Independent Television Service (ITVS) Community Classroom is a film and curriculum resource series that brings to life some of today’s most vital social issues, pairing film modules from award-winning documentaries with standards-based lesson plans. To celebrate Women’s History Month by focusing on women and girls around the world, PBS LearningMedia offers a Women and Girls Lead curriculum collection inspired by the landmark PBS mini-series, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Here’s a trailer for the mini-series.
social studies
Black History Across the Curriculum
Many students and teachers return to classes next week — the last week of February, which is Black History Week. Black history is a vital subject that can extend to various content within the school curriculum. For example, the lesson plan Understanding Duke Ellington from WNET for grades 1-4 offers a chance to explore subjects like culture, music, people and their relationships. Continue reading Important Chapters in the Civil Rights Movement
On Monday, February 10, at 10pm, WGBY airs Independent Lens: Spies of Mississippi, the story of a secret spy agency formed during the 1950s and 60s by the state of Mississippi to preserve segregation and maintain white supremacy. Over a decade, the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission employed a network of investigators and informants, including African Americans, to help infiltrate the NAACP, CORE and SNCC.
Watch a preview:
A Must-See Video for Black History Month
We have received a new DVD, just in time for Black History Month. Narrated by Denzel Washington, 
documents the renowned and historic 1963 March on Washington for jobs and freedom. It was a watershed moment of the civil rights movement and brought together a huge coalition of powerful and revered civil rights organizations, labor unions, and civil rights leaders. Continue reading
Lesson Plan for Black History Month: Educating the Whole Child in a Segregated Society
Black History Month begins and throughout February you’ll find resources here to spark students’ curiosity. This one considers the 21st century demand for a new way of approaching education policy and practice — a “whole child” approach to learning, teaching, and community engagement. Such an approach requires that policymakers make decisions about education by first asking: What works best for children? Continue reading
Provocative Thoughts About Black History Month
Since February is Black History Month, we hope to post resources for you throughout the month. Here’s one about a very motivated person hoping to put an end to the month-long celebration through his documentary film, More Than a Month. Continue reading
LESSON PLAN FEATURE: Writing in the First Person of a Civil Rights Protester
Walking in someone else’s shoes can be one of the best ways to understand another human being. In the lesson plan It Takes Courage to Be Weak, students begin by analyzing quotations about activism and social change and rewriting them in their own words. Continue reading
Two Videos Present New Views of Lincoln and the Civil War
Two Interesting video packages arrived recently which are timely, as Lincoln’s birthday is coming up in February. The term packages is apt, because not only do these package contain a DVD, but several reproductions of maps, newspaper clippings, personal letters, etc. These documents add a new dimension to audio/visual materials. Continue reading
Teaching Social Studies Enhanced with Technology
Increased access to devices and digital tools makes it easier for social studies teachers to integrate technology into their teaching, so reports staff writers in the December 5th edition of eSchool News. Social studies lessons are becoming more engaging and interactive, thanks to a variety of classroom technology tools and resources. Continue reading
Learn More About Nelson Mandela
We have two videos about Nelson Mandela in our lending library that you might find of value. One is The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela (I.D. 2185) Frontline profiles the most widely known and revered political leader in the world, Nelson Mandela. Credited with the reversal of apartheid in a South Africa controlled by two generations of stern Afrikaner leaders who enforced the ideology of racial separation, Mandela stands as an all-embracing giant who brought about his nation’s extraordinary peaceful transformation to democracy. DVD format. Continue reading