba — Movie Lesson Plans Relating to Cuba
For Love or Country – The Arturo Sandoval Story
Music/Jazz; World/Cuba and the Cold War Era; Biography [12+]
Denmark — Lesson Plans from Films Relating to Denmark
Force More Powerful
Short Subject
World/India, Poland, Denmark, Chile, South Africa; 1800s – the Present; U.S./1945 – the Present; Civil Rights Movement, Tennessee [12+; Six sections, each between 20 and 30 minutes in length]
England — Movie Lesson Plans Relating to England
The Adventures of Robin Hood
World/England & Middle Ages [8 – 13]
Around the World in 80 Days
Science-Technology; World/England [8 – 13]
Bend It Like Beckham
(Sports/Soccer (Football); World/England; SEL: Breaking Out; Parenting; Romantic Relationships; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Trustworthiness; Respect; Caring) [13+]
Billy Budd
(Literature/U.S. & Literary Devices: theme, characterization & irony; World/Britain; Seafaring) [14+]
Billy Elliot
Dance; World/England [12+]
A Call To Spy
The Best of TWM
(World History: The Second World War; England; U.S. History, 1940 – 1945; SEL: — Disabilities; Female Role Model; Courage in War; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Citizenship; Respect. [13+]
Chariots of Fire
World/England; Sports/Olympics; Religions/Judaism and Christianity [10+]
A Christmas Carol
Religions/Christianity; World/England [8+]
Gandhi
Biography; World/India, South Africa, England & 1800s – Cold War Era; U.S./Diversity; Religions [10+]
Great Expectations
Literature/England; World/England [10+]
Handel’s Last Chance
Biography; Music/Classical; World/England & Ireland [6-12]
An Ideal Husband
Drama/England, World/England [12+]
The Importance of Being Earnest
World/England; Drama/England [12+]
Lawrence of Arabia
Biography; World/England, Middle East & WWI [12+]
Looking For Richard
Drama/England; World/England [12+]
A Man for All Seasons
Biography/Thomas More; World/England & the Renaissance; Religions/Christianity; Drama/England [12+]
Isaac Newton: A Tale of Two Isaacs
Biography; Science-Technology; World/England & Enlightenment; Mathematics [8-13]
The Old Curiosity Shop
World/England; Literature/England [11+]
Oliver!
Drama/Musicals; Literature/England; World/England [8+]
Oliver Twist
Literature/England; World/England [10+]
A Passage To India
World/India & England; Literature/England [12+]
Persuasion
Literature/England; World/England [12+]
The Pirates of Penzance
Drama/Musicals; World/England [8+]
Pride and Prejudice
Literature/England; World/England [12+; Literary devices analyzed: theme; foils, contrasting characters; character development; subplot; irony; and use of letters read by a character]
Sense and Sensibility
Literature/England; World/England [12+]
Romeo and Juliet
Snippet Lesson Plan for “Shakespeare in Love”: An Introduction to Romeo and Juliet (Drama; World/England) [12+]
France — Lesson Plans from Films Relating to France
Camille
Cinema; Drama/France; World/France [12+]
Casablanca
U.S./1941 – 1945; World/WWII, France & Morocco [12+]
Mary Cassatt: American Impressionist
Visual Arts; World/France; U.S./1865 – 1913; Biography) [8+]
Les Choristes
(Music; World/France; Literature/Poetry Analysis; Literary Devices: theme;SEL: Self-esteem; Talent; Education; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [10+; in French with English subtitles]
Conquest
(Biography/Napoleon Bonaparte; World/France, Poland & The 1800s; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Ethical Emphasis: Respect; Responsibility) [12+]
Cyrano de Bergerac
(Drama/France; World/France; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Self-esteem; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Respect) [12+] (In French with English Subtitles)
Degas and the Dancer
Visual Arts; World/France; Dance [8 – 13]
Ever After
World/France and the Renaissance [10+]
Gigi
(Drama/Musicals; World/France; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility; Caring) [12+]
La Traviata
Music/Opera; World/France [12+] (In Italian with English Subtitles)
Les Misérables
Literature/France; World/France [8+]
The Life of Emile Zola
Biography; World/France; Literature/France [10+]
Loving Vincent
(ELA; U.S./1945 -1991; SEL: Peer Pressure; Surviving; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility; Caring) [13+; Literary devices analyzed: symbol, character development, theme, irony.]
Lust for Life
Biography/Van Gogh; World/France; Visual Arts [12+]
Madame Curie
Biography; Science-Technology; World/France [10+]
Marie Curie: More Than Meets the Eye
Biography; World/France & WWI; Medicine; Science-Technology [8 – 12]
Midnight in Paris
(Literature/U.S.; Visual Arts; Music; World/France; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Breaking Out; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [14+]
Moulin Rouge
Biography/Lautrec; Visual Arts; World/France [13+]
Paths of Glory
World/France & WWI [10+]
Tale of Two Cities
Literature/England; World/France & England [12+]
(Films in French with English Subtitles)
Au Revoir Les Enfants
World/France & WWII (Holocaust) [11+]
Carmen
Music/Opera; World/France [12+] (In French with English Subtitles)
The Crucible
U.S./1629 – 1750, 1945-1991 & Massachusetts; Drama/U.S.) (Two versions, one in French with English Subtitles [12+]
Cyrano de Bergerac
Drama/France; World/France [12+] (In French with English Subtitles)
Les Choristes
(Music; World/France; Literature/Poetry Analysis; Literary Devices: theme;SEL: Self-esteem; Talent; Education; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Caring) [10+; in French with English subtitles]